In the Mediterranean Sea, architects Angelo Renna and Apurva Baldawa are trialing an artificial, but biodegradable, floating island designed to sustain aquatic creatures. Dubbed Isolotto, the island is made of a cork inner layer covered in gypsum. The top of the structure is suitable for plant growth, while the bottom features hills and valleys where various aquatic species and plants can thrive. Natural glues keep the layers together.
“The external layer of the biodegradable island plays a fundamental role, facilitating the growth of plants, vegetation, and microorganisms that naturally ‘occupy’ the island, engendering the creation of new habitats,” according to designboom. “This outer stratum, realized using gypsum — a non-toxic material derived from calcium and sulfate — offers a fine powder that can be mixed with water form a malleable paste. Once shaped and left to harden, the gypsum layer undergoes an endothermic reaction, producing heat. Through rigorous testing, it has been determined that gypsum degrades at a slower rate than clay and terracotta, thus prolonging the island’s lifespan and furthering the process of degradation.”