Skyscrapers have always fascinated me.
Today’s invention is a skyscraper which is constructed from a collection of touching cylinders moving vertically in and out of silos in the ground. This reminds me a bit of Marineville, as created by my all-time hero Gerry Anderson.
The cylinders could be made of reinforced concrete and driven hydraulically. Once in position, ports would be opened between adjacent levels in the cylinders to create a set of communicating rooms on a given floor.
If there was a need to change the relations between these rooms, the towers could be driven to a new configuration (making eg a giant courtyard in the form of a central recess).
If under some kind of attack, or if a fire occurred, the towers could be withdrawn rapidly underground, allowing occupants a way to escape.
