The ocean holds endless potential. Yet, building a city on the sea and enabling human habitation requires solving a fundamental challenge first: water. SIM Eternal City, envisioned by BigC.Works, is not mere science fiction. It represents a strategic experiment in sustainability, where water, energy, and survival infrastructure converge to define a new type of urban life.

Recently, the SIM Eternal City project team came across MIT’s electricity-free, solar-powered desalination system—a technology that transforms seawater into potable water using only sunlight. The system mimics the natural water cycle, evaporating water and condensing vapor to leave salts and impurities behind. Importantly, SIM Eternal City did not collaborate directly with MIT. Instead, our team discovered the technology and reimagined it, redesigning and adapting it to fit the unique requirements and vision of SIM Eternal City.

The reconfigured system retains the simplicity and efficiency of MIT’s original design. One square meter of surface area can produce 6–13 kilograms of drinking water per day, while having virtually no moving parts, ensuring minimal maintenance. The use of biodegradable, reusable materials further enhances environmental sustainability.

Compared to traditional Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems, which require electricity, infrastructure, and frequent filter replacement, the reimagined desalination system excels in off-grid and emergency contexts. It produces no brine waste and operates entirely independently of the power grid, making it ideal for disaster zones, remote marine platforms, and floating cities of the future.

For SIM Eternal City, this technology is more than a device—it is a core urban infrastructure element. The project team has designed multiple deployment formats:

By integrating and redesigning MIT’s technology, SIM Eternal City achieves self-sufficient water systems, a cornerstone of the city’s resilience and autonomy.

The implications extend far beyond technology. Disaster response, climate displacement, and sustainable urban development are all addressed. Lightweight, modular units can be deployed immediately in earthquake, tsunami, or conflict-affected regions. Floating or mobile communities can secure water and survival simultaneously, independent of local infrastructure.

This approach also aligns with global sustainability objectives. SIM Eternal City supports UN Sustainable Development Goals, including:

The system’s design positions it as a compelling platform for partnerships with UNDP, UNHCR, the World Bank, the Green Climate Fund, and other global climate and development initiatives.

By discovering and adapting MIT’s system, SIM Eternal City designs that technological innovation is not just about function—it is about imagination, resilience, and community design. Transforming sunlight into drinking water becomes a symbol of possibility: making life on the ocean feasible and self-sustaining.

The floating city of the future is no longer a distant solution for the inevitable. It represents a new paradigm of survival, sustainability, and human ingenuity. MIT’s foundational technology, reimagined for SIM Eternal City, is the first critical step in realizing this vision. It delivers water to a world without electricity—and survival to cities without land.

SIM Eternal City is more than technology. It is a narrative of human potential, where imagination, reality, survival, and sustainability converge over the open sea.

This column explores the innovative intersection of technology, urban design, and sustainability through the lens of SIM Eternal City. While MIT’s electricity-free, solar-powered desalination system serves as the inspiration, the SIM Eternal City team has reimagined and redesigned the technology to meet the unique challenges of floating cities. Beyond engineering, this project embodies resilience, climate adaptation, and human ingenuity—demonstrating how sunlight, seawater, and imagination can converge to create autonomous, sustainable urban habitats.