Solar-Powered Floating Island...

OK, we’ve seen concepts like this for years now – round floating retreats complete with a transparent room in the belly to see all the fish swim by. The idea is certainly appealing considering the fact that the world’s rising oceans make on-shore resorts a bit tenuous. Puzzolante takes the issue of raising oceans more seriously with his interpretation, as the SFR is a fully self-supporting design. The ship features a thin-film solar skin applied to a lightweight balsa-reinforced fiberglass hull. The round shape of the vessel provides constant exposure to the sun, feeding batteries during daylight hours to supply clean energy through the night.


The interior skin is also layered in dye-sensitized thin-film PV to absorb artificial light at night, creating a 30mm vacuum with the outer layer. While original, this setup is both extraordinarily expensive and impractical – but hey we’re on vacation.


The 110 square meter deck provides plenty of room for private amenities for six guests. The interior is cleverly laid out to provide both quiet niches and grand views. For instance, the attached baths have a space-saving water closet hanging off the tub. The core of the space is a large kitchen and bar, with a center spiral staircase leading down to the observation bulb. The lowest room lets guests indulge in a bit of extreme underwater tourism.

 

See more pictures at: Solar-Powered Floating Island