June 14, 2019
Taxis in the sky: New Haven firm unveils design for Uber Skyport
IMAGE | Contributed
New Haven-based Pickard Chilton’s design for a Skyport to support future Uber air travel in Melbourne, Australia.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
While it sounds like something out of the futuristic cartoon The Jetsons, the ride-hailing service Uber aspires to take to the sky, and a New Haven architecture firm has a vision for a launching pad.
Uber Air expects to start offering travelers affordable shared flights starting in 2023. The company needs a network of Skyports, where hundreds of vehicles can quickly take off and land daily in dense urban areas.
Pickard Chilton of New Haven, an architecture studio, and Arup, a global design and consulting firm, partnered on a design concept for a new Uber Air Skyport. It was showcased at Uber’s third “Elevate Summit” this Wednesday (June 12) in Washington, D.C., along with concepts from seven other firms.
“Uber is absolutely going to execute on urban aviation,” said firm Principal Jon Pickard. “A lot of people see these exciting videos and think it is The Jetsons, but it is absolutely real.”
The Jetsons | Hanna Barbera
Uber’s website indicates the company has “convened leaders across industry and government,” and expects to begin testing in cities as early as 2020.
Uber Air plans to launch the service in Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, pending all required regulatory approvals.
Pickard Chilton’s design is for the “Uber Sky Loft” in Melbourne. The firm’s leadership is hopeful Pickard Chilton will be selected when the project gets started.
“We don’t know when we will find out if we will be used, but we are extremely well-positioned to do future work in connection with Skyports,” Pickard said.
His firm’s design uses wood because it is more sustainable and keeps Earth’s “limited resources” in mind, according to Pickard. Their design includes retrofitting an existing parking structure in downtown Melbourne and creating a Skyport above and around it.
“A Skyport will be an important hub in any city,” Pickard said.
The firm’s design had to accommodate busy ground and air transportation, including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. It allows for electric bikes and scooters, electric vehicle-charging infrastructure, and a connection to public transit. The design also features dining and retail, and a timber parasol to protect passengers from the elements.
Pickard Chilton has designed numerous projects around the country and world, including corporate headquarters, commercial high-rises, hotels and academic facilities.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com
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