The architect Margot Krasojević uses components of the energy industry as elements of hotel design. Her Harmonic Turbine Tidal Hotel in the South China Sea is on the one hand a plus energy house, on the other hand the futuristic object can be seen as a wellness oasis.
The idea was to design a hotel by the sea which uses tidal turbines to generate electricity on its own and to use the naturally occurring bays as pools for the guests. Along the Yalong Bay on Hainan Island in the South China Sea, there are wind and flow protected areas, but also sections with lots of wind and high waves. Here is the Harmonic Tidal Turbine Hotel, which is partially anchored in the rock, but whose elements can move freely with the tide.
Harmonic Tidal Turbine Hotel to be finshed by 2020
The tidal turbine hotel consists of two interlocking elements clad with steel frames and aluminum. Similar to the hull of a boat, these elements are light enough to sway gently with the tide, but strong enough not to break. The rotatable water turbines are partly stored in the sand and react to the tidal waves. The thrilling project is scheduled to be finshed by February 2020.
The architect Margot Krasojević is fully committed to the idea of sustainability. After receiving her master’s and doctorate degrees in 1997 and 2003, architecture became her “tool” to explore their interaction with environmental change and renewable energy. From her comes the famous Lighthouse Hotel. Krasojević’s aim is to develop hotels that contribute to the environment by generating clean energy and using renewable resources.
Hotels will no longer be only associated with consumption and catering. Thanks to interior design, lifestyle and energy self-sufficient units, they are given a programmatic redefinition.
Margot Krasojević
Currently, hotel operators rely on the peak season to earn profits. With such hotel concepts as the Harmonic Tidal Turbine Hotel operations can be maintained throughout the year and excess energy can be fed back into the power grid. The Harmonic Turbine Hotel sees itself as both a powerhouse and a wellness temple. All technologies and building materials are made from environmentally friendly materials. The tube turbines are part of the hotel design. They are partially buried in the sand, but exposed to the current of the South China Sea. This is how energy can be produced which is supplied to the hotel and the general electricity grid.
The entire structure moves easily in the tide. The tube turbines draw spiral paths in and around the hotel. The arrangement of these tidal turbines resembles natural sand ripples and creates natural sandy and rocky bays for hotel guests.
Access to the main entrance platform is via stairs and a ramp that leads through an entrance hatch partly under water to the foyer and the 30 spa rooms. Each room has a glass privacy screen that gives guests the feeling of being in a submerged submarine. The waves are flooding the windows of the rooms while the movement of the water turbines creates”private pools”.
Text: Linda Benkö
Visualisierungen: Margot Krasojević Architects