As China faces large urban populations and the need for new living solutions, a new idea has been floated—literally. AT Design Office has proposed a design for a floating city, which was commissioned by the China Communications Construction Company.
To create the new city, a 10-square kilometer island would be made out of prefab blocks. The same type of blocks are currently being used by CCCC to build a bridge between Hong Kong and Macau. In theory, the new floating city would have all the features of a normal city.
“People won’t need to commute for jobs on land,” Anthony Phan, an architect at AT Design Office, told Fast Company. “Work, apartments, entertainment and parks are all provided in the floating island.”
Green spaces surround the island above and below the water; the two layers are connected by vertical gardens. These gardens will be a place to board submarines to get from block to block in the city, and tunnels will connect buildings with pedestrian paths and roads for electric cars.
AT's design suggests that the island's self-sufficiency will be possible due to tidal energy (which will be used for power), and farms on its edges will provide food for residents. Not only that, the island is set to have its own factory to produce hyper-local goods.
The island, in theory, will rise as the sea level rises with climate change. Some of the components are set to be tested as soon as next year.
Check out the futuristic design below. All renderings courtesy of AT Design Office.
Related Stories
| Jan 6, 2014
An interview with Jerry Yudelson, President, The Green Building Initiative
Green building consultant Jerry Yudelson has been named President of the Green Building Initiative and the Green Globes rating program. BD+C's Robert Cassidy talks with Yudelson about his appointment and the future of Green Globes.
| Jan 3, 2014
Norman Foster proposes elevated bikeways throughout London
Called SkyCycle, the plan calls for the construction of wide, car-free decks atop the city's existing railway corridors.
| Jan 3, 2014
World’s tallest vegetated façade to sprout in Sri Lanka [slideshow]
Set to open in late 2015, the 46-story Clearpoint Residences condo tower will feature planted terraces circling the entire structure.
| Dec 31, 2013
Top 10 blog posts from 2013
BD+C editors and our contributors posted hundreds of blogs in 2013. Here's a recap of the most popular topics. They include valuable lessons from one of the first BIM-related lawsuits and sage advice from AEC legend Arthur Gensler.
| Dec 31, 2013
BD+C's top 10 stories of 2013
The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com.
| Dec 30, 2013
Calatrava facing legal action from his home town over crumbling cultural complex
Officials with the city of Valencia, Spain, are blaming Santiago Calatrava for the rapid deterioration of buildings within its City of Arts and Sciences complex.
| Dec 30, 2013
Survey: Number of licensed architects grows in 2012-13
A survey by NCARB shows that there are 105,847 registered architects in the U.S., up slightly from the organization's 2011-2012 survey.
| Dec 29, 2013
7 ways to make your firm more efficient
In a CEO.com post, Andrew Miller, president of ACM Consulting, shares the seven organizational efficiency strategies he encounters most frequently as he works with corporate executives to boost their performance.
| Dec 24, 2013
First Look: Calatrava's Sharq Crossing in Doha, Qatar [video]
The government of Qatar has released details of Sharq Crossing, a massive infrastructure project designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
| Dec 23, 2013
MBI commends start of module setting at B2, world's tallest modular building
The first modules have been set at B2 residential tower at Atlantic Yards in New York, set to become the tallest modular building in the world.
