Italian firm Giancarlo Zema Design Group released plans for a semi-submerged resort on the coast of Qatar, according to Gizmag. Amphibious 1000 is a $500 million project that will sit in a protected marine area of the Middle Eastern sovereign state.
The resort will include residential buildings, offices, a central marine park, floating walkways, and underwater marine galleries to form a semi-circle around a central tower, which will house a restaurant with panoramic views.
There will be two sections of the resort: one on sea, the other on land. The sea section will have four semi-submerged hotels that look similar to super-yachts, each including 75 luxury suites with private terraces. The hotels will feature underwater passageways with views of the central marine park and provide access to the activities zone, while the centralized lobby houses an interactive sea life museum with multiple aquariums, water exhibitions, and galleries.
In addition to the luxury hotel suites are 80 floating suites, called "Jelly Fish," that will include underwater viewing decks with views of an artificial reef bed.
"Aware of the impact that human intervention has always evoked the environment, [our] architecture is distinguished by the intent to conquer new spaces for living in harmony with nature," the architects told Gizmag.
Related Stories
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 20, 2014
D.C. breaks ground on $2B mega waterfront development [slideshow]
When complete, the Wharf will feature approximately 3 million sf of new residential, office, hotel, retail, cultural, and public uses, including waterfront parks, promenades, piers, and docks.
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
| Mar 5, 2014
5 tile design trends for 2014
Beveled, geometric, and high-tech patterns are among the hot ceramic tile trends, say tile design experts.
| Feb 21, 2014
First look: Goettsch Partners reveals 'lighthouse' tower scheme for China resort
Topped with glowing beacon that will be visible for miles in any direction, the Rosewood Sanya tower is the centerpiece of a new resort and meeting complex on China’s Hainan Island.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Jan 29, 2014
Hotel, retail, recreation sectors to lead growth in 2014
AIA's Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters, is projecting that spending will see a 5.8% increase in 2014, led by the hotel, retail, and amusement/recreation sectors.
