Page 24 - THESIS AEROMEDINA - MICHAEL STITT - FINAL
P. 24

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>
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