GOOD Design Daily: An Underground Siberian Eco-City

As destinations go, Siberia has a reputation for being more of a prison sentence than a promise land—what with its Arctic proximity and the terrifying place it holds in Russian literature. But the vast and sublimely beautiful area is actually home to millions of people, and if the Russian architectural firm Ab Elise makes good on its designs, it might one day include a first of its kind eco-city, located 1,804 feet below ground in an abandoned mine.

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PSFK reports:

The "Eco-city 2020" would be built inside the Mir diamond mine that measures over one kilometer in diameter and would be able to house 100,000 people. The city will be covered with a protective glass dome to guard its residents from Siberia’s inclement weather, while the solar cells on its walls will harvest the sun’s energy to provide power for the whole city. Eco-city 2020 will be divided in three levels containing vertical farms, residential areas and recreational spaces with a large core featured at the center.

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Granted, the idea of living in an abandoned Siberian mine might not appeal to everyone. But if it's actually built, it could serve as an object lesson in designing cities for the future's potentially volatile climate.