Contemporary developments in transportation technology are changing how we drive, store, and power vehicles. What opportunities do these new technologies represent for design? What does this mean for the future of roadside architecture, and can we re-think the relationship between car and city?
Asked to develop a concept for an electric car charging station for a new urban development in Shanghai, Ennead Lab created the Charging Tower, a urban roadside beacon for electric cars.
Unlike filling up a car at a gas station, charging an electric car takes a larger investment of time from the driver. Currently, there are two options for charging an electric vehicle: a super charge or a standard charge. A super charge utilizes both alternating and direct current simultaneously to provide a vehicle with over 100 miles of charge in only 25 minutes. Such a system is best used by drivers who are still on their way to their destination or need the extra miles to get home. On the other hand, the standard charge method will take up to five hours to achieve the same level of charge. Both systems raise the question: what does the driver do while the car is charging?
In order to accommodate both a small, urban, pedestrian-friendly site and to maximize the number of cars simultaneously utilizing a standard charging system, we combined existing charger technologies with existing stack-parking technologies to create a “Charging Tower.” At the ground level, super-charge stations are housed beneath a light-weight canopy. The parking towers above are clad in a reflective, perforated metal, creating a beacon to passersby.
A/D/O Features Car Charging Tower
A/D/O Article entitled "Architecture and the Electric Vehicle" features Electric Car Charging Tower …
An excerpt from the article:
“A car charging station must provide an answer for what drivers will do while they are waiting for their cars to be ready to return to the road,” said architect Kyle Graham. As part of a team at Ennead Architects in New York, Graham developed the concept for the Charging Tower, a multi-story charging hub designed to take the place of inner-city gas stations.
Read full article here.
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in ALLPLAN
The Electric Car Charging Tower is featured in post, "Architecture for Electric Cars" in ALLPLAN. Read full post here.
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Onward: Mobility in the Next New York
The Electric Car Charging Tower featured in "Onward: Mobility in the Next New York" article titled "Deploy an Electric Car Network".
Learn more about "Onward: Mobility in the Next New York" here.
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in architecktur Article
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The Toy Box Builds Upon Car Charging Tower Prototype
Building upon the "Car Charging Tower" prototype, The Toy Box creates an architectural showcase for electric charging technology, as well as digital display and entertainment technologies to create a holistic space to support various car culture-related functions.
Learn more about The Toy Box in Style article here.
Dezeen features Car Charging Tower
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Dezeen article written by Alyn Griffiths titled "Ennead Lab Proposed Electric Car Charging Tower as 'The Future of Roadside Architecture'"
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Architect
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Architect article written by Nicholas Korody "Ennead Architects Envisions the 'Car Towers' of the Near Electric-Car Future"
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Electrek Article
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Electrek Article, "An innovative concept for charging electric vehicles in cities: the charging tower"
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Yahoo Finance Article
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Yahoo Finance Article, "Could this electric-car Charging Tower mean the end of gas stations?"
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Designboom
Electric Car Charging Tower featured in Designboom article written by Beatrice Murray-Nag "Ennead Lab Plans Shanghai Charging Tower as the 'Gas Station of the Future'"