mayank thammalla envisions maldives' future with swim or sink concept

maldives is a small island nation located roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) of the south-western tip of india. it has a population of approximately 330,000 spread amongst 192 of the areas 1,000+ islands. between the country’s near-equator locale, perfect sand, and lush blue-green water — it sounds like a paradise; and it is, for now. maldives possesses another interesting trait, it has the lowest average ground elevation in the world, sitting a mere 1.5 meters (4′ 11”) above sea level. 

all visuals courtesy of mayank thammalla

herein lies the republic’s problem. as oceans rise — currently about 3.5mm (0.14”) a year — the islands will continually sink deeper into the depths. by year 2100, given current trends, water will rise anywhere between 0.8 to 2 meters (2.5′ to 6.5′). asides from swamping most coastal cities worldwide, the height increase would essentially render the maldives and its people extinct. to address the inevitable relocation of the maldivian people and culture, mayank thammalla created the ‘swim or sink’ project.

arrival at the port underneath the oil rig – below the platform level

the concept revolves around the repurposing of semi-submersible oil rigs for permanent human habitation. to give the refuges a sense of familiarity, thammalla intensively studied the cultural history and lifestyles of residents of malé, the atolls’ capital. his research provided a catalyst for the design, which translated into a spatial environment catered to be as natural as possible. living quarters were made to typical enclosure ratios, with traditional coconut timber as the main construction material. on the main platform, thammalla imagined a space identical to the city’s center. historical attributes like places of worship, along with more everyday qualities like markets and shops.

public realm — platform level 

‘swim or sink’ does not take into consideration economical factors involved with such a proposition. however, the maldivian people require a fail-safe solution in order to maintain their geographic position on the planet. by using technologies already in existence, such as semi-submersible oil rigs, the 2,000 year old oceanic culture can potentially be saved without the need of a mass-migration. 

housing units are located on the upper levels 

contextual image of malé cityscape 

future of the maldives

planning diagram

physical model

designboom has received this project through its ‘DIY submissions’ feature, which welcomes readers to submit their own work for publication. see more designboom readers submissions here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom