seasteading institute to create first floating city by 2020

while new technologies and visionary philanthropists are exploring the possibilities of colonizing distant planets, randolph hencken, executive director of the seasteading institute, is looking to inhabit one of the earth’s less-considered frontiers: the ocean. recently, the government of french polynesia has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding to allow one of the first floating cities to be constructed in the open waters near the south pacific islands, with the goal of having a fully functioning and inhabited community by 2020. many details are still being worked out, from how to deal with the harsh logistical realities of oceanic temperament to how this type of society would integrate into the global political spectrum. the floating islands are meant to be more than a technological/engineering feat, they are also seen as opportunities to experiment with new types of governments and societies as an almost utopian venture on the sea.

artisanopolis
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d (also first image)

as a result from a recently held ‘floating cities’ competition in which designers and thinkers from around the world were invited to envision how this new city may look and function, two proposals took first place no doubt contributing greatly to the architectural, technological, and sociological facets of the floating city-to-be. one team comprised of gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white developed the idea for artisanopolis, a city comprised of geometrical bases that can be combined and disassembled to grow organically responding to the community’s needs. each section would be easily moved by a tugboat making each component fully interchangeable within the city and potentially among cities. ballasts under each module can adjust the height while an interlocking mechanism connects each pavilion to create fractal-like networks for growth and stability.

the 2,100-seat arena is positioned at a height of 50 meters
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

pentagonal platforms with larger surface areas can host a multitude of private and public structures designed as nodes from which other branches of the structure can expand. around the entire complex, a circular wave-breaker helps control large waves and wind while energy is sustainably harvested from submerged wave-driven turbines and solar arrays; aquaponic greenhouses produce fresh food while desalination centers produce fresh water. artisanopolis’ focus on growth and sustainability make it a viable solution for civilization on high waters while still providing the flexibility for architectural and social exploration.

the specific surface structure of the walls and ceiling was developed through extensive material research
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

the highly dense and extremely heavy engineered gypsum fiberboard panels reflect sound
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

after nine and a half years of construction, the project is finally nearing completion
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

restaurants, cafés, bars, and a hotel are now open to the public
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

various circulation routes connect the multi-storey scheme
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

views from staircases help activate the interior space
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

escalators lead visitors to the upper reaches of the building
image © gabriel scheare, luke & lourdes crowley, and patrick white | roark 3d

tied for first place with the artisanopolis team is the comparable proposal by simon nunny titled ‘storm makes sense of shelter’, inspired from a quote by french philosopher gaston bachelard. while the geometries that make up the modular platforms may be similar in nature, the overall scheme is quite different. the architectural aesthetic is relatively more homogeneous, as the structures are derived to be self-sufficient and energy producing mechanisms that simultaneously contribute to the city’s social fabric. all buildings are raised one story above the ground allowing for continuous public space and an extra component accounting for bad-weather conditions.

the external envelope of the structures defines the start of a spatial buffer between the exterior and interior facades helping to further insulate conditioned spaces against extreme weather. this buffer space, envisioned as a garden area, would produce food along with the various rooftop gardens, while solar halo’s above each building collect the sun’s energy. the architectural nodes, functioning as independent units could also be combined to host larger programs. the platforms are not fully floating but are instead loosely anchored to the ocean floor by fabric ocean pipes that form aqua tunnels fostering the growth of sea life from the rich seabed to the barren surface, over time creating large flexible reefs promoting oceanic biodiversity.

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