Seymourpowell's Aircruise concept presents an alternative take on the future, suggesting 'slow is the new fast. On Aircruise, it is the very abundance of time and space that defines the luxury experience. In a world where speed is an almost universal obsession, the idea of making a leisurely journey in comfort is a welcome contrast. Talbot explains, "The physics of the airship requires a gigantic volume of lifting gas, yet simultaneously demands a relatively limited amount of weight. This allows for a potentially large amount of space with relatively few people onboard - a luxury for any traveller."
Alastair Callender, of
Callender Designs, has developed a radical 58m, rigid-wing superyacht concept,
which will be powered from wind, solar and Hybrid Marine Power (HMP) technology
from Solar Sailor Holdings Ltd.
Initially aimed at an owner
of an eco-friendly stance, with a non-sailing background, Soliloquy shall push
the boundaries of yacht design convention as we know it today, and points to
the future of clean, luxury yachting.
This pioneering and highly
efficient motor-sailor will offer numerous advantages, which will widen her
appeal to more potential investors - not least thanks to being powered quietly
by renewable and hybrid-electric energy. In turn this will bring zero-emission
capabilities, and result in significant savings in fuel cost.
Soliloquy's rigid-wing rig,
and architecturally dynamic form, will be a unique sight to all mariners.
A design brief was reached to
ensure that renewable energies, along with eco-friendly materials and
construction techniques, would confirm that this superyacht will become one of
the Greenest of luxury yachts. This will comply with, and aims to excel in
various industry requirements, including the new Green Star Plus certification
from RINA in Italy.
The innovative overhead beam,
sweeping forward to the bow, not only brings structural advantages, along with
exciting and refreshing visual aesthetics, but has been specifically designed
to house three automated and pivotally mounted, rigid-wing solarsails.
Efficient sailing propulsion
is possible due to the patented technology and automation of Solar Sailor
Holdings Ltd's solarsail pivot. This technology has received a development
grant from the US Navy for unmanned ocean vehicles and is currently used on a
series of ferries.
This will allow Soliloquy's
three solarsails to independently rotate through 360 degrees, and be coupled
with the optimized rigid-wing design to add propulsion efficiency.
The superstructure has been
enhanced by its efficient Photovoltaic surfacing. Once all the adaptable blinds
have evolved out of the overhead beam, a total of over 600 square metres
of coverage will be revealed. Additionally each solarsail can be angled to the
sun, to optimise solar collection when becalmed.
Asia
has been winning the "tallest building in the world" race for over a
decade now: the PetronasTowers in Kuala Lumpar,
Malaysia took the crown from
Chicago's WillisTower (formerly SearsTower) in 1998, and held it until the
Tapei 101 inTaiwan
replaced them in 2004. As of Monday, the title goes to a structure much further
East, and over a thousand feet taller than the previous record-holder:
The
building was designed by British architect Adrian Smith. It has 160 floors, at 828 m (2,717 ft), using 330,000 cubic metres
of reinforced concrete and103,000 square meters of glass.
The
official height was kept a secret until the opening ceremony, which featured
fireworks, streams of water and parachute jumpers, the New York Times reported.
The $1.5 billion dollar tower holds a mixture of nightclubs, mosques, literary
suites, and boardrooms. It will eventually hold the world's first Armani hotel,
the world's highest swimming pool, and the world's highest mosque. More than
12,000 people will reside in its 6 million square feet.
The
Burj Khalifa takes its name from Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the
president of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The last-minute renaming -- the tower was originally to be called the Burj
Dubai -- reflected the troubled economic situation surrounding its completion.
The capital has poured billions in the financially ailing Dubai to cover its debts.
WHY
(Wally Hermès Yachts) is the stunning result of a joint venture signed in June of
2008, between the ultra-expensive luxury brand Hermès, and one of the world's
premiere yacht builders, Wally. Certainly one of the most radical boat designs
I've ever seen, WHY defies all convention.
THE
WHY 58×38
-
Spotted by Luca Bassani Antivari, the tried and tested Norwegian Ramform hull,
characterised by exceptional and unprecedented stability and volume revealed
itself as the ideal choice to be adapted to the WHY 58×38 project
-
Following this unique adaptation, the decks and the interiors were developed in
accordance with the fundamental credo of WHY, 'form-equals-function'
-
This credo spurned numerous innovations in the world of mega yachts: patios
generously flooding the interior with natural light, photovoltaic panels on the
glass hull sides, a roof opening like Venetian blinds, a 25 meter-long (82 feet) forward end
swimming pool, and a 36-meter (118
feet) aft deck beach
-
The interior of the yacht is fitted out with water resistant buffalo leather
using the calpinage technique
-
The yacht, which took years in the making, has been tested in Gotebourg, Sweden,
in a specialized tank testing facility, to see how it would perform in big
seas. The outcome is that, in full swell, the bow moves a tiny bit and the
stern stays completely still
-
Anchored, the boat creates a totally flat surface behind it, like an
olympic-size pool where you can swim in total peace.
SUSTAINABILITY
-
"We are very interested in creating a yacht that will have a low
environmental impact", says Pierre-Alexis Dumas. "Its relationship
with the sea must be respectful and easy. WHY intends to offer a new way of
moving over water by creating an innovative way of managing and recycling its
sources and uses of energy"
-
"If you want to go totally ecological, the only solution is sailing. The
reality is that today, 90 % of the market is powerboats, echoes Luca Bassani
Antivari. Our aim is to reduce diesel consumption per year and per yacht: 20 to
30 % for propulsion and 40 to 50 % for generation"
-
Thanks to its specific hull, WHY 58×38 requires less power at cruising speed
than a boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is the most efficient
motorisation today, and the surface of the photovoltaic panels, almost 900 square metres,
covers most of the boat's auxiliary system needs
-
In comparison to a yacht of the same size, WHY 58×38 has been conceived to
reduce drastically its energy consumption, saving up to 200 tons of diesel per
year
-
The WHY R & D program includes tank testing for hull stability in the SSPA
facilities in Sweden, and the construction of a full-scale mock-up in order to
allow the design team to fine tune the living areas correctly in accordance
with the hull's unique shape
-
The WHY 58X38 yacht looks very unfamiliar but it remains on a human scale.
Space is the greatest luxury on the sea, but I believe the new luxury will be
the time to enjoy it", concludes Pierre-Alexis Dumas.
SMERA Concept: To drive trough the congestions, to park easily.
With its 2m50 of length and 86cm broad, Smera is in the right dimensions
to cruise the city, well protected. The side shoulder brings a strong visual
signature. Each surface of the body is at the same time beautiful and
functional.
Smera is a muxury cocoon, with its fine leather, broad doors, its second
place, its pratical trunk for daily carrying. Central LCD Displays all
information, commands are easy, the cockpit offers a panoramic look around the
city.
Dr. David Fisher's revolutionary Dynamic Tower is the world's first building in motion that challenges traditional concepts of architecture and heralds a new era of architecture, becoming the symbol of a new philosophy that will change the look of our cities and our concept of living.
Offering infinite design possibilities, each floor of the Dynamic Tower rotates independently at different speeds, in different directions, resulting in a unique and ever-evolving shape, and introducing a fourth dimension to architecture: Time.
The Dynamic Tower is the first 100% self-powered Green building with the ability to generate electricity for itself through the use of horizontal wind turbines and solar panels.
The first skyscraper to be built entirely from pre-fabricated parts custom-made in a factory, the assembly process of the Dynamic Tower will vastly reduce construction time, offer substantial cost savings, provide an environmental construction site and increase safety for workers on site .
Dr. Fisher states, "Modern life is dynamic, so the space we are living in should be dynamic as well, adjustable to our needs that change continuously, to our concept of design and to our moods. Dynamic buildings will follow the rhythms of nature, changing their direction and shape, minute by minute, from sunrise to sunset, season to season, adjusting themselves to the environment. From now on, buildings will be alive , creating a fourth dimension of Time, to become part of New Architecture, and transforming the shape of the skylines of the world."
Introducing movement to our the interior and exterior spaces of our daily lives, powered by 100% Green energy and built with efficient pre-fabricated construction methods, the Dynamic Tower will change architecture as we know it, and will launch a new era of Dynamic Living.
This hammock has been named "Wave" by its Swedish designers. I
would rather see it fitted with a suspended sheet. The hammock can accommodate
up to three dreamers. Suspended in the air, they can let their imaginations
take off...
