“It seems a bit counter-intuitive; we are used to seeing Dutch floating projects, not buried ones. Architect Mosh? Zwarts says “”There has always been a lack of space in the city, so what we are doing is building a city under the city by using a new construction technique, which will not interfere with street traffic.”- by draining and then building under the canals.And what does he propose filling it with? Parking, shopping and “leisure”.

The engineers say it is doable. ‘It is both feasible and sustainable, creating a city beneath the city is not futuristic, it is a necessity in this day and age.’ Zwarts says the geology is great for this. “Amsterdam sits on a 30-metre layer of waterproof clay which will be used together with concrete and sand to make new walls. Once we have resealed the canal floor, we will be able to carry on working underneath while pouring water back into the canals. It’s an easy technique and it doesn’t create issues with drilling noises on the streets.”

(via Tree Hugger)

(Thanks Z11!)