SHoP and corgan design skyports to enable aerial ridesharing with uber air by 2023

with the goal to give riders the option of affordable aerial ridesharing by 2023, uber has unveiled new designs for skyports in different cities at its annual uber elevate summit yesterday, 11 june 2019. the company has partnered with top names in architecture, design, and engineering to create its vision for a network of distributed skyports that will handle an unprecedented number of takeoffs and landings of uber air vehicles.

corgan proposes connect | evolved, a practical system of modular, customizable components

images courtesy of uber elevate, via tech crunch

uber‘s skyports require all-new designs capable of handling up to 1,000 landings per hour, even within footprints as dense as an acre or two. its architecture and design partners have recently unveiled concepts to be installed on top of unutilized structures in different cities, including melbourne, dallas, and los angeles. in dallas, corgan architecture & design firm corgan proposes connect | evolved (pictured above), a practical system of modular, customizable components to be built according to the demands for urban air mobility, needs of the site, and development budget, with amenities such as restaurants, retail facilities and co-working spaces. see more concepts for different cities below.

the beck group‘s dallas skyport on top of an existing parking lot

‘a critical part of the success of creating an aerial ridesharing ecosystem involves using existing infrastructure and adding modular ‘plug and play’ element,’ the beck group says of its design. ‘the undulating cloud structure, elevator enclosure, and sky lounge can be manufactured at the beck group-affiliated, off-site manufacturing and fabrication company factory blue.’

‘our design is in part inspired by prefabricated components that can be shipped directly to a project site, offering a real-world, design-build solution that will one day bring this innovative concept to life,’ adds tim shippey, associate principal at the beck group.

other practices who have created concept designs of skyports for uber include us studios gensler and SHoP architects. concepts have also been revealed by pickard chilton working with arup, the beck group, boka powell, humphreys & partners architects and mithun.

SHoP architects proposes arc, imagined in los angeles

‘to celebrate uber’s vision of our shared transportation future, we shaped the architecture around the experience of boarding and takeoff, that bold first step into the future of urban flight,’ says shannon han, project director at SHoP architects. ‘whether it’s the first time or the fiftieth, walking on to the pad, under the arc of the wing-like roof, each rider’s experience will be dramatically heightened. the balance of the design is intended to effortlessly support the immediacy of that moment.’

design firm mithun proposes skypark in los angeles, incorporating greenery and public space into the concept

‘uber skypark elevates the urban transportation experience, enriching lives at the personal, neighborhood and community scales,’ said mithun design partner jason steiner.

‘by raising evtol functions, the greenlight hub, ebike and escooter maintenance and charging spaces above grade, a new urban park with restorative landscape and active street life is created at the ground level. the park and its trees absorb noise, filter pollution and mitigate urban heat island effect while providing vibrant recreation and social spaces for the community.’

the sky loft by pickard chilton and arup for melbourne is an elegant, high-performance design

‘the proposed initial network includes the retrofit of an existing parking structure and the design of a bespoke greenfield solution.the sky loft’s design creates a compelling and seamless user experience while delivering an elegant and high-performance building,’ said pickard chilton architects.

‘the sky loft is distinguished by its extensive use of a highly sustainable mass timber structure – easily sourced, renewable and manufactured off-site – to offset tons of carbon while featuring the beauty of natural wood.’

‘the design was driven by our team’s common aspirations to deliver a structure that positively contributes to the built environment while stewarding the natural environment. sky loft program areas include a skyport lounge, uber greenlight hub, an operations facility for jump bike and scooter sharing, and retail. on-site transit options include uber ride sharing, jump bike and scooter rental, and uber air service; additionally, the sky loft is located a short walk from other public transit options.’

BOKA powell architects’ uber skyport mobility hub connects all of the company’s vehicles under one roof

‘the uber skyport mobility hub as imagined by boka powell architects celebrates our evolving experience-driven society by designing fluidity and transparency into the process of air travel re-imagined,’ said boka powell design principal andrew bennett.

‘the integration of all uber brands substantiates first and last mile travel as major support elements to the uber air component that revolutionizes urban mobility. the mobility hub is not a thing, but rather a place of dynamic energy and integrated connectivity that celebrates the spirit of flight and the freedom to quickly access the important places in one’s life.’

in dallas, the volary by humphreys and partners architects integrates all amenities under a sustainable building

‘when designing the skyport and mega-skyport, it was important to think about concepts that fit present-day technology and existing developments, but can also adapt with shifting trends,’ said walter hughes, chief innovation officer at humphrey & partners. ‘uber elevate offers a viable solution. we focused on a design that can easily be replicated. add retail, office and more and we’ve expanded the meaning of a multi-use space.’

gensler envisions cityscape which features shopping and dining in addition to skyport facilities

‘the team created two concepts that share a common kit of parts: a retrofit to existing buildings and a bespoke ground-up solution cityspace is a community destination and connection point that welcomes people at the beginning or end of their journey, while dramatically reducing parking impact on the city,’ explained gensler. ‘this design solution becomes a pivotal piece of the urban fabric, binding the neighborhood together with a central place to shop, dine, and engage while reducing congestion across the city.’

project info:

company: uber