South Korea is designing a 'flood-proof' city that can house 12,000 people and looks like a giant, floating honeycomb — take a look

Amanda GohMay 20, 2022, 13:34 IST

A rendering of Oceanix Busan.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

In April, floating-city development firm Oceanix unveiled plans for a floating city in South Korea.
The city is designed to float on a cluster of interconnected platforms that span 15.5 acres.

A floating city prototype is set to come to Busan, South Korea.

Floating cities like OCEANIX Busan may help solve rising sea levels and climate change.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The city will be built on thick, hollow platforms that are made of concrete and trap air underneath them to keep the whole mechanism afloat.

The floating platforms are designed to withstand the weight of five-story buildings, per developers.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Developers intend to use the part of the platforms that's underwater to attract marine life and create coral reefs.

Developers plan to encourage coral growth under the platform.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The prototype for the floating city can accommodate 12,000 residents, but because the platform is modular, it could be scaled up to house as many as 100,000 people. When scaled up, the platforms will be arranged in a hexagonal shape inspired by honeycombs.

A rendering of the floating platforms.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The prototype for the floating city can accommodate 12,000 residents, but because the platform is modular, it could be scaled up to house as many as 100,000 people. When scaled up, the platforms will be arranged in a hexagonal shape inspired by honeycombs.

"The site in Busan is the perfect place for us to build the prototype. It's close to the city yet has relatively deep water," Sundlin said.

A rendering shows that the platforms are designed with a low edge so that residents can have direct access to the water.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Oceanix Busan is intended to be a "plugin" to Busan that can operate self-sufficiently, Pietrobelli said.

Instead of reclaiming land, which can potentially destroy underwater ecosystems, coastal cities can look to floating platforms as a form of expansion, according to the developers.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

The team hopes the city-planning solution can eventually be put to use on land.

The developers hope that sustainable city management systems can be applied for use on land.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

Other countries and companies have announced similar floating city plans in the past.

A rendering of Oceanix Busan.OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

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South Korea is designing a 'flood-proof' city that can house 12,000 people and looks like a giant, floating honeycomb &mdash; take a look

A floating city prototype is set to come to Busan, South Korea.

The city will be built on thick, hollow platforms that are made of concrete and trap air underneath them to keep the whole mechanism afloat.

Developers intend to use the part of the platforms that's underwater to attract marine life and create coral reefs.

The prototype for the floating city can accommodate 12,000 residents, but because the platform is modular, it could be scaled up to house as many as 100,000 people. When scaled up, the platforms will be arranged in a hexagonal shape inspired by honeycombs.

"The site in Busan is the perfect place for us to build the prototype. It's close to the city yet has relatively deep water," Sundlin said.

Oceanix Busan is intended to be a "plugin" to Busan that can operate self-sufficiently, Pietrobelli said.

The team hopes the city-planning solution can eventually be put to use on land.

Other countries and companies have announced similar floating city plans in the past.

South Korea is designing a 'flood-proof' city that can house 12,000 people and looks like a giant, floating honeycomb — take a look