This isn't the pitch for a science fiction film, but rather the (pharaonic) project led by the Italian studio Lazzarini Design. Its name? Pangeos, a "terayacht" with a sea turtle design, announced as the largest floating structure ever built!
A giant turtle, 550 meters long
At 550 meters long and 610 meters wide, Pangeos far exceeds the size of any civilian or military vessel ever imagined. The silhouette is inspired by the leatherback turtle, with an architectural shell that extends over several floors, including homes, restaurants, shopping centers, swimming pools, hanging gardens, helipads... and even an internal marina capable of accommodating yachts or seaplanes. A true floating city, designed to cruise at low speed across the oceans.
Because no, Pangeos will not be traveling at full speed: its propulsion would be provided by nine fully electric motors of 16,800 horsepower each, powered by a combination of solar panels and marine energy (waves and currents). Enough to reach a cruising speed of... 5 knots. That's barely 9 km/h.
An $8 billion project... still at the concept stage
While the 3D visuals are impressive and making the rounds on social media, Pangeos is currently only a concept. No shipyard in the world is currently capable of building such a sea monster. To hopefully launch production, Lazzarini Design Studio is banking on a bold fundraising campaign, notably through the sale of NFTs linked to the project, which allow investors to purchase virtual spaces in a metaverse version of the yacht.
The Italian firm is considering a specific site in Saudi Arabia, near King Abdullah Port, to build a basin adapted to the project's extraordinary dimensions. According to their calculations, it would take at least 8 years of work and an investment of $8 billion to see this aquatic city come to fruition. And that's assuming all the technical, financial, and environmental conditions are met.
Needless to say, the project arouses as much fascination as skepticism. While some see it as a new stage in luxury tourism, others read it as a megalomaniacal delusion totally disconnected from current issues. On an ecological level, there are many questions: what would be the real impact of such a behemoth on marine ecosystems? Can a structure of this scale really be built without worsening the global carbon footprint, even with "green" engines?
Experts also point out the irony of a project that is supposed to sail the seas at a time when rising waters threaten coastlines, and when hundreds of millions of people around the world still live without access to drinking water.
Whether we believe it or not, Pangeos is part of a broader trend: that of floating cities, or at least the fantasy of them. For several years, several architects and entrepreneurs, often supported by private funds, have been imagining autonomous maritime habitats, capable of circumventing terrestrial laws or resisting climate crises. From Seasteading to Oceanix, and now including this giant turtle, the dream of a life "above ground" seems to persist... even if it remains largely theoretical. Will Pangeos ever see the light of day? Nothing is less certain.
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