As someone who has lived in the city all my life, I would often get the urge to just escape to a beach or any nature oasis somewhere in the middle of a work day. But of course that seems impossible most of the time since I’m stuck in the concrete jungle. There have been designs and concepts of bringing nature closer to the city but unfortunately for me, I can only look at these from my computer screen and hope that someday, we’ll get something like them in my city.

Designer: OBMI

This new design for a unique kind of resort is created for urban areas that would like to have an oasis in the middle of all those buildings. Aera is a luxury vertical resort conceptualized in the context of an area that may not have enough space to house a full resort and to bring some semblance of water and sand to those living away from the beaches. This is definitely a first in terms of concepts and designs for nature retreats and it can be built in the middle of all the buildings, giving city dwellers a temporary escape.

Using the usual structural grid of a hotel tower, the design for Aera is made up of seven districts that includes dining, art, fashion, drama, garden, wellness, and family. Topping it off is a sky deck and a pool with a view of the urban sprawl surrounding it. So this is definitely not for those who are afraid of heights or falling off a pool into the streets below. But if you love the idea of a connection between the oasis within the resort and its surrounding buildings and streets, then this will be a treat for you.

Each level is like a micro-landscape with trees, walking trails, fountains, and other relaxing and refreshing scenery, in the midst of all the shopping, food, and artsy things in the different districts. The idea is to get people into a better headspace in the middle of the city without having to travel if they can’t travel at the moment. It pales in comparison to actually sitting on the beach and relaxing but it’s an option if you can’t go to that beach.