# Whimsical Watery Urbanism 'City on the Sea' Imagines a Shanghai that Embraces Rising Shores By Amelia Roblin | Published 2012-07-27 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/city-on-the-sea References: [suckerpunchdaily](http://www.suckerpunchdaily.com/2012/07/26/aash11-city-on-the-sea/) & [aaschool.ac.uk](http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/VISITING/shanghai) The issue of how Earth's changing climate will affect the way that we build is a compelling one, and a problem explored though 'City on the Sea' by students of the Architectural Association Visiting School, Shanghai. Considering the relationship that the metropolis has with its bordering river, the designers explored one of H2O's most fascinating features. Some representation of the meniscus was incorporated into the projects as a way to explore the concepts of tension and escalation and the threshold between land and waterway. One proposal encapsulates the urban environment in big domed bubbles to protect it while another dresses it in cloud-like ribbons. Undertaken beneath director Tom Verebes, the 'City on the Sea' exercise involved the impressive use of complex computer rendering programs to analyze the effects and impacts of Shanghai's liquid surrounds. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.5/10 - Popularity: 62% | Activity: 64% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/architecture) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Watery Architecture:** Embracing waterways and rising shores in urban architecture leads to new opportunities for innovative designs and safeguarding against natural disaster. - **Climate-conscious Construction:** Creative design solutions in architectural and engineering practices to combat the global climate crisis. - **Computational Urbanism:** Leveraging advanced computer rendering programs for analyzing impacts and effects on cities' evolving environments. ### Who This Affects Most - **Architecture and Planning:** Architects, planners, and urban developers can integrate watery architecture, green space, and urban innovation into urban environments. - **Environmental and Resilience Consulting:** Environmental consultants, sustainability strategists, and resilience experts can apply climate-conscious construction designs and consult on creating flood resistant infrastructure. - **Technology and Software:** Advances in computational urbanism are driving more widespread adoption of advanced modeling and mapping technologies for the evolution and development of urban planning. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Floating Cultural Plazas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aquapraca.md) - [Resilient Concrete Sea Walls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breathing-sea-wall.md) - [Floating City Networks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/justinian-khoo.md) - [Water Flow-Inspired Art Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nanhai-arts-center.md) - [Floating Amazon Plaza](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-aquapraa.md) - [Serene Waterfront Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lake-house-life-experience-pavilion.md) - [Urban Assembly Forums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ram-assembles.md) - [Everchanging Water-Based Theaters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yichang-grand-theatre.md) - [Rain-Collecting Skyscrapers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bpas-architects.md)