Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

‘City Sand Tower’ Oasis Proposed for Sahara Desert

Share this Post!

Desert mirages usually come in the form of water, not a rock—nor an entire city.

French firms Manal Rachdi OXO Architects and Nicolas Laisné Associés dispel that notion with its latest concept—"City Sand Tower," currently a virtual and in futurity a vertical city in Morocco’s Sahara Desert. You can never fault people (even architects) for wanting to play in a sandbox.

French firms OXO Architects and Nicolas Laisné Associés proposed a unique concept—a desert oasis vertical city.

French firms OXO Architects and Nicolas Laisné Associés proposed a unique concept—a desert oasis vertical city.

The ground-level pool flooded in natural light

The ground-level pool flooded in natural light

From a distance, the conceptual city’s main structure (dubbed “La Ville Tour des Sables”) resembles a monumental rock over a vast sandy landscape before emerging as mixed-use architectural wonder that includes a hotel, housing, restaurants, an enormous interior pool, hanging gardens, a desert museum, meteorological observatory, and even rooftop helicopter landing pads. Closer inspection reveals a massive maze of interconnected street bazaar souks, ideal for exotic shopping.

City Sand Tower is connected to a maze of street bazaars.

City Sand Tower is connected to a maze of external street bazaars.

Hanging vegetation covers the inner structure and and is reflected by a pool below.

Hanging vegetation covers the inner structure and and is reflected by a pool below.

A stunning lap pool on one of the upper floors

A stunning lap pool on one of the upper floors

The huge ground-level flow pool is the tower’s interior centerpiece, reflecting live trees, beam-patterned sunrays, and the vegetation-covered atrium and waterfalls high above. Another large lap pool occupies the upper floor space. The rooftop is equipped with shelves for several helicopter landing areas. Mini sand tower substructures pop-up at various points throughout the city street bazaars.

Helicopter landing pads surround the rooftop of City Sand Tower.

Helicopter landing pads surround the rooftop of City Sand Tower.

The proposed desert skyscraper illuminates at night.

The proposed desert skyscraper illuminates at night.

At 450 meters high, the 780,000-square-meter complex is designed to meet the demands of desert life. According to Design Boom, various spaces to "play, pray, and swim" highlight the upper floors where panoramic views are sweeping (although we’re not sure what can be viewed in a vast desert, aside from mirages and "simoom" sandstorms). However, the City Sand Tower illuminates at night.

If "30 Rock" attracts visitors to New York's concrete jungle, perhaps this Morocco mirage rock can attract desert dwellers. City Sand Tower is between a rock and a hard place, but it's still the biggest sandbox in the world.

Related post