This is the Busan floating city, a metropolis that will house up to 100,000 people.
Called Oceanix Busan, it’s about to be built off the coast of Busan in South Korea.
The floating city is expected to be built by 2025 and cost upwards of $200 million.
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Developers have chosen to build the city off the coast of Busan for two reasons.
It’s a large coastal city, so at high risk of rising sea levels, and it’s also home to the country’s largest port.
The ocean city will be made up of a cluster of interconnected platforms that span more than 15 acres.
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In order to make it float, the ground will be made using thick but hollow platforms.
They’ll be built out of concrete (yes, concrete) with air pockets that trap air underneath to keep the city afloat.
Busan floating city
The project, which is backed by the UN, is being developed by Oceanix together with architectural firms Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Samoo Architects & Engineers.
Developers claim the city will be fully self-sustainable too, able to produce its own energy, water, and food.
The platforms will be connected to the seafloor to minimize side-to-side movements, while still allowing them to move up and down with the tide.
BIG partner Daniel Sundlin said the platforms will minimize movement from the sea.
“It’s almost as if you are on land even when you have the highest waves… nobody’s going to feel sick on it,” he said.
As well as creating flood-proof housing, developers say the city will serve another purpose too.
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Marine life
The platforms are being designed and built to regenerate marine ecosystems.
Sundlin said the platforms will use a special mesh to attract marine life and actually regrow coral reefs.
“We will create an intricate mesh on the anchors of the platform, creating a large surface area to attract marine life,” he said.
The prototype will accommodate 12,000 people but developers say it will be scaleable – housing up to 100,000 people.
The prototype is expected to be built by as early as 2025.
