New Noah’s Ark for the World = Floating Cities

No, this is just not another bizarre idea from a Bradbury or Verne novel. It is even better than that – simply because it is true: a viable solution that could be salutary for those cities ravaged by the whims of nature.

This amazing structure has 1,200 feet in height, covering as many as 30 million sq feet and has a capacity of 40,000 inhabitants.

Are floating cities truly the way of the future?

Despite its uncanny nature, this floating city has it all: schools, malls, casinos, you name it. But you will also be able to find nice gardens, fast elevators whose purpose is to take you up or down, as well as lovely walkways for those who enjoy walking.

The idea for such a floating city was born after the terrible devastations caused by Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans became more of a ruin than a city. Even today, the people there are trying to get back to normal and it’s been almost six years since those unforgettable days.

A few designers from Boston came up with the idea of this floating city which will be “built” on the banks of the Mississippi and whose characteristics could prevent another tragedy from happening.

NOAH, the New Orleans Arcology Habitat as it is called, has the shape of a triangle which allows extreme weather to dissipate easily. There are hurricane panels which play an important role in the absorption of the force of a storm, successfully protecting the inhabitants.

The designer of this innovative concept is Kevin Schopfer. He confessed that NOAH was planned taking into consideration three very important challenges.

Here is what he declared: “The first challenge is to overcome both the physical and psychological damages of recurring severe weather patterns.

The need to provide a stabilized and safe environment is paramount to a long term recovery and economic well being of New Orleans.
The second challenge is that New Orleans has too much water.
The city has been built at and below sea levels which creates consistently high water table and makes it prone to flooding and storm surges.

The third challenge is that the city is built on soil condition which consists of thousands of feet of soft soil, silt and clay.
And these conditions make building large scale concentrated structures difficult.”

The main goal for all endeavors was to beat the above-mentioned challenges by taking advantage of the conflicting issues at hand. That is how the team came up with the floating urban platform.
Schopfer also mentioned: “This new master plan seeks to create a new community of 40,000 residents housed in an iconic and visionary structure.

In addition to the residential units, this parish would also house a school system, commercial, retail, hotels, casinos, parking, and public works facilities.”

There is this water-filled basin of 1,200 feet across and 250 feet deep which allows NOAH to float according to the design that is, in a steady position.

Partially, the basin will be carved out of the Mississippi banks and then extended out on the river itself.

This great team states that the structure they came up with could be suitable for any city on the coast, even if it was conceived especially to fit New Orleans’ particularities.

Schopfer also added: “This new master plan seeks to create a new community of 40,000 residents housed in an iconic and visionary structure.

In addition to the residential units, this parish would also house a school system, commercial, retail, hotels, casinos, parking, and public works facilities.”