Arconic, a materials science company, has envisioned a 3-mile-high (4.8-km) skyscraper built from materials that are either in-development or have already been brought to market, including smog-eating surfaces and retractable balconies.

One of the most exciting and immediate projects is EcoClean, a special coating that helps buildings self-clean and purify the surrounding air, nanonewsnet.ru says.

EcoClean works with help from light and water vapour, which mix with the chemicals in the coating to produce atoms known as free radicals.

These free radicals pull in pollutants from the air and break them down to get sloughed off the side of the building along with dirt and grime - almost like dead skin. The end result is a cleaner building surrounded by cleaner air.

Another innovation is in the windows themselves. The new design is called Bloomframe. Essentially, it’s a motorised window that converts into an all-glass balcony in under a minute.

Arconic has been showcasing the technology at trade shows around the world and will hit the market in the "near future", a company spokesperson says.

Skyscrapers built from 3D-printed materials could stretch more than 3 miles in the sky, Arconic says.

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