Located off the coast of Dubai, the artificial "World islands" are a floating development built directly in the water.
Developed in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, the hundreds of little islands are collectively shaped like the Earth's seven continents. Built prior to the Emirate’s economic bust, these water-based homes have left investors stuck, all the while wreaking havoc on the local marine environment.
Created to model the globe from above, the manmade "World" islands are gradually sinking.
Dutch Docklands, floating island specialists, have a solution. According to the company—which won the competition to create the Floating Proverb, a collection of 89 floating isles that spell out an Arab proverb from above—the floating islands could be an alternative for those who have invested in water masses.
Additionally, floating islands are more self-sustaining and more feasible to develop. Dutch Docklands anticipates the self-supporting floating islands will be constructed with existing land masses, which will save investor large amounts of money and time.
The firm also, known for producing zero-footprint projects, has a number of other ideas up its sleeve, including a floating Olympic village and stadium—an ambitious notion it will soon pitch to the Qatari government.
Photos and details courtesy of Inhabitat
