Underground oasis in a Martian lava tube

Shane Powers (USA) & Linjie Wang (China) have created a design of an artificial underground oasis in a Martian lava tube for Marstopia international design contest held by Eleven Magazine. Their design named "Below Freezing" won the "honourable mention" award in the contest. Its main feature, besides utilizing natural lava tubes, is a vertical transportation system (surrounded by 3D-printed ice walls) to Mars's surface. Martian lava tubes could become very handy in creating large, radiation-protected spaces for future human colonists on Mars.

Earthscrapers (inverted underground skyscrapers) could be perfect for Mars

When building on Mars you need to seriously consider measures to protect the inhabitants from cosmic radiation. You can cover your very first Martian outpost with few meters of regolith or use expensive materials with radiation blocking properties but for larger structures the obvious choice is to build underground. Lava tubes could be a solution but they are not present everywhere on Mars. So most likely you will need to dig your habitats.

One of the building types perfect for Mars could be earthscrapers (or would you call them marsscrapers on Mars?) - inverted underground skyscrapers with large vertical central void (covered with a transparent dome on the surface) for natural lighting. The living and public space is arranged in multiple levels encircling that central void. Here is an example of such structure designed by Fernando Castiñeira, Hernan Goldfarb, Alejandro Ispani, Alex Nelken, Javier Maratea & Malena Verni for 2007 Skyscraper Competition by eVolo.us

Simple diagram of the design:

Domed park with central waterfall on Mars

Design of what could be a domed park with central, artificial waterfall and public space on Mars by Safdie Architects. These are design images for 1.3 billion $ Jewel Changi Airport project opened on April 2019 in Singapore. The Jewel is a connector hub for Singapore's Changi Airport terminals, designed in shape of glass & steel torus dome with world's tallest indoor waterfall in the center and multi-level marketplace & public space hidden inside gardens on the terraces and in canyons around it.

Shops and restaurants are well hidden inside gardens:

Mars colony in artificial, domed canyon

Picture of the Day 4/7/2019 - design of what could be a human colony in a narrow, artificial, domed canyon on Mars by LAVA architects. This image was done for a design of Masdar City (next to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) - a futuristic sustainable city project in development and intended to be a hub for cleantech companies.

Underground atrium on Mars by Vincent Callebaut

Picture of the Day 10/6/2019 - design of what could be an interior view of an underground atrium on Mars by French eco architect Vincent Callebaut. This image was done for a design project "Wooden Orchids" of an eco-responsible shopping mall in Ruichang, China.

Mars dome interior by John Berkey

Picture of the Day 15/2/2019 - retro-futuristic illustration of what could be an interior view of a dome on Mars by classical future and space artist John Berkey. This illustration was done in 1975 as one of Otis Elevator Company adds. More of Berkey's art here.

Mars colony style resort at Wadi Rum by Chad Oppenheim

Design of a desert resort at Wadi Rum, Jordan by American architect Chad Oppenheim looks a lot like possible human colony on Mars carved into a cliff :)

Gremi Park in Poland that looks like human base on Mars

Gremi Park in southern Poland, located between Krakow and Katowice, is a development venue for AR and VR technologies (augmented reality and virtual reality). The futuristic complex which was originally built as a headquarters for Radio Mazyka Fakty station and later became a film studio looks a lot like human base on Mars with connected domes. Especially during the construction phase and colored appropriately :)