Urban Specimens
An Inventory of Biometric Topographies
Observed from above, cities reveal patterns that resemble the growth of living tissues: expansion, branching networks, and clustered cellular structures.
This project examines 64 of the most populated cities in the world through a standardized visual protocol: a vertical view, identical altitude, and fixed orientation. Each image becomes an urban specimen — a sample extracted from the planetary surface.
Through an algorithmic transformation, the morphology of these cities is reinterpreted as epidermal tissue. Streets become capillaries, blocks turn into cellular structures, and infrastructures merge into organic networks.
The process does not invent new forms. Instead, it amplifies structural similarities that already exist between urban systems and biological growth.
Seen at a microscopic scale, the city begins to resemble a living organism: a vast epidermis continuously expanding across the surface of the planet.
SPECIMEN REF: #042 TARGET LOCATION: AHMEDABAD, INDIA LAT: 23°01'21"N // LON: 72°34'17"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #063 TARGET LOCATION: ATLANTA, USA LAT: 33°44'56"N // LON: 84°23'16"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #023 TARGET LOCATION: BANGALURU, INDIA LAT: 12°58'17"N // LON: 77°35'40"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #030 TARGET LOCATION: BANGKOK, THAILAND LAT: 13°45'22"N // LON: 100°30'06"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #008 TARGET LOCATION: BEIJING, CHINA LAT: 39°54'15"N // LON: 116°24'26"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #059 TARGET LOCATION: BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL LAT: 19°55'00"S // LON: 43°56'04"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #027 TARGET LOCATION: BOGOTÀ, COLOMBIA LAT: 04°42'39"N // LON: 74°04'19"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #016 TARGET LOCATION: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA LAT: 34°36'13"S // LON: 58°22'53"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #007 TARGET LOCATION: CAIRO, EGYPT LAT: 30°02'39"N // LON: 31°14'08"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #037 TARGET LOCATION: CHENGDU, CHINA LAT: 30°34'22"N // LON: 104°04'00"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #026 TARGET LOCATION: CHENNAI, INDIA LAT: 13°04'57"N // LON: 80°16'14"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #036 TARGET LOCATION: CHICAGO, USA LAT: 41°52'41"N // LON: 87°37'47"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #012 TARGET LOCATION: CHONGQING, CHINA LAT: 29°33'46"N // LON: 106°33'10"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #056 TARGET LOCATION: DALLAS, USA LAT: 32°46'36"N // LON: 96°47'49"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #053 TARGET LOCATION: DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA LAT: 06°47'32"S // LON: 39°12'29"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #002 TARGET LOCATION: DELHI, INDIA LAT: 28°36'50"N // LON: 77°12'32"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #004 TARGET LOCATION: DHAKA, BANGLADESH LAT: 23°48'37"N // LON: 90°24'44"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #046 TARGET LOCATION: DONGGUAN, CHINA LAT: 23°01'13"N // LON: 113°45'06"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #064 TARGET LOCATION: FUKUOKA, JAPAN LAT: 33°35'24"N // LON: 130°24'06"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #020 TARGET LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, CHINA LAT: 23°07'44"N // LON: 113°15'51"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #047 TARGET LOCATION: HANGZHOU, CHINA LAT: 30°16'26"N // LON: 120°09'18"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #040 TARGET LOCATION: HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM LAT: 10°49'23"N // LON: 106°37'46"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #045 TARGET LOCATION: HONG KONG, CHINA LAT: 22°19'09"N // LON: 114°10'09"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #055 TARGET LOCATION: HOUSTON, USA LAT: 29°45'37"N // LON: 95°22'11"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #033 TARGET LOCATION: HYDERABAD, INDIA LAT: 17°23'06"N // LON: 78°29'12"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #013 TARGET LOCATION: ISTANBUL, TÜRKIYE LAT: 41°00'29"N // LON: 28°58'42"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #028 TARGET LOCATION: JAKARTA, INDONESIA LAT: 06°12'31"S // LON: 106°50'44"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #011 TARGET LOCATION: KARACHI, PAKISTAN LAT: 24°51'38"N // LON: 67°00'03"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #014 TARGET LOCATION: KINSHASA, CONGO LAT: 04°26'30"S // LON: 15°15'58"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #017 TARGET LOCATION: KOLKATA, INDIA LAT: 22°34'21"N // LON: 88°21'50"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #043 TARGET LOCATION: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA LAT: 03°08'20"N // LON: 101°41'12"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #015 TARGET LOCATION: LAGOS, NIGERIA LAT: 06°31'27"N // LON: 03°22'45"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #022 TARGET LOCATION: LAHORE, PAKISTAN LAT: 31°31'13"N // LON: 74°21'31"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #029 TARGET LOCATION: LIMA, PERU LAT: 12°02'47"S // LON: 77°02'34"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #034 TARGET LOCATION: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM LAT: 51°30'26"N // LON: 00°07'40"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #041 TARGET LOCATION: LUANDA, ANGOLA LAT: 08°50'20"S // LON: 13°17'21"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #054 TARGET LOCATION: MADRID, SPAGNA LAT: 40°25'00"N // LON: 03°42'13"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #018 TARGET LOCATION: MANILA, PHILIPPINES LAT: 14°35'58"N // LON: 120°59'03"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #006 TARGET LOCATION: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO LAT: 19°25'57"N // LON: 99°07'59"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #058 TARGET LOCATION: MIAMI, USA LAT: 25°45'42"N // LON: 80°11'30"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #025 TARGET LOCATION: MOSCOW, RUSSIA LAT: 55°45'20"N // LON: 37°37'02"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #009 TARGET LOCATION: MUMBAI, INDIA LAT: 19°04'33"N // LON: 72°52'39"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #032 TARGET LOCATION: NAGOYA, JAPAN LAT: 35°10'53"N // LON: 136°54'23"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #038 TARGET LOCATION: NANJING, CHINA LAT: 32°03'37"N // LON: 118°47'48"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #010 TARGET LOCATION: OSAKA, JAPAN LAT: 34°41'37"N // LON: 135°30'08"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #062 TARGET LOCATION: PHILADELFIA, USA LAT: 39°57'09"N // LON: 75°09'54"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #060 TARGET LOCATION: PUNE, INDIA LAT: 18°31'13"N // LON: 73°51'24"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #021 TARGET LOCATION: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL LAT: 22°54'24"S // LON: 43°10'22"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #050 TARGET LOCATION: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA LAT: 24°42'48"N // LON: 46°40'31"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #005 TARGET LOCATION: SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL LAT: 23°33'01"S // LON: 46°37'59"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #052 TARGET LOCATION: SANTIAGO, CHILE LAT: 33°26'56"S // LON: 70°40'09"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #031 TARGET LOCATION: SEOUL, SOUTH COREA LAT: 37°33'59"N // LON: 126°58'40"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #003 TARGET LOCATION: SHANGHAI, CHINA LAT: 31°13'49"N // LON: 121°28'25"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #024 TARGET LOCATION: SHENZHEN, CHINA LAT: 22°32'35"N // LON: 114°03'28"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #061 TARGET LOCATION: SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE LAT: 01°21'07"N // LON: 103°49'11"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #048 TARGET LOCATION: SURAT, INDIA LAT: 21°10'12"N // LON: 72°49'51"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #049 TARGET LOCATION: SUZHOU, CHINA LAT: 31°17'56"N // LON: 120°35'07"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #035 TARGET LOCATION: TEHRAN, IRAN LAT: 35°41'21"N // LON: 51°23'20"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #019 TARGET LOCATION: TIANJIN, CHINA LAT: 39°05'03"N // LON: 117°12'03"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #001 TARGET LOCATION: TOKYO, JAPAN LAT: 35°41'22"N // LON: 139°41'30"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #057 TARGET LOCATION: TORONTO, CANADA LAT: 43°39'03"N // LON: 79°20'49"W ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #039 TARGET LOCATION: WUHAN, CHINA LAT: 30°35'34"N // LON: 114°18'19"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #044 TARGET LOCATION: XI'AN, CHINA LAT: 34°20'29"N // LON: 108°56'23"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR
SPECIMEN REF: #051 TARGET LOCATION: BAGHDAD, IRAQ LAT: 33°18'54"N // LON: 44°21'57"E ALT: 10.000 METERS // ORIENTATION: TRUE NORTH / NADIR