Solar-Powered Floating Island
(SMG) announced that it will partially open long-awaited "Floating Island" to the public on May 21. The Island under construction on the Hangang (Han River) is the largest artificial floating island in the world and the first equipped with an aquatic convention center.
The Floating Island comprised of three artificial islets is currently being constructed on the river around Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul. It is scheduled for completion in September this year.The Island that makes up the sprawling 20,382 square-meter has been developed under three key themes of exhibition and convention, culture, and aquatic-leisure. The KRW 96.4 billion (approx. USD 88 million) project was invested entirely with private funds.
Key infrastructure for Seoul's tourism and convention goals
Islet 1, the biggest of the three islets, is three stories high and measures 10,845 square meters. It includes a 700-seat convention hall. Islet 2, a three-story structure measuring 5,373 square meters, puts a focus on developing facilities for cultural events. Islet 3, two stories high, takes up a 4,164 square-meter area and is devoted to various aquatic leisure sports activities like yachting.
SMG expects this center to play a pivotal role in advancing its tourism and convention sectors. The total number of seats for exhibitions and conventions reaches 1,400 uniting all three of the islets.
State-of-the-art safety and eco-friendly system
The Floating Island is equipped with a state-of-the- art safety system to prevent damage from inclement weather conditions. 28 three-ply weather-resistant mooring chains secure the Floating Island, ensuring it stays in position and afloat in the event of a flood or other dire weather condition.
The sewage treatment plant will be managed according to strict environmental standards. In addition, solar energy panels measuring 54 square meters and generating 6 kilowatts per house of energy each day have been built on the first-story roof of Islet 1.
SMG added that it will improve public accessibility to the Island by launching a weekend bus and expanding bus lines.
"We hope that Floating Island will contribute to raising the brand value of Seoul as one of the city's key landmarks," said Gyoung Gee Liu, Assistant Mayor for Hangang Project Headquarters.
SEOUL, South Korea, May 18, 2011
source The Seoul Metropolitan Government/ PRNewswire-Asia/ --
The citizens living off the Han River in Seoul, South Korea inaugurated the world’s largest floating island just last week with great excitement! With two more islands slated to open in September, the recently opened Viva is already drawing crowds en masse with its first-rate entertainment complex. The stunning structure includes a 700 seat convention hall, restaurants and arcades — all powered by solar energy. When the development is completed, the trio of islands will be linked together by twenty-three weather-proof chains.
Seoul’s man-made islands differ from those common to Dubai, which are constructed by building up sand on the ocean floor. Viva, and its satellite islands, instead float, and are buoyant on the river’s surface. Should there be a flood, the islands while rise and fall with the water levels, rather than be flooded over. A high tech tracking system will alert a controller should the islands float too far from their home site, due to changing water levels.
Supported by 24 giant airbags, Viva weighs in at 2,000 tons, but can support building facilities up to 6,400 tons. The island will be harnessed by chains to a 500 ton concrete block to keep it in place. The three story building which holds all facilities is covered with 54 square meters of solar panels, which produced 6 kilowatts of energy each day, providing the facilities below with electricity, and also illuminating the facades at night.
The $83.9 million dollar government project includes the 35,000 square foot Viva, 15,000 square foot Vista and nearly 4,000 square foot Tera. Combined, they will host international conventions, water sports events, restaurants, cultural performances and exhibitions. All three islands should be open by late August 2011.
source http://inhabitat.com
Futuristic Floating City is an Ecotopia at Sea
The floating cities seek to provide a solution to many of our environmental problems, like rising sea levels, increasing temperatures and dwindling resources. Recently Japanese building firm Shimizu Corporation unveiled plans for a completely self sufficient floating ecotopia that is covered in vegetation, generates its own power, grows food, manages waste, and provides clean water.
The Corporation has been hard at work coming up with some pretty crazy concepts
lately, and Green Float, the Environmental Island is one of them.
Designed for the equatorial pacific, presumably near Japan,
Green Float is a concept for a series of floating islands with eco skyscraper cities,
where people live, work and can easily get to gardens, open space,
the beach and even “forests”.
Islands are connected together to form modules and a number of modules grouped together
form a “country” of roughly 1 million people.
A 1,000 m tower in the center of the island acts as both a vertical farm as well as
a skyscraper with residential, commercial and office space.
The green space, the beach, and the water terminal on the flat plane of the island
are all within walking distance.
Energy for the islands would be generated from renewable sources like solar,
wind, and ocean thermal, and they also propose to collect solar energy from space,
presumably from their own crazy idea to install a solar belt on the moon.
by Bridgette Meinhold
SOURCE http://inhabitat.com
One of the largest general contractors in Japan, Shimizu Corporation, announced on May 10, 2010, plans for promoting the research and development of various technologies necessary to construct an eco-friendly floating island city, called Green Float, in an equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean, in cooperation with Super Collaborative Graduate School, a project adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Nomura Securities. The island is scheduled for completion by 2025 at a location with the maximum benefit from sunlight and the least impact of typhoons. The company aims to create a city that functions like a living plant and continuously absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2).
The Green Float will be 3,000 meters in diameter with a central tower 1,000 meters in height, consisting of three main parts. The top daily life zone, home to 30,000 people, will sit above 700 meters in elevation, with a constant temperature ranging between 26 to 28 degrees Celsius all year round. The middle stem part will house plant factories, and the beachfront residential areas, with a population of 10,000 people, would lie on the outer circumference of the structure. This artificial island structures can be expanded by adding more units when the population increases.
The Green Float will allow people to live more in harmony with nature, be self-sufficient in food supply, and recycle waste. Instead of depending on fossil fuels, it will maximize the use of natural energy sources, including solar-powered electricity-generating satellites in space, ocean thermal energy conversion, and wind. The project strives to reduce CO2 emissions from this plant-like city to a negative level (net absorption) by taking advantage of the much greater CO2 absorption capacity of the ocean compared to terrestrial forests. The company will employ a range of measures to ensure fundamental safety in the construction of the floating marine structure.
SOURCE http://www.shimz.co.jp
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