ISABEL RUBIO ARROYO | Tungsteno

Almost 100 kilometres off the coast of Baku, in the middle of the Caspian Sea, rises Neft Daşlari, an industrial city built on platforms. Its name, meaning “Oil Rocks,” reflects its function: a vast network of extraction wells and processing plants linked together by kilometres of steel bridges. Accessible only by a lengthy boat ride from the mainland, this enigmatic city floats in the middle of the world's largest enclosed body of water.

A motorway in the middle of the sea

Founded in 1949, Neft Daşlari began with platforms built atop deliberately sunken ships. Over time, it evolved into a vast industrial city, linked by more than 200 kilometres of trestle bridges and supported by nearly 100 kilometres of pipelines transporting oil and gas. At its peak, the city boasted nearly 2,000 oil wells and some 320 production plants.

But Neft Daşlari is about more than industry—it has homes, shops, a theatre, a heliport and even a soccer field. Trees were even planted atop steel structures, and at its height, the city housed over 5,000 inhabitants. In recent decades, however, the population has dwindled and much of the infrastructure has fallen into disrepair, with some parts claimed by the sea.

Oil Rocks has served as the dramatic setting for numerous documentaries and films, including scenes from the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. It has also inspired renowned Azerbaijani artists, such as composer Gara Garayev and artist Tahir Salahov. Filmmaker Marc Wolfensberger, who shot the movie Oil Rocks: City Above the Sea, described the site as “beyond anything I had seen before.” As he told CNN, it was like “a motorway in the middle of the sea” that stretched out “like an octopus.”

Trailer for the documentary Oil Rocks: City Above the Sea. Credit: Marc Wolfensberger

"The Island of Seven Ships," a symbol in Azerbaijan

To shield the structure from the wind and waves of the Caspian Sea, seven decommissioned ships were deliberately sunk, their hulls forming an artificial bay around the original island. “Some of those ships are visible on the surface of the water where they were buried,” Mirvari Gahramanli, head of the Oil-Workers Rights Protection Organisation, told CNN. In Azerbaijan some refer to Neft Daşlari as “the island of seven ships” and even “the eighth wonder of the world,” she added.

Today, the oil field remains operational. Over the decades, 1,983 wells have been drilled, with 432 still active. According to SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state-run oil company and the operator of Neft Daşlari, the field produced an average of 2,865 tons of oil per day as of 1 January 2024. Since production began, the site has yielded a total of 179.8 million tonnes of crude oil and 14.092 billion cubic metres of natural gas. Peak output was reached in 1967, when it produced 7.6 million tonnes of oil—about 4.5% of the total cumulative volume.

The industrial city is still operational with more than 400 active wells. Credit: SOCAR

The uncertain future of the “floating” city

Neft Daşlari’s importance has declined in recent decades, overshadowed by the development of larger fields and fluctuating oil prices. “The production at Neft Daşlari supplies only a minor part of Azerbaijan's oil production,” explains Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, who has advised oil and gas companies in the Caspian region. As output has declined, so too has the population, now estimated at around 2,000. Moreover, the floating city has not been without controversy: beyond the danger faced by those living or working there due to extreme weather conditions, Gahramanli has raised concerns about the discharge of raw sewage and reports of oil spills.

The floating city’s production now accounts for only a small share of Azerbaijan’s oil output. Credit: SOCAR

With its reserves gradually running dry, the future of this sprawling offshore settlement remains uncertain. Shaffer suggests it could one day become a tourist attraction. Filmmaker Marc Wolfensberger envisions a different future: “It’s really the cradle of offshore oil exploration,” he said, imagining it repurposed as a museum. As for the risk of it sinking—either due to structural fatigue or the effect of climate change—Mirvari Gahramanli was firm when asked by the BBC: “The island is not about to sink and, at the moment, no such risk is foreseen.”

Tungsten is a journalistic laboratory that explores the essence of innovation.

ISABEL RUBIO ARROYO | Tungsteno

Coastal flooding worldwide surged by almost 50% between 1993 and 2015, according to a study by Nature Communications. And the future looks more alarming: by 2050, coastal areas currently home to 300 million people could face annual inundation. As climate change accelerates, mitigating the impact of flooding is crucial for our survival. Here’s how architects and designers are building resilience into structures—one innovative solution at a time.

Architectural innovation against flooding

"While many buildings are decades old, new innovations in architecture and construction practices are showing how buildings can survive major flooding events without leading to a total loss of property," says TrapBag, a company that designs flood control systems. The company sees a need for more flood-proof housing: "Even if a new building is not currently in a flood zone, that may change in 20 or 30 years."

One example of a building designed with flooding in mind is the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on the Boston waterfront. It was designed to be elevated above the projected flood level for rare events that are expected to occur once every 500 years. Additional protective measures include berms as barriers and a perimeter drainage system. These features help to reduce the risk of flooding while supporting the hospital’s ability to remain operational—should water reach the ground floor, equipment and workstations can be quickly relocated to higher levels.

Other notable examples include the Bundanon Art Museum in Australia, which features an underground structure and an elevated bridge that allows water to flow underneath; the St Petersburg Pier in Florida, designed to withstand extreme storms thanks to its elevated infrastructure and efficient drainage systems; and the Merrion Cricket Club in Dublin, which uses waterproof concrete and movable barriers for protection. In the UK, the Michael Baker Shed is raised on a sturdy base to keep key areas above flood levels. Meanwhile, DC Water's headquarters in Washington, D.C., was built above the floodplain, while the Pérez Art Museum Miami uses porous soils, rain gardens and native vegetation to defend against rising waters.

Over millennia, fire and floods have sculpted the landscape surrounding the Bundanon Art Museum. Credit: Architizer

How to flood-proof buildings

Very few buildings are completely flood resistant, but their resilience varies according to location. "A home is typically considered flood-resistant if it can experience at least three days of floodwaters without sustaining significant or non-cosmetic damage," says Trapbag. In flood-prone areas, experts recommend building the house on higher ground and opting for raised foundations—between 60 and 90 centimetres high—to keep the structure above the water level.

To reduce the risk of flooding, it is also important that the land around the house is designed to drain water efficiently. The American Society of Landscape Architects suggests preserving natural ecosystems such as waterways, creating parks that manage water, and using green infrastructure such as transportation networks that cleanse and absorb flood water.

The St. Petersburg Pier in Florida has an elevated infrastructure. Credit: St Petersburg Pier

In particularly vulnerable areas, houses are built on stilts or floating platforms to keep them above water. Some houses in Thailand, for example, use steel pontoon platforms. It is also important that they have wind-resistant features, such as reinforced windows, to prevent damage from high winds.

The Tsunami House or how to protect your home from flooding

Even water-resistant houses are designed with the expectation that they might flood. To prepare for this, floors and walls are coated with special sealants, and critical components such as electrical installations, appliances and heating/cooling systems are elevated. One notable example is the curious "Tsunami House" located in Washington State. The ground floor windows are designed to break in the event of flooding, relieving pressure on the walls. The entire ground floor, including the furniture, is made of waterproof materials.

Flood-resistant materials include concrete, glazed brick, foam insulation, steel, treated wood, ceramic tile, waterproof adhesives and epoxy paint. One way to protect buildings against floods is to surround them with concrete walls or flood levees. Some companies offer flexible solutions, such as stackable structures filled with sand or gravel that can be quickly erected as a defence against water.

The Pérez Art Museum Miami uses porous soils, rain gardens and local vegetation to protect itself from water. Credit: ArquitectonicaGEO

The resilience of buildings is also critical because of the health impacts of flooding. Floods can cause injuries, drowning and exposure to contaminated water, increasing the risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and malaria. In the long term, floods can aggravate existing health conditions and have significant psychological effects. It is therefore essential to have infrastructure that can withstand such disasters.

Tungsten is a journalistic laboratory that explores the essence of innovation.