1,800-Foot Turtle ‘Terayacht’ Could Double As A Floating City For 60,000

Ever imagined what it’d be like to live on board a ship? No, not in a dingy boat off the coast, but a turtle-shaped vessel large enough to house 60,000 people in an entire city. 

That’s exactly what Italian design firm Lazzarini Design Studio has dreamed up, with its gargantuan ‘terayacht’ dubbed ‘Pangeos’, inspired by the Pangea supercontinent that existed millions of years ago before the split. 

The huge ship concept could potentially become the world’s largest floating structure if it ever gets built, measuring 1,800 feet in length and 2,000 feet across its widest point. 

Interestingly, the vessel could feature a steel hull with 30,000 individual “cells” to help keep the behemoth afloat, which the company says may provide an “unsinkable” floating solution for the ship’s basement, which could be built mainly out of steel. 

Its giant hull comprises nine different bows, divided into several blocks that would lead residents from the port entrance to the main square, into a wide terraced villa, and eventually, the private houses, buildings, and rooftop terraces where flying vehicles can land. 

In theory, the giant turtle will be able to traverse waters nonstop without any emissions, thanks to its large wings that harness the energy of the waves, and the numerous solar panels covering the ship that generate clean power.

While Pangeos is still just a concept at the moment, Lazzarini hopes it will soon turn into reality. Of course, the cost of constructing a terayacht looks to be significant, with the firm estimating US$8 billion would be needed to fund the entire project. 

To raise funds, the studio has launched virtual spaces of the watercraft that can be purchased as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Buyers will receive special access to virtual properties within the metaverse, with the NFT acting as a “property deposit” if the project is ever realized. 

[via Robb Report and Lazzarini Design Studio, images by Lazzarini Design Studio and featured with permission]