This proposed city of $420,000 floating pyramids is seeking 'citizens'
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May 17, 2018, 20:37 IST
Lazzarini Design Studio envisions Wayaland as a city of 20 floating pyramids.
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There would be 10 homes, three hotels with a total of 20 suites, two restaurants, and five smaller buildings for other uses still to be determined.
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One of those pyramids could contain a floating greenhouse, according to the early plans.
Lazzarini imagines the greenhouse would grow a range of crops, including greens and tomatoes.
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The largest building would be 100 feet tall and include 10 floors, with a total surface area of about 72,100 square feet.
Lazzarini Design Studio has not yet determined what the homes would cost.
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But they would certainly be luxurious.
The pyramids' designs were inspired by a combination of Mayan and traditional Japanese architecture, Lazzarini told Business Insider.
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Made from fiberglass, carbon fiber, and steel, the structures would be attached to the ocean floor with four cables. They would rise and fall with water levels.
Solar energy would power each building.
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The pyramids would also be motorized so that owners could move them.
In the center of the pyramids, there would be an area where residents or visitors could dock their boats.
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The first pyramid to get built, according to the plan, would serve as a small, two-story hotel. It would cost approximately $420,000 to construct, and the firm hopes to raise those funds through a crowdfunding campaign.
This isn't Lazzarini's first project on water. The designer started selling an egg-shaped motor boat, called the Jet Capsule, in 2013.
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Realistically, the chances of Wayaland being built are slim. Architects with similar visions have had trouble getting their designs off the ground. Cities often have strict environmental regulations against constructing floating neighborhoods in their coastal waters.
But as of now, the firm hopes to complete construction of Wayaland's first pyramid by 2022.
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You can see more elements of Wayaland's design in the video below.