This Outlandish Turtle-Shaped Floating City Concept Known as Pangeos Could Become a Reality in the Near Future

November 16, 2022

A bizarre floating metropolis in the form of a turtle has been imagined by Italian designers, and it would cost $12 billion to construct. The “terayacht,” concept named Pangeos, would have hotels, shopping malls, and parks and be powered entirely by solar energy and other renewable energy sources. According to the Italian design firm Lazzarini, the floating metropolis would have accommodations for 60,000 visitors and would include a runway for airplanes and helicopter landing pads.

Image: Lazzarini Design Studio

A project of this magnitude would more than likely be built somewhere in the Middle East with the oil kingdoms fitting the enormous bill. It would take eight years to construct the 1,800-foot long and 2,000-foot wide turtle-shaped vessel. If the idea ever becomes a reality, it would be the largest floating structure ever constructed in the history of the world. In order to build a vessel of this magnitude, an entire shipyard of epic proportions would have to be built specifically to construct this vessel. The imagined Terashipyard would be around 650m wide and 600m long with direct access to the sea.

Image: Lazzarini Design Studio

The proportions of this enormous turtle-shaped vessel would be 1,800 ft long and 2,000 ft wide with a 98 ft draft. The Pangeos hull would be composed of nine different bows and subdivided into several blocks that would have to be built individually. Propulsion for this enormous vessel would be achieved by nine superconducting engines each fully electric motor generating up to 16,800 hp and powered by various onboard energy source of which the primary source will be solar energy.

Image: Lazzarini Design Studio

If constructed, the vessel would more than likely be berthed close to shore but will have the ability to cruise at speeds of five knots. While sailing, the large wings or turtle arms of the vessel would generate energy from the breaking of the waves. The entire vessel would be completely self-sufficient and sustainable using renewable sources of energy.