The Gyre

GROUP MEMBERS:
ABHIJITH
ANJANA
DIVYA
NIRANJANA
LAKSHMI
SUJITH
SIVADEV
 INTRODUCTION
• Floor Area: 2.3 million ft²
Features: tourism  above waterline / hotel and
residential below waterline / deep sea
underwater lab / renewable energy systems /
central fresh water reservoir 
Dates: 2008 International Design Competition
• Designer: Victoria BC-based firm Zigloo.
• Gyre (like it's namesake - the oceanic gyre) is a
structure that utilizes 
ocean currents and wind to gracefully navigate
the world's ocean environment. 
• Gyre creates a new class of eco-tourism by
bringing scientists and vacationers together to
understand the least known environment of
our planet.
•  As much as a skyscraper is an economical
method of reducing footprint on land, Gyre
goes a step further by juxtaposing those
footprints to the ocean.
Spaces

• The Gyre is a floating eco-development meant to

be both a research station as well as an off-shore
resort with shops, restaurants, gardens and
recreation
• Resort destination, transportation hub, method of
transport, and scientific observatory, Gyre expands
the realm of architecture into an exciting
and sustainable frontier. 
• The tower also includes residential and office
complexes.
• The first two levels of the vortex are dedicated to
circulation, community gatherings, restaurants, and
commerce.
• Intermediate levels accommodate long-term
residents, oceanic experts, hotel guests and crew
members.
• The deepest levels are dedicated to a scientific
observatory for oceanographic research.
• Its unique design permits the simultaneous application
of wind, solar and tidal energy generation technologies.
• Peaking at a depth of 400 meters, its ample space
provides for a comfortable living and working
environment, including areas for shops, restaurants,
gardens, and recreation.
• The Gyre is essentially an inverted underwater
skyscraper(deepscraper), diving down to a depth of 400
m (1,312 ft) and would be about the same height as the
Empire State Building.
• Four arms extend from the center spire (1.25 km in
diameter) and act to buoy the structure as well as
create a safe inner harbor and port large enough to
accommodate the world’s most titanic ships.
• The center tower starts off at 30,000 sq meters of
space and each floor down gets progressively smaller,
down to 600 sq meters.
• The total floor area of the entire structure is 212,000
sq.meters, or roughly 40 football fields. Powered
completely by renewable energy, the Gyre is an off-
grid, zero emissions development.
• The center piece of the design features a double-hulled vortex with
both hulls being clad in reinforced glass, where each floor levels are
essentially a layering of concentric rings ranging is size from 30,000
square meters down to 600 square meters. 
• Inclinators riding along the structural ribs provide for vertical /
diagonal transportation between floors.
• Gyre´s radial arms feature a pedestrian upper level and a transit
system on the lower level to access to the outer protective barriers.
• The barriers create an inner harbor and a port of approximately
1.25 kilometer in diameter, accommodating the needs of the
world’s largest ships.
Sustainability
• Vertical wind turbines would be mounted on the top of the radial arms, collecting wind off
the ocean. Semi-transparent solar windows would be used as glazing on the entire structure
and then solar panels would be used as shading on the pedestrian walkways up on top.
• Underwater turbines would generate power from water currents when anchored, and then
they would act as thrusters for propulsion for when the Gyre was in motion.
• Additionally, rainwater would be harvested in the central vortex and collected into storage
tanks at the bottom of the spire.
• The skyscraper will be able to manage undersea pressures and stresses thanks to its unique
shape.
• Rainwater harvested in the inner vortex and gravity fed to the water purification system at
the base of the Gyre.
• Mechanical systems and emergency freshwater storage basins are in the deepest portion of
the structure.
• Furthermore, underwater nacelle’s function both as tidal generators when the structure is
anchored and as thrusters for propulsion when Gyre is under way.