Personal Aesthetic – Solar Punk

Picking an aesthetic that suits me was a relatively difficult process, as it’s not something I usually think about. After researching styles I like and looking around my room to see what decorations I have on the walls, I noticed a common theme. Many of my posters and items share three defining characteristics: technology — such as cars and city skylines — space-related imagery, and natural scenes filled with greenery.

One aesthetic that captures this combination is Solarpunk — a bright, green, and futuristic style. Solarpunk often depicts a future world overgrown with foliage, running entirely on renewable energy.

There are several decorations in my room that align with the Solarpunk aesthetic. I have multiple posters blending space imagery, natural scenes, and futuristic technology. Additionally, I currently work at a renewable energy company, and my dream is to one day help move the world closer to the sustainable, vibrant future that Solarpunk envisions.

The image above shows one of the posters in my room that I feel matches the Solarpunk aesthetic. While the poster doesn’t feature large cities powered by renewable energy, it does highlight other key Solarpunk themes like futurism and naturalism, using warm green and yellow tones.

Solarpunk emerged in the early 2010s, drawing inspiration from speculative sci-fi and other futuristic works. What excites me most about this aesthetic is that it’s not purely fantasy — it’s slowly becoming reality, as elements of Solarpunk design are being integrated into architecture worldwide.

For example, the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore perfectly embodies Solarpunk ideals. The first time I saw images of this airport, I could hardly believe it was real. It features a variety of plant species and futuristic architectural design, with the stunning, swooping fountain at its center. Singapore, in fact, is one of the closest examples of a real-world Solarpunk city, home to other captivating structures like the Gardens by the Bay.

The Gardens by the Bay reflect the Solarpunk aesthetic with their blend of natural and futuristic elements. The artificial trees are lined with real foliage, and at night, they light up, creating a surreal, high-tech yet organic atmosphere.

Main Project Aesthetic: 

While I haven’t fully decided on my final project, I know I want it to reflect a similar aesthetic. I love spacey, futuristic, yet natural scenes, and I think it would be exciting to incorporate this style into my work.

I’m also passionate about colorful LED lights and music, so one idea I have is to create a futuristic drum set that lights up when each drum is hit. I’d wrap LED lights around the drums and integrate touch sensors connected to speakers, so every time you strike a drum, a sound plays and the lights react.

Sources:

• “Solarpunk.” Aesthetics Wiki, aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Solarpunk. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

• Gough, Deborah. “What Is Solarpunk? The Emerging Aesthetic and Philosophy Designing a Sustainable Future.” ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024, www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-07/solarpunk-design-architecture-sustainable-future/103667452.

• Hill, Jessica. “Solarpunk Architecture: Designing a Future Where Nature and Technology Coexist.” Architizer, architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/solarpunk-architecture. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.