Dutch researchers have unveiled a model of what could become within two decades a floating island to be used as a creative solution for accommodating housing, ports, farms or parks.
Made up of 87 floating triangles of different sizes, the huge, flexible island made of concrete or steel would eventually stretch 1.5 to two kilometres, or a total of three square kilometres.
If plans for floating islands go ahead it would be a twist in the history of the Netherlands, much of which down the centuries has been reclaimed from the sea and which is protected from the waters by an intricate system of dykes and canals.
The model, which measures roughly six by eight metres and is made of wood and polystyrene, was laid out last month in a huge water tank to simulate wind, waves and storms, in a presentation for several potential investors.