Architecture firm Zumo released some breathtaking images on its Instagram of inflatable skyscrapers and which the company claims are also sustainable.

“Imagine towering skyscrapers that rise like colossal balloons, transforming city skylines with their awe-inspiring presence. Introducing the revolutionary concept of inflatable skyscrapers, where architectural marvels and sustainable innovation come together,” reads the caption for the images.

The balloon-like structures are not real yet. They are, for now, but something imagined by Midjourney. But they soon could become a reality.

The illustrations show the skyscrapers floating above cities from New York to Tokyo and London to Dubai. They seem to be constructed from lightweight and flexible materials and are, according to the firm, sustainable. 

Could easily be torn down

Zumo does not give details on how these innovations would be sustainable if they ever came to be, but we can imagine that they could easily be torn down to be reused in another space if the need should arise.

They represent a future where our buildings could soar over our skylines without incurring a damaging carbon footprint. These inflatable skyscrapers are just as much about building green as they are about building high.

The architects may want to take inspiration from the Shanghai Tower, a shining example of the necessary steps architects must take to produce energy-efficient buildings. Completed in 2015, the Shanghai Tower is the second tallest building in the world and possesses the highest possible energy rating – LEED Platinum – despite towering over the Shanghai skyline. 

The tower uses cutting-edge technology and engineering to reduce its environmental impact. Its unique shape and design allow it to effectively resist wind load, which saved 20,000 metric tons of steel reinforcement during its construction.

It also boasts a huge reliance on clean, renewable energy, significantly reducing the tower's consumption and emissions. This is a landmark success in China, where pollution and energy consumption have been destructive and alarming for decades.

Can these new inflatable structures follow in the tower's footsteps? Will they introduce green energy and innovative construction methods to reduce the emissions resulting from their construction?

For now, these towers remain but a dream: a few carefully crafted images that offer hope of an improved skyline. In the future, however, they may be so much more.