WANDERING CITIES AS THE UTOPIAN PROJECTS OF THE FUTURE CITIES

Abstract

Wandering cities are that kind of cities that can move from one location to another, which allows them to meet the updated needs and requirements of residents, provide access to new resources etc. Created to solve the problems of citizens, such cities became the embodiment of the technological development of the era, as they reflected the greatest achievements of mankind in a certain period of history. The article explores the concept of a wandering city based on the ideas of Cyrano de Bergerac (1657), Ron Herron and the architectural group Archigram (1964-1966) and Manuel Dominguez. Mobile houses are seen as an illustration of the feasibility of the idea of a wandering city. The article outlines the evolution of the idea of a wandering city based on the comparison of concepts developed in different eras and establishes their main characteristics. For example, the idea of the «Ambulatory Towns» of C. de Bergerac, described in the novel «Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon», is provided by fairly simple technical means. The wheel system of movement, in conjunction with the sail, allows you to perceive such a house as a land version of a sailing vessel. The «Walking city» by R. Herron and Archigram is formed by much more complicated technical means. The walking system of movement allows the city, formed as an integral structure, to move on land and water surface. However, because of insufficient technological development, it was rather difficult to develop the technical side of such a project in the 60s of the last century. A more detailed project by M. Dominguez «Very large structure» is an example of a utopian wandering city of the XXI century. It anticipates the use of a caterpillar system, the main technological processes are worked out in detail.