Floating Observatories by upgrade.studio, DSBA and Mihai Carciun

This conceptual tower is based on helium balloons, it inhabits several observation decks. 

The following details are from DSBA:
Taiwan Tower Conceptual International Competition
“FLOATING OBSERVATORIES” Proposal by Dorin STEFAN’s DSBA, Mihai CARCIUN and upgrade.studio wins the “Taiwan Tower” Conceptual International Competition

“Starting from the ‘geographical’ visual of Taiwan ‐ which is an island resembling a leaf ‐ we have developed the concept of the technological tree: we have designed 8 spatial leaves (with eight being a propitious number in the local culture) in the form of zeppelin‐like elevators which glide up and down the ‘tree trunk” and which serve the purpose of observation decks / belvedere.

I have called these elevators floating observatories because each has a nacelle which can take 50 to 80 people; they are self‐sustained by helium balloons and are built from lightweight materials (borrowed from the spacecraft industry) and are wrapped in a last‐generation type of membrane (PTFE) and they glide vertically on a track positioned vertically in a strong electro‐magnetic field” ‐ Dorin STEFAN, Principal, DSBA*

For more information, have a look at dezeen: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/11/18/floating-observatories-by-upgrade-studio-dsba-and-mihai-carciun/?ref=nf