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Spotted: Inspired by the London Eye and designed by a consortium of Dutch businesses, Spiral Tower could be the world’s first climate-neutral high-rise tourist attraction. Built of lightweight steel and encasing a vertical garden, the tower consists of tracks taking artificial intelligence-steered cabins through the spiral viewing experience.

The windows of each cabin include augmented reality technology that layers the 360-degree view with additional, in-depth city information. Each cabin contains its own engine that generates electricity on the downward half of the route. All the power needed to run the attraction is generated by the combination of solar panels located at the base and on the sides of the tower and a windmill at the top.

The entire experience takes from three to ten minutes and continued social distancing is enabled via the cabins. Groups travel only with members of their immediate social bubble with a limit of 12 people per cabin. The four organisations behind the tower — engineers KCI, electrical specialists Rexroth, steel constructors Hillebrand, and the creative agency NorthernLight — are currently seeking financial backing to take the design from concept to reality.

Many in the travel and hospitality industries are seeking meaningful ways to transform this year’s unexpected changes into something positive and long-lasting. Innovations spotted by Springwise doing just that include virtual tours of the Faroe Islands by camera-wearing locals and a campaign that provides healthcare workers with free holidays for every trip booked by someone else.

Written by: Keely Khoury

Explore more: Architecture & Design Innovations | Sustainability Innovations