São Paulo – Saudi Arabia is already becoming known for its megaprojects, such as the cities of Neom and The Line. Now, the Saudis plan to build a giant turtle-shaped yacht. The project by Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini is expected to cost around USD 8 billion.
Named Pangeos, the Terayacht, the vessel would have the capacity to house up to 60,000 people with accommodations, shopping malls, beach clubs, and helipads, among other facilities. If built, it would be the world’s largest floating structure.
Pangeos takes its name from Pangea, the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic periods.
The futuristic design has 550 meters (1,800 feet) in length and 610 meters (2,000 feet) in width at its widest point, the turtle ship’s wings. The layout has 19 villas and 64 apartments on each wing of the vessel. The project features a roof garden, a shopping mall, and a beach club.
Construction could start as early as 2033 in Saudi Arabia, and Lazzarini believes it could be completed in an eight-year timeframe. Lazzarini Design seeks to make the project come true and has already conceived a 390,000-square-meter shipyard close to King Abdullah Port, 90 kilometers away from Jeddah. The location would be used to build and house the vessel in the Arab country.
Although the project has been proposed for Saudi Arabia, Pangeos could sail around the world nonstop, equipped with a virtually unlimited supply of clean energy. Nine HTS electric engines with 16,800 HP each would drive the terayacht, which would sail at a maximum speed of 5 knots (9.2 km/h), extracting its energy from the sea waves and photovoltaic-panel-laden roof. The idea is for the megayacht to become a self-sustainable floating city.
A crowdfunding campaign was launched, allowing people to buy a virtual ticket for USD 16 or an NFT to grant access to a virtual apartment on the turtle yacht.
Watch the Pangeos project video:
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
