Lilypads: Floating Cities, Again

"Future Architecture : Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees"
freshome (June 11th, 2008)

"According to the less alarming forecasts of the GIEC (Intergovernmental group on the evolution of the climate), the ocean level should rise from 20 to 90 cm during the 21st Century with a status quo by 50 cm (versus 10 cm in the 20th Century). As a solution to this alarming problem architect Vincent Callebaut came up with this ecotectural marvel that could serve as a luxurious future retreat for 50,000 inhabitants seeking refuge from rising waters due to global warming. He believes the world will be desperately seeking shelter from the devastations of climate change, and hopes the auto-sufficient amphibious city will serve as a luxurious solution. To bad that right now we are close to 7 billion people and this luxurious future retreat is just for 50,000 inhabitants ( just for rich people )...."

Never mind the standard-issue apocalyptic/workers-of-the-world-unite start to this piece: It's a fairly good introduction to Vincent Callebaut's 'Lilly Pad' city. Still, You'd think the author would checked out the architect's website, and seen that the idea was that more than one of these things was envisioned.

There's more detail at

• "Lilypads, by Vincent Callebaut"
  Eikographia (July 1, 2008)
  Blog post, comparing Lilypads to another circular floating city concept.
  Click on the photo-realistic renderings for larger images.
• "Callebaut Dreams Up Waterworld Eco Islands"
  Skyscrapernews.com (June 30, 2008)
  More apocalyptic prose, and a very good set of graphics.
• "ShowCase: LILYPAD, A Floating Ecopolis for Ecological Refugees "
  Archinect (June 13, 2008)
  Quite a few more photo-realistic renderings, with plans and elevations
• "LILYPAD, A FLOATING ECOPOLIS FOR CLIMATE REFUGEES
  Oceans 2008
  World "
  Vincent Callebaut Architectures (undated)
  A quite good set of images, and a quite wordy bit of text. Vincent Callebaut has been thinking about what could happen if ocean levels rise - and has come up with a visually stunning response. And, these Lilypads just might work.