New York – Architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has created a concept for hurricane-proof floating cities that are both sustainable and scalable.
Presented at a roundtable discussion on floating cities at the United Nation’s New York headquarters, Oceanix City imagines a modular system for designing and building completely self-sufficient settlements on water. The concept consists of man-made islands clustered together multiples of six to create communities of varying sizes.
‘Oceanix City is a blueprint for a modular maritime metropolis anchored in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,’ says Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of BIG. ‘The additive architecture can grow, transform and adapt organically over time, evolving from a neighbourhood of 300 residents to a city of 10,000.’
Working with MIT’s Center for Ocean Engineering, BIG was commissioned by Oceanix, a company that specialises in off-shore urban infrastructure, to develop the concept as a solution to the threat of climate change and rising sea levels. For more on the future of urban life, explore our Smart Cities vertical.