Automonument 2040 Part 1 Project 2025 Saif Dino Sanoufe University of Westminster London | UK The Automonument 2040 is a speculative architectural proposal that critiques the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2. Located at Piccadilly Plaza in Manchester, a city historically linked to the Industrial Revolution and now positioned as the UK’s AI capital, the project reclaims a now-abandoned HS2 site and explores the shift of investment from physical to digital infrastructure. It questions whether physical connections can be replaced by digital networks and considers how political promises of speed, efficiency, and technological advancement might shape future urban scenarios. Taking inspiration from Rem Koolhaas’ Delirious New York, the project borrows its name and conceptual framework from his notion of the skyscraper as Automonument The tower houses energy systems, data servers, wind turbines, and cooling infrastructure, acting as a vertical response to Manchester’s projected 2040 demands for electricity, heat, and digital connectivity. It is a hybrid: a power station, a server farm, and a civic landmark in one. The tower is a visibly solid object, yet its function is in constant flux. Environmental systems form the building’s envelope, including solar panels, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, and create a microgrid that redistributes energy back into the city. Tutor(s)