Bjarke Ingels Group, among other private entities, is partnering with Malaysia's Penang state government to create the Penang South Islands.
Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG for short, and Ramboll, a project managing and engineer company, were recently selected by the Penang government to design the Penang South Islands project that will total up to 4,500 acres. The islands will also be built in collaboration with other private entities, including architect and planning company Hijjas, Knight Frank, and Ernst and Young.
The plan, called BiodiverCity, is a part of the government's Penang2030 initiative centered around improving the state's quality of life, household income levels, and "civic participation", all while taking on greener initiatives.
The commercial build is still in progress, but will eventually consist of three islands — the Channels, Mangroves, and Laguna — and will include about 2.86 miles of beaches, 600 acres of parks, and 15.53 miles of waterfront, all while integrating parts of Malaysian culture.
According to BIG, land developments in Penang have disturbed the local habitats and coastal areas, which consists of different topographies and environments. To tackle this looming issue, the BiodiverCity will be designed as "urban lilypads" of three different islands and plans that will be accessible via different modes of transportation and the ability to gather resources from the islands themselves.