Part man-made island, part floating structure, engineers in the Netherlands have begun construction on a bold new project to combat rising sea levels in the space starved country. Called the Citadel, the new development will be the world’s first floating apartment complex.

The project will be built on a polder, which is a recessed area below sea level where flood waters settle after heavy rains. There are thousands of these in the Netherlands, and almost all of them are continually pumped dry to keep floodwaters from destroying nearby homes. The Citadel will be designed to float on top of the flood waters keeping the  60 luxury apartments high and dry.

I can imagine this technology being used on private islands in the not too distant future. It is not inconcievable to imagine a small floating resort moored next to a beautiful private island allowing for the preservation of its unique ecosystem.

Source: inhabitat.