A US developer recently approached Barcelona City Hall with plans to build a soaring Dubai-style “Space Hotel” complete with a zero gravity spa, but the city mayor rejected the concept on the grounds that it would create too much of a “spectacle.”
In addition to insensitive timing – given Spain’s time of great financial “austerity” – city Mayor Xavier Trias expressed concern that a 2,000 suite/residential “distant galaxy on earth” on an artificial island off the coast might sully Barcelona’s identity.
“We have no need or desire to take on projects of this nature. We are a city of culture, knowledge, of creativity, and of innovation, and our project [to develop the city] will follow a different path,” he told local news channel 3/24.
The developer, Mobilina, commissioned Spanish architect Erik Morvan to design the €1.5 billion hotel, and remains optimistic, despite Barcelona’s lack of enthusiasm, that other cities will embrace the project.
In addition to being the tallest structure in Europe, if it’s built, the glass windows will feature transparent glass displays of the galaxy; there will also be a host of parks, pools and beaches and an enormous mall – (sounds like a dismal way to return to earth after exploring the galaxy.)
“This seems more suitable for somewhere like Dubai,” a representative from the city’s planning department told the Telegraph. Any plan to advance Barcelona must be in keeping with the present model of the city.”
Mobilina CEO Jerome Bottari remains oblivious to the absurdity of the design, which he claims combines the perfect blend of “design and technology to simulate any place on earth, or in the universe,” and hopes that Hong Kong and Los Angeles will take the bait.
:: Dezeen
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
