Tata Tower could bring vertical parking to Mumbai

With a population density currently about seven times greater than the city of Los Angeles, Mumbai has some major overcrowding problems that are only going to get worse. It is projected that in 20 years, with the increased adoption of vehicles, 25 percent of the land area will be covered with cars. The number of people per square mile is already at 59,000, making land critically scarce; losing a quarter of that land would be stifling. Tata Motors (the creator of the Nano) plans to combat this problem with the Tata Tower, a residential community, vertical parking garage and energy generator all in one.

Designed by Seth Ellsworth & Jayoung Kim, the tower provides a solution to Mumbai's overcrowding problem and the ensuing impact on the environment. By thinking vertically, the designers were able to create a structure that could house 930 of Tata's employees along with their families and provide parking spaces for 4,050 electric vehicles using a lot less land space. Additionally, by incorporating louvers that collect solar energy, wind turbines, and an algae farm into their design, the tower will also be able to generate enough energy to run the apartments and charge the parked electric vehicles. Sounds like killing three birds with one stone to us. See more in the gallery below.

[Source: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat via Inhabitat]