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Extreme weather events are forcing cities and the people tasked with building them to make resilience a top priority, and Bjarke Ingels Group's latest scheme attempts to do just that. Unveiled at a roundtable discussion on floating cities at the United Nations this week, the ambitious concept from BIG could house 10,000 people and withstand hurricane-force winds and rising sea levels.
The Oceanix City proposal is composed of six hexagonal clusters that can be replicated enough times to shape an archipelago housing the equivalent of a small city. "The additive architecture can grow, transform and adapt organically over time, evolving from a neighbourhood of 300 residents to a city of 10,000—with the possibility of scaling indefinitely to provide thriving nautical communities for people who care about each other and our planet," said Bjake Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG.
The modules would be constructed on land and later towed to sea. Ideally located offshore from major coastal cities, the community could also be towed elsewhere if water levels lowered. The community would employ new and emerging technologies, including driverless vehicles, drone deliveries, and pneumatic trash collection. Renderings show mid-rise buildings draped in greenery and solar panels.
"9 out of 10 of the world’s largest cities will be exposed to rising seas by 2050," said Ingels. "The sea is our fate—it may also be our future. The first sustainable and self-sustained floating community Oceanix City is designed as a human made ecosystem channeling circular flows of energy, water, food and waste."
BIG was commissioned by Oceanix, a company exploring concepts for marine living. MIT's Center for Ocean Engineering was also involved in the creation of the Oceanix City proposal.
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