Page 24 - THESIS AEROMEDINA - MICHAEL STITT - FINAL

The an early concept of an “Aerotropolis” appeared in an article of the is-
sue of American magazine “Popular Science” in November 1939, and de-
veloped by a New York artist Nicholas De Santis. (Saitta, D, 2012) In his
future vision, the airport is depicted as being on an enormous skyscraper

with rooftop devoted entirely as an airport within a major metropolitan
city context. Zeppelin-like airships are depicted arriving, parking, and
taking off from the top of a mega-skyscraper.

An enormous size rooftop depicts large areas of runway and aeroplanes
being the primary form of transport. Painted on top of the mega struc-
ture, is the word “Aerotropolis”, the first use of the word to describe a city

integrated as airport. Nicholas De Santis may have been influenced by
the much earlier futuristic, dystopic-visioned, silent film “Metropolis” by
the then German film maker, Fritz Lang, by, some twelve years.
“Metropolis’ is an extraordinary vision of the art deco design influenced
world, dominated by human labour, robots and robotics depicting multi-

story high flyovers, and a skyline dominated by trains, and most relevant
here - aeroplanes. An extraordinary work of art, “Metropolis’ was the
“Blade Runner” of it’s day.

The Nicholas De Santis “Aerotropolis” vision of a future world dominated
by air travel must have had stirred up within the emotions of the viewer
of his day, almost the same sense of curiosity, excitement and perhaps

even skepticism, just as those who first watched The Jetsens on televi-
sion, were fascinated by high technology and flying saucer-like mobility in
the 1960’s. The Jetsens would the same tell-tale signs of the future city
dominated by air travel. Business and residential structure developed in-

to the skyline, but now depicting in the micro-city context of a small fami-
ly with mobility that enables direct access, to and from their sky-tower
residence, to other sky-tower entertainment and business related loca-
The History of the Jetsens by WatchMojo.com, Youtube, Retrieved 20 November, 2013,

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQgcLYXKNSA>