Inside the stunning plans for the world’s first floating city for 20,000 people, where a seaside villa costs less than a house in London

CONSTRUCTION of the world’s first floating city is underway in the Maldives, and more than 20,000 people are expected to move into beachfront properties soon.

The incredible Floating City of the Maldives is finally being built after years of planning, with several of the extremely cheap homes already installed in the island city.

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Five thousand homes are expected to go on sale in the coming months for just under £200,000 for a constant view of paradise – miles cheaper than a house in London.

Developers are looking for a mix of residents to be among the first to call it home.

They want to attract “local fishing families who, for centuries, have called the region home”, but also tourists from around the world who look to wake up by the sea every morning.

Satellite images obtained by Newsweek show that construction has already begun.

It is hoped that new residents will be able to make their dream move by 2027 if progress continues to be made.

Plans are set to see the project fully expanded to reach up to 500 acres when completed, with concept photos already showing potential buyers what to expect.

It is thought that schools, businesses, hotels, bars and restaurants will soon be included.

Many sandy beaches will also be added to make it look like the best resort.

The floating paradise sits alone in the Indian Ocean, with nothing but water all around it.

At the moment, the only way to access the floating city is by boat, a journey that will take up to 15 minutes from the capital Malé.

Cars are strictly prohibited from entering the island and will be replaced by boats that can transport people from the island to the mainland and vice versa.

Electric bicycles and buggies will also be one of the pillars of the island, which aims to revolutionize life on the island. the opening water.

The floating city was created by the Dutch Docklands and the government of the island of Maldives.

One of the most fascinating points of the project – apart from the fact that it floats – is the way in which the houses will be arranged to look like “brains”. coral“.

When all the buildings are laid out, it will look like a hexagonal grid on top of the sparkling ocean waters.

There will also be an outer ring of connecting barrier islands to act as a safety net across the waves, according to Waterstudio.

The island government states on its website: “The city has a nature-based structure of roads and water channels, which resembles the beautiful and efficient way in which real brain coral is organized.”

The houses and roads will all be tied to the bottom of the lake to prevent them from moving away.

Initially, the first to advance were expected by the end of the year, but a three-year delay was placed on the project.

Koen Olthuis, the project’s chief architect, told Newsweek that the delay was caused by politics and economics.

He said they were trying to combine “in some political way between Indian and Chinese-oriented economic interests”, but the construction phase is now “in full swing”.

Despite the problems, the homes will still cost almost a third of the price of an average family home in London at £566,000, according to Rightmove.

Mohamed Nasheed, former president of the Maldives and supporter of the project, described it as sustainable and innovative.

He said: “In the Maldives we cannot stop the waves, but we can rise with them.”

Other countries also intend to create their own floating cities.

The Oceanix Busan community would be built on the water in Busan, South Korea, with restaurants, a winter garden and space for 12,000 residents.

And Dubai’s Heart of Europe Islands are a cluster of man-made islands off the city’s coast, with six islands connected by a bridge.

Also in Dubai there is a new floating hotel where luxury villas can be transformed into boats.

If you fancy something closer to home, you’ll soon be able to head to a £35m floating resort planned for Norfolk, which has 132 lodges, a children’s playground and water sports centre.

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