A floating, solar-powered hotel/city that can transform with the movement of the ocean waves, and dock at any harbor in the world sounds science fiction, but according to an innovative engineer based in London, it could be the cruise ship of the future.
Gianluca Santosuosso wants to change the way people view sea travel. His concept of half-mile-long vessel has a self-sustaining solar-powered ecosystem where guests can check in and live, and support vegetables grown on board.
Guests may even stay on board indefinitely, as Santosusso envisions the structure to be able to drift on the ocean and dock at any harbor with no particular itinerary or pre-determined destination.
Currently called the MORPHotel, the structure would be made up of detached capsules held together at a central spine that rides on the waves and adjusts to the current. Some of the capsules functions as independent boats, which guests may use to explore a pre-set area away from the main structure.
Different capsules will also have amenities for guests to enjoy – like indoor pools, gardens, theatres, shopping areas, restaurants, and even spaces for farms and solar panels to truly make the vessel a self-sustaining mini-city on water.
According to the artist's renderings, the MORPHotel has a barycentric dock that will anchor the structure to the harbor. It will also serve as a passage where guests can enter or disembark and explore the towns they are in.
Although the MORPHotel currently still remains a vision in Santosuosso's imagination, he believes it is a concept that many would be open to. Not only does he want sea travel to consume less fuel, he wants “tourizens” to completely change the rules of sea travel. By turning into a temporary extension of its host city, the MORPHotel can allow guests to enjoy various ports with minimal negative impact and carbon imprint on the places they visit.
“[A]s a temporary extension of the hosting city, the MORPHotel will become an added value for its inhabitants, who will take advantage from its services. ... The city, in turn, will open its doors to MORPHotel tourists. In this way, the traditional separation between ‘tourist’ and ‘citizen’ will disappear," explained in his concept designs.
There are no current plans to get the MORPHotel built just yet but more and more companies are looking to invest in developing technologies and uses for clean, sustainable energy. We sure are hoping to see this concept launched on Kickstarter soon to see this floating, morphing city of the future turn into reality.
