Margot Krasojević regularly produces thought-provoking architectural concepts, with recent examples including a house that screws itself into the ground during high winds and a floating revolving bridge. Her latest work envisions a futuristic hotel that makes use of tidal energy to produce its own power. It would also move with the tide in a way likened to surfing by the architect.
The Harmonic Turbine Tidal Hotel is conceived for Yalong Bay, on the island of Hainan, China. It would be anchored into the rugged coastline, with sections becoming submerged during high tide, making it move with the waves.
"The idea behind the hotel came from rock pools and tidal power, to design a hotel which dips into the sea just enough to catch the tide whilst being able to sway in the current," explains the architect. "The entire experience is that of surfing."
Structurally, the hotel would comprise a steel frame with aluminum cladding and would be constructed in a similar way to the hull of a ship, allowing it to withstand the battering it would get from the sea. Water turbines part-buried in the sand would produce electricity from tidal forces, with any excess energy being piped back to the grid, benefiting the local area. The sculpted design of the turbines would also create small rock pool-like areas when the tide is low.
The interior of the Harmonic Turbine Tidal Hotel would include an underwater viewing chamber connected to 30 bedrooms, each of which would feature an integrated glass panel, allowing guests to gaze upon the crashing waves from the privacy of their own rooms.
This seems best taken as food-for-thought rather than an actual build plan, though Krasojević has confirmed that there is a possibility the hotel could get built but it's still early in development and the design may change significantly.
Source: Margot Krasojević Architects