Renderings of this futuristic Floating City (via Dezeen) could very easily pass for the storyboard of a Hollywood sci-fi flick set in the distant future.
But this design for a floating city, by London-based architecture firm AT Design Office, may very well become reality.
According to the city's designers, the project's backers are in talks with a large Chinese investment group to discuss the possibility of constructing the City. "China Transport Investment Co. is reviewing the proposal and is likely to start to test this ambitious project from a smaller scale next year,"project architect Slavomir Siska said in a press release. 
Commissioned by Chinese construction firm CCCC, the Floating City is a proposed four-square mile floating structure comprised of hexagonal modules connected by underwater tunnels that create a network of roads and walkways. 
The eco-friendly project is expected to be self-sufficient, with on-island food production, power generation, and waste management systems. Movement throughout the city is expected to be facilitated by electric cars or other zero-carbon forms of transport. 
Logistically, the movement of goods in and out of the Floating City may be a challenge, but designers are hoping a network above, as well as underwater transport canals with fleets of transport yachts and submarines, will ease the strain.
In fact, the City's center harbor,with access to its shopping and entertainment districts, could be used as a parking location of commercial submarines.
The Floating City will consist of both above and underwater segments, and will feature all of the residential, commercial and entertainment accoutrements of a major city. Planners expect the City to house luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping, and other recreational options. The Floating City will even come equipped with docking facilities for cruise ships to encourage tourism.
The architects at AT Design Office have also included a copious amount of green space in their design, both above and under water. The above-ground green belt is designed to provide residents with recreational space, while the underwater greenery will provide fresh air and additional relaxation space.
While it is unlikely the completed Floating City will be an exact facsimile of these renderings, many of the construction techniques needed to bring the project to life is already exist. The City's backers expect to construct the city out of a series of 500 x 100-foot prefabricated blocks by implementing techniques CCCC is currently using to build a 31-mile-long bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai.
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