Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to the low-lying island nation of the Maldives, where much of the territory sits only a few metres above the ocean. This research project proposes an alternative future: repurposing obsolete semi-submersible oil rigs as a new form of floating territory capable of housing the country’s population while preserving its cultural and geographic identity. Rather than abandoning the archipelago or relocating abroad, the proposal explores how existing offshore infrastructure could be transformed into civic platforms.

The project analyses the social, urban and cultural structures of the Maldives capital - Malé, (the largest city in the Maldives) in conjunction with the evaluation of the semi-submersible oil rig template and its relevant structural parameters. The fusing of these core elements suggests the plausibility of cultural continuity within the parameters defined by the oil rig. Ultimately preserving their geographical and cultural presence on the globe, in a fail-safe manner.