A Floating Museum —— The Future of Green Architecture！
2010 July 01 By: Comixo Studio
The steel hull is plated with titanium-dioxide-coated aluminum.
Physalia is half-boat, half-building, and all green. This mammoth aluminum concept by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut is meant to travel Europe’s rivers, making filthy water drinkable. At the same time, the ship generates more energy than it uses.
Hydroturbines under the hull generate electricity.
Callebaut, 33, dreamed up the idea after last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen shone a long-overdue spotlight on global water issues. He has some lofty terms for his project: It’s a “nomadic hydrodynamic laboratory,” a “fragment of living earth,” and a “floating agora” on a “geopolitical scale.” Others might just call it a cool idea.
A museum, nightclub and filtration system, Physalia uses its hull and rooftop plants to scrub away pollution.
But Physalia isn’t just designed to be a working ship. The vessel will also be a floating museum of sorts. Scientists who study aquatic ecosystems can hole up in the dedicated “Earth garden” lab, and tourists can visit temporary exhibits in a “water garden” or settle into a submerged lounge that could easily pass for a London nightclub.
The interior of the ship's water garden
A coat of titanium dioxide paint brushed onto the silvery shell will neutralize pollution by absorbing ultraviolet rays, enabling a chemical reaction that decomposes organic and inorganic toxins. (It’s the same technology used in certain high-tech concrete that breaks down airborne particulates.) As the vessel whips along, purifying waterways, it can draw on both solar and hydro power. Turbines under the hull transform water movement into electricity, and rooftop photovoltaic cells harness energy from the sun. The roof doubles as a nursery, whose carefully selected plants help filter river gunk, whether from the Thames, Rhine or Euphrates.
This new project seems not really accept by most of the readers, this guy, Lentamentalisk, express his point of view:
I honestly do not understand how building a behemoth of a boat, out of aluminum, (one of the metals with the most energy intensive refining process) will help save the environment.
Sure, it creates more energy than it uses, but will it ever create more energy than it took to make in the first place?
Also, its kinda disgusting how they always market luxury products as "green". The three Rs are REDUCE, reuse, recycle. The very first one, is don't buy it in the first place. Even then, recycle is the last on the list. Do we NEED a giant floating museum (where the transportation costs to and from would be immense?) NO. Then don't call it "green". It is a luxury product, so it can not, by definition, be "green". Unless green refers to the money it will cost, rather than being good for the environment.
This is what we call RECYCLE =^-^=
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