Project to build a floating city with a capacity of 20,000 people

In a turquoise lagoon just a 10-minute boat ride from Male, the capital of the Maldives, a new 20,000-capacity city is under construction. With a brain coral-like design, the city consists of 5,000 floating units such as houses, restaurants, shops and schools with canals alternating in between. The first floating units will be introduced in June 2022. Residents will start moving here in early 2024 and the city will be completed in 2027.

Design of the floating city of Maldives.

This is a collaborative project between real estate developer Docklands in the Netherlands and the Maldives government, to help cope with rising sea levels. An archipelago of 1,190 low-lying islands, the Maldives is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. 80% of the Maldives' land area lies less than one meter above sea level. If the sea level rises by one meter by the end of the 21st century as predicted, almost the entire country will be submerged under the sea.

According to Koen Olthuis, founder of Waterstudio, an architectural firm that designs floating cities, this will be a new hope for more than half a million Maldivians. The project in the Maldives aims to build a city for 20,000 people in less than 5 years. Other floating city projects such as Oceanix City in Busan, South Korea, and the floating islands in the Baltic Sea by Dutch company Blue21 previously introduced are unmatched in size and timeframe.

Waterstudio's city is designed to appeal to locals with its rainbow-colored houses, large balconies, and ocean views. Residents will travel by boat, walk, cycle or ride electric scooters along the street. The project will provide more spacious space than Male, one of the most populous cities in the world with 200,000 people living on an area of ​​​​8km2.

Modular units will be built in the local shipyard, then towed to the floating city. Once in place, they will be attached to concrete underwater posts, fastened to the seabed by steel poles. The coral reefs that surround the city help provide a natural breakwater, stabilize the structure and prevent residents from seasickness. According to Olthuis, the local coral expert had thoroughly assessed the project's potential environmental impact and the authorities approved the design before construction began. To support marine life, artificial shores made of foam glass connected to the city's foundation will stimulate coral growth.

The goal for the city is to be self-sufficient with all the functions of a city on the mainland. The main source of electricity comes from solar energy produced on site. Wastewater will be treated and reused as organic fertilizer for plants. In order to replace air conditioning, the city will use deep sea cooling, pumping cold water from the deep sea into the lagoon, contributing to energy savings.