United Nations HQ: The world’s first prototype of a resilient and sustainable floating community is unveiled by partners UN-Habitat, the Busan Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea, OCEANIX, BIG, and SAMOO.

Designed by BIG alongside local architects SAMOO, OCEANIX Busan aims to provide breakthrough technology for coastal cities facing severe land shortages that are compounded by climatic threats.

“As our first manifestation of this new form of waterborne urbanism, OCEANIX Busan will expand the city’s unique character and culture from dryland into the water around it…” says Bjarke Ingels.

• Interconnected platforms – totaling 6.3 hectares to accommodate a community of 12,000 people – are designed to serve a specific purpose: living, research, and lodging

• The floating platforms connect to the land with link-span bridges, framing the sheltered blue lagoon of floating recreation, art, and performance outposts that can expand and contract over time based on the needs of Busan

• Six integrated systems – zero waste and circular, closed-loop water, food, net zero energy, mobility, and coastal habitat regeneration systems – will generate 100% of the required operational energy on site