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A NOLLISTUDIO/NOLLIMEDIA Production
http://www.nollistudio.com
00:00 INTRO
00:33 THE ORIGIN OF ARCHIGRAM
01:14 WALKING CITY
02:34 THE LINE AS A WALKING CITY
03:51 PLUG-IN CITY & METABOLISM (NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER)
04:57 CAPSULE HOMES
07:43 MONGOLIAN DWELLINGS (GER/YURT) & ULAANBAATAR
08:58 JAPAN SINKS
11:09 VLS (VERY LARGE STRUCTURE)
12:33 NOMADISM IN THE DIGITAL ERA
13:52 NARU’S MOBILE VILLAGE
#walkingcities #archigram #mortalengines #movingcastle #nomad #mongolia #worldbuilding
Synopsys
Exploring the concept of Walking Cities, originally envisioned by the Archigram group in the 1960s, this documentary delves into the idea of nomadic, self-sustaining cities that roam freely and connect with others. It examines the architectural and social implications of such cities, their potential as a solution to sinking cities, and the shift from static to nomadic living. The documentary also discusses contemporary interpretations and the feasibility of this visionary concept in today's world.
In the sixties, there was
a group of architects who imagined a city that could walk and roam freely and even
connect with other cities just like them. It would host people, thousands of people, and they would know no boundaries. But why? A portion of this video is sponsored
by Displate In the aftermath of the war, Britain was
struggling with a massive housing shortage and the government was trying to solve
this by looking at alternative building
methods, especially from other industries. But it
didn't just need a rebuilding
or a housing solution. It demanded bold ideas
to inspire the collective spirit. And all of this
set the stage for archigram And their work was really out there. They seamlessly merge technology
with everyday life and created spaces
that were dynamic, responsive, and very reflective
of the changing social landscape. The heart of their vision
was this idea of mobility and flexibility. Imagine a mobile robotics city roaming
freely, trading resources and connecting with
other cities
that also roam around. This is walking city. It's a world where people from all over
abandon their boundaries and embrace a nomadic lifestyle. But how would it actually function? To understand this, let's break
this down into three key components the moving system, the structural
framework, and the living pods. the most iconic part of these graphics
are arguably the robotic legs, which were inspired
by insects and machinery. And it's these legs are provide
the unparalleled mobility
across different types of terrains. Even water. but it also has some major challenges, which is why it's mostly remained
in the world of fiction. Some alternative systems include massive. Crawler transporters,
which were historically used for moving space shuttles and dual layer
railway systems like China's prototype for the transit elevated bus, Each system has different implications
on how the city is going to function, especially in relation
to static existing cities. For example,
while thes
e are slightly more realistic, they would require substantial changes
to the existing infrastructure and it will be pretty complicated
for cities with a more organic layout. But if your city shaped like this, it could actually work and it could add
a whole nother dimension to the city. right now this project slices
through three different landscapes. So maybe the people
living in the moving section, they could enjoy different environments
and different lifestyle. And also they can enjoy
differen
t amenities that are specific to each section. Maybe the economy is based on transporting
resources from one end to another. Or maybe it's an entertainment economy
where they bring concert halls or stadiums. The marketing for this project
keeps talking about this idea of an innovation hub, but
I do talk about this in my other video. I don't know how this rigid line
is the most conducive structure for the serendipitous meeting of ideas,
But by adding this moving section where for specific weeks
o
r months of the year, you integrate a whole new community
with their own shops and restaurants and offices and museums,
it could be a really great way to organically connect
different groups of people, and I think it can actually
be really exciting. Like if I lived here, I would wait
for this moving city to come all year. Now let's talk about the framework. there. Walking city concept
doesn't really explore this in depth, but we could look at another proposal
plug in city. it's a massive framewo
rk
for prefabricated modules. They can plug in an out
depending on people's needs while containing
all of the essentials of a city. According to archigram, it's
a self destroy self building system. It's easily pushed into the shape
people want rather than pushing people into its shape. This movement has a lot of similarities
to another movement that developed around the same time,
but separately in a different part of the world metabolism, which embraced similar principles
of adaptability and fl
exibility. but when you look at the Nakagin
capsule tower, which is one of the few built
examples of the movement, it had a huge amount of problems
like poor ventilation and crappy insulation
and very high maintenance costs. it was demolished in 2022
because it was in such a bad condition. Yet replacing the modules were complete
out of the question for the residents because it was way too expensive
and way too time consuming. Archigram did have a slightly more nuanced approach,
in their Capsule
Homes project, which were the pods they could plug into
the framework of plug ins City. They broke up the capsules into smaller
interchangeable components, meaning you could replace
and customize parts of the units, you could even hang up
metal posters on these magnetic mounts. And the protective
leave allows you to customize your space with artwork
without leaving any trace on the walls. Joking. Displate is the sponsor of today's video. And I love them. Not just the quality, but the artworks. a
nd they have a huge range from Dune
cyberpunk cityscapes and they have these beautiful buildings
and streetscapes and watercolors. in the spirit of archigram. I picked the designs in the retro space
theme. They're always adding new brands and collections every week
so you can get notified when you sign up. They're manufactured in Europe and they make sure they reach you
within 4 to 5 days. You can use my link in the description
or my discount code. DAMILEE to get a special promotion
on all of th
e designs for one display, get 25% off and for two or more displays get 35% off. Their living pods project could even function
independently and it was equipped with self-leveling legs for different types
of terrains, even water. So it doesn't adapt
only to individual needs, but it can also adapt to different
environments. The integrated
appalling mechanism directly into the core of the structural framework,
meaning if you can transport your part to the base of the building,
then plugging in is
relatively simple and it doesn't require
that much additional cost or coordination. what I found really interesting
is how these proposals in a way reflect the differences in culture
and thinking between these two countries. mean, yes, they were super similar
in their fundamental philosophy
of flexibility and adaptability. But Plug and city emphasizes individual freedom by allowing people
to customize the capsules while metabolism presents
a more collective solution by creating efficient modules
that were identical. I'm not saying that either was better, but by designing them to be adaptive
and self-contained. And maybe it could have offered a solution
to some of the problems in Nakagin Tower. And I think this additional flexibility
actually elevates the concept beyond just architecture
to a cultural concept that imagines nomadic lifestyles and even nomadic communities. But does anything like this even exist? Ger is a portable dwelling that's been used by Mongolian
nomads for thousands
of years. The structure is made of lightweight,
collapsible wooden frames that can be transported on pack animals or vehicles,
it typically takes about 5 to 15 people between 30 minutes to 3 hours to set it up
or take it apart. In Ulaanbaatar, these tents are not just
memories of a nomadic past. They've evolved to become a part
of the urban landscape as fix communities. the shift from nomadic to static,
is a direct impact of urbanization because there's just less available
land and less natural
resources that these nomadic communities
typically rely on. nomadic cultures are actually becoming
extremely rare because cities can provide stability and access to amenities
that temporary settlements just can't. In fact, nomadic cultures
today are kind of ostracized from the rest of society
because we have evolved to value things like permanence and stability
and having jobs. Yet the concept of walking cities suggests a reversal from static back to nomadic. So why would someone choose
to live
in a walking city? Japan is not actually sinking. It's a myth that's been popularized
by the novel Japan Sinks. there are lots of cities
all over the world that are sinking. So one of the scenarios
could be that walking cities house people who's been displaced
from natural disasters kind of like an ark,
you'd have to divide the population and distribute them into smaller
walking cities and the city would roam around
and search for their new permanent home. But how would we distribute
the popula
tion? It could be by geographic location
or by community affiliations or by special needs. So you can be housed in cities with the
right infrastructure or care facilities. Or it could be by skill set. I mean, every group needs an architect,
right? But it's probably more realistic to assume that we're going to be divided
by social or economic class. if you want better infrastructure
and amenities, it costs money. and in a survival type of situation. I think it's fair to assume
that people with mo
re money
will have access to better resources. You could have working class people
living in wealthier cities, but probably as the labor force,
because even in communities like Burning Man, where the principles
include self-reliance and commodification, the influence of money
is impossible to ignore. and when you combine the social instinct
with a linear moving city, we get Snowpiercer. walking, cities might present a solution
to global emergencies in an ideal world. But in the real world, we ha
ve to grapple with human nature
and how the world operates right now. I dove into this a little bit deeper
on my Floating cities video, but I think a city
without a defined purpose and its own economy,
it just becomes a microcosm and even an amplification
of our existing realities. This is VLS, a very large structure. It's a conceptual project, but
it uses technology that's available today. So it could possibly be buildable,
According to the architect, it works in symbiosis with the environment
that it traverses. Being able to physically manage it
while traveling in it. Cargo is uploaded and downloaded. Buildings are constructed and tested
and different territorial policies and infrastructure are implemented
and managed with the aim of achieving synergetic updates and paradigmatic
changes needed for the 21st century. Essentially, it's a moving megastructure
that moves across large swaths of land,
acting as a territorial manager. And although that's the main purpose,
it can also hold up
to 5000 people. And I think this is a fascinating idea. A moving city
designed for a nomadic community. But as it moves around and manages
the landscape or restores biodiversity or distributes resources across different
landscapes, It would have its own economy, which would be based
on environmental management or whatever. This moving city is designed to do. People could also have jobs maintaining
or operating the structure, but what kind of people
would actually live here? I've always wanted t
o be a digital nomad,
but I don't think it's just me. Ever since the digital revolution,
this whole nomadic lifestyle has been so romanticized
because there's adventure and there's freedom and you can experience
different cultures and meet new people. But the reality of being a digital
nomad seems a little bit different. And the most common struggle
seems to be the lack of community. Community is and has always been one of
the key ingredients of a happy life. but a community also can't exist
wit
hout people who want to stay there for the long run. cause. It's only when the people feel
the sense of attachment to a place that it makes them want to give back
and want to contribute to the community. But if they don't feel this,
they probably won't. Is a pretty simple idea. But this person community dynamic,
it's a symbiotic relationship. So what if, instead of being an individual
nomad, moving alone? What if we become a collective nomad
where you can enjoy the benefits of a nomadic lifestyl
e without sacrificing
the belonging of a community? man, yours
is what we do, suddenly each shock, I mean, we. This is my friend Naru. He built his own mobile house and lived
as a nomad for three and a half years. But a couple of years ago, he started
a new project called Mobile Village, And it's become a community of 120 people. They rented a lot
and they built some essential amenities, and they started living together
and building together and eating together. And they even hunt together. And
it's nothing like the scale
of walking city. In fact, they are pretty static. But what I learned is that at the heart of nomadism, it's
actually not in the act of moving. When you go to the essence of it, it's
really in in the shared quest for meaning and happiness that questions society's predefined framework for a happy life. It's a hands on investigation for what
it truly means to live a good life. And as we move into this new era of A.I. and this age of abundance, maybe it is
time for us to
start fantasizing again and reimagining what it means
to be a community and a city. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments. This is the book that we referenced
when we were making this video. And honestly, I had no idea
that archigram had so many projects because most of these projects are not
online Super, super interesting to read. I'll leave the link in the description and it kind of illustrates how these socioeconomic dynamics
are impossible to escape, even in environments
that
are designed specifically for that purpose. By the way, we've collected all of our background
research into a research booklet. If you're interested,
I'll leave the link in the description. Every morning I walk to my office in Gastown
and I see some crazy shit. And in the backdrop
of this beautiful city, it can feel very dystopian. this is the reality. and so imagining a city like the VLS where all the people work
towards a collective purpose. I have a shared set of values. It feels very much li
ke a fantasy. I'm assuming living in a walking city would require
a pretty high level of coordination. So it would be a pretty tight knit
community. There's probably a big focus on education
since it's kind of a living experimental laboratory
and culturally it would be super dynamic because we'd pick up traditions
and customs from all over the world. I mean, it's a pretty cool fantasy, but maybe it doesn't
have to be just a fantasy. This is my friend Naru. He built his own mobile house and lived
as a nomad for three and a half years. But eventually he started a project called
Mobile Village, which has become
a community of 120 people. They rented a lot, built some essential
amenities, and started living together. They build stuff. They eat together,
and they even hunt together. Of course, it's
nothing like the scale of walking city. In fact, they are pretty static. But what I learned
is that at the heart of nomadism is actually not in the act of moving. When you go to the essence of it
, it's really in the shared quest
for meaning and a questioning of society's framework
for what it would best. This is but again,
it just needs a little bit more memory. Think practicing.
Comments
Drugs were definitely involved in the design of this insane concept: psychedelics for inspiration, cocaine for execution
Mobile architecture in fiction: on legs: Howl's Moving Castle on wheels: Mortal engines. on rails: The Inverted World. Snowpiercer. In flash fiction: Sophronia, in Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities
One thing that always stuck me is these mega projects never talk about fuel
When analyzing the potential for moving cities, I'm faced with a few essential problems: crushing the terrain underneath (which could be disastrous for stability), constant vibrations like earthquakes, and trying to keep everything level, despite wildly unlevel terrain. I'm confused at how they were even proposed.
There's always something so humorous and comforting about Dami's videos. And I'm all here for it.
A city is a place bigger than itself. It is part of a region, its history and culture, its landscapes. It has neighbours, it has visitors from afar. I prefer my city - a city where I moved twenty years ago - to stay a place. A place where people come and go, a place between past and future in its 2,000-year-old history, its roots - my roots, our roots - deep in the earth, instead of being a mere vehicle... Wait, you can fight other moving cities? Where do I sign?!
This reminds me of the mobile cities from a game called arknights, where the world is covered with random and frequent natural disasters, so the people there just put their cities on giant moving platforms to avoid the catastrophis, and their society is based on living on these often isolated mobile cities traveling around their countries
Really nice note to end on, came here for the architecture but stayed for the wholesome optimism. Fantastic video
Kudos to you and the team for another high quality video!
I love how you make architecture very accessible!
I always find your videos fascinating
studying about Archigram was some of the most fun I've ever had while studying architecture. Thank you for the video!
You, your staff and combined efforts have always left me speechless. You allow me to expand what I see. Thankyou. Thankyou for sharing and .....simply, thankyou.
I love your videos because they are an amazing combination of art, architecture, engineering, and sociology.
Does Howl's Moving Castle remind anyone of the Walking Cities
Amazing as always! Thank you
I had no idea how much I enjoyed learning about architecture until I found your channel. Thank you for my new Interest 🥰
I really enjoy the scale of these thought experiments and the discussions around what could make them real and functional and, importantly, including fostering the human experience--it is somehow satisfying to think about these things and does restore some hope and wonder. Which, probably not surprisingly, is why I also read so much sci-fi...
instant watch. love your videos!
One of your best videos! Thank you!!!