Dutch designer once planned for outer space, but this closer to home Hydropolis never got off the ground in Dubai.
There have been some pretty crazy Real Estate projects built in the United Arab Emirates, like the world’s tallest building the Burj Dubai. Most of the hair-brained construction projects over there are unsustainable – Burj for instance hauls out tonnes of truckloads of sewage every day because there is no modern piping for taking it away. We would be happy to see no more Burj’s being constructed.
But what about all those other grand plans before the Real Estate crash in 2009? We’d caught wind of underwater mosques, a wind-powered spinning skyscraper and underwater hotels. To reminiscence on what could have been, let’s look at Hydropolis.
According to Wikipedia Hydropolis was only a proposed hotel. No initial construction had begun. What could have been a great teaching tool, was supposed to have been the world’s first undersea luxury hotel, at 20 meters below the sea off the Persian Gulf near Jumeira Beach in Dubai.
With a projected cost of $300 million to build, it would have also been one of the world’s most expensive hotels to visit. Planned in 2006, it was never started.
The undersea hotel was to have been built with 250 to 300 suites, as well as places for dining, a spa and a cinema. But with all of what’s to “sea” around you, who needs movies?
The central structure was to be made with Plexiglas walls reinforced with concrete and steel.
“I have designed Hydropolis with organic structures in mind to remove the sharp edges and harsh architectural design components of land-based edifices,” said architect Joachim Hauser, who previously worked for the Deutsche Aero Space Administration to design a hotel located in outer space.
“The effect is to create more tranquil living environs where smoother architectural flow blends our natural biorhythms with our living spaces.”
Underwater living is certainly one vastly unexplored territories. As well as hotels in space. I can imagine in about 50 years when my daughter is grown up, such destinations will be more commonplace, especially if we screw up this planet with global warming. Underwater hotels like Hydropolis may be a means for survival. Meanwhile my pre-teen self can only dream about staying in such a hotel.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist and publisher that founded Green Prophet to unite a prosperous Middle East. She shows through her work that positive, inspiring dialogue creates action that impacts people, business and planet. She has published in thought-leading newspapers and magazines globally, owns an IoT tech chip patent, and is part of teams that build world-changing products to make agriculture and our planet more sustainable. Reach out directly to [email protected]
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