Seen from above, the prospective new capital of Indonesia is little more than a network of track roads and concrete exoskeletons today.

But the southeast Asian country, home to more than 275 million people, hopes desperately for Nusantara to be ready to house its first 6,000 residents by October, with Jakarta slowly dissolving into the sea 1,200 miles away.

With 40 per cent of the capital already below sea level, some 10.6 million people in the inner city (and 30 million in the wider area) could face displacement - and urgently need a longer-term solution.

But conservationists and local tribes, settled in the region for generations, warn the project is already starting to disrupt the natural order, cutting off access to water and endangering life. 

Construction on the $35bn project of Nusantara began only in 2022, but the Indonesian government hopes it will be ready to open its doors within a matter of months - with completion to coincide with the centenary of independence in 2045.

Photos from this year, coupled with stunning CGI projections, show how the plan is taking hold as some 200,000 workers rally to usher in a new era for the archipelago.




CGI image shows what the new city could look like after completion, housing nearly 11 million





At the moment, the forest metropolis is still uninhabited, save for some 200,000 workers

Situated on the east coast of Borneo, developers have had just two years to clear land and begin work on connecting roads.

From a blank slate, they hope to create a forward-looking, innovative and environmentally-friendly city of the future.