Vincent Callebaut visionary behind the Lilypad has created a whale-shaped floating garden designed to drift through the world’s rivers while purifying their waters. The Physalia is a self-sufficient ecosystem that generates all the power it needs from the sun and works to reduce water pollution. Physalia was inspired by the Physalia Physalis jellyfish, whose name translates roughly to “Water Bubble”. This water bubble is meant to navigate the major rivers of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East, traveling along the Danube and Volga, between the Rhine and Guadalquivir, and through the Euphrate and the Tiger. Completely self sufficient and incredible looking, the Physalias would turn heads wherever it floated.

According to the less alarming forecasts of the GIEC (Intergovernmental group on the evolution of the climate), the ocean level should rise from 20 to 90 cm during the 21st Century with a status quo by 50 cm (versus 10 cm in the 20th Century). As a solution to this alarming problem architect Vincent Callebaut came up with Lilypad, also called as “Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees”. This ecotectural marvel could serve as a future retreat for 50,000 inhabitants seeking refuge from rising waters due to global warming.

Via Freshome.