‘Space hotel’ and marina proposed for Barcelona
A US firm has announced plans to build a 'space hotel' and the world's first covered marina on a man-made island off Barcelona. It features immersive technology offering guests the experience of being in outer space. The mayor of Barcelona has objected on Spanish TV to the building of the €1.5 billion investment project.…
Proposals for a man-made island, to include Europe’s tallest building, a ‘space hotel’ and the world’s first covered superyacht marina, have been mooted off the coast of Barcelona.
Jerome Bottari, Global CEO of Mobilona, the US conglomerate whose brainchild the project is, this week confirmed plans for a €1.5 billion investment for the development of the island which includes 2,000 hotel suites featuring ‘immersive wall displays’ projecting the universe.
The project is from the drawing board of architect and yacht designer, Erik Morvan, and has been opened up to four municipality candidates in Spain:
“In order to be open and transparent in the process, we are giving the four selected municipalities an equal opportunity to compete for the project,” said Bottari. “Local government, Catalunya and Spain will all play an important role in the creation of a Special Economic Zone called ‘Barcelona Island’.
Planning permission has also reportedly been lodged with Barcelona City Hall, and is already meeting with some criticism from officials, according to British media reports.
Xavier Trias, the mayor from Catalonia's CiU party, has also criticised the project on Spanish TV: “We have no need or desire to take on projects of this nature.”
"We are a city of culture, knowledge, of creativity, and of innovation, and our project (for the city) will follow a different path," he told news channel, 3/24 whilst adding that City Hall would have to give the proposal due consideration.
The team behind Marina Port Vell, which has been carefully making its own steps to win favour with government and City Hall with the formation of the Barcelona Nautical Cluster, and whose expansion plans recently approved by Port of Barcelona, foresees objections:
“Barcelona has a long history of being concerned about the environment, especially the sea, which has always been such an important part of it's cultural and economic heritage, and any such project would of course be highly destructive to this delicate eco-system,” said Norma Trease, director of Salamanca Marine (a division of Port Vell's investors the Salamanca Group).
The island's developer on the other hand, insists that the scheme will have a strong environmental basis, stating on its website that: “Mobilona is committed to operating Barcelona Island with zero carbon emissions and by producing green energy for the people of Barcelona.”
The space theme runs throughout island and hotel. Hotel room windows will be made of transparent glass displays that can be turned on during 'flights' and turned off when guests want to return from their ‘Space Trip’.
A ‘Planktonium’ (pictured above in front of the towers) will contain knowledge of ‘life discovered on earth-like planets’ and guests will fly on emission-free Space Gliders to any elevation in the hotel. It will also feature Europe’s tallest hotel building, a 300m Galaxy Tower.
Island Barcelona is the first in a string of space hotels planned by Mobilona, with plans to build in Los Angeles and Hong Kong after the completion of the Barcelona project. Technology is under development in an Immersive Technology Center in Bangalore, India, which works with film studios, game creators and app developers who want to offer immersive content in Mobilona Space Hotels.
The project is financed by Apogee investments, whose mission statement is to ‘invest in opportunities that produce sustainable returns while protecting life on planet earth.’
Barcelona Island Website
Jerome Bottari, Global CEO of Mobilona, the US conglomerate whose brainchild the project is, this week confirmed plans for a €1.5 billion investment for the development of the island which includes 2,000 hotel suites featuring ‘immersive wall displays’ projecting the universe.
The project is from the drawing board of architect and yacht designer, Erik Morvan, and has been opened up to four municipality candidates in Spain:
“In order to be open and transparent in the process, we are giving the four selected municipalities an equal opportunity to compete for the project,” said Bottari. “Local government, Catalunya and Spain will all play an important role in the creation of a Special Economic Zone called ‘Barcelona Island’.
Rendering of Barcelona island by day. Visitors can reach the island by Space Gliders
Planning permission has also reportedly been lodged with Barcelona City Hall, and is already meeting with some criticism from officials, according to British media reports.
Xavier Trias, the mayor from Catalonia's CiU party, has also criticised the project on Spanish TV: “We have no need or desire to take on projects of this nature.”
"We are a city of culture, knowledge, of creativity, and of innovation, and our project (for the city) will follow a different path," he told news channel, 3/24 whilst adding that City Hall would have to give the proposal due consideration.
The team behind Marina Port Vell, which has been carefully making its own steps to win favour with government and City Hall with the formation of the Barcelona Nautical Cluster, and whose expansion plans recently approved by Port of Barcelona, foresees objections:
“Barcelona has a long history of being concerned about the environment, especially the sea, which has always been such an important part of it's cultural and economic heritage, and any such project would of course be highly destructive to this delicate eco-system,” said Norma Trease, director of Salamanca Marine (a division of Port Vell's investors the Salamanca Group).
Designs of the covered marina. Yachts are docked inside to protect against elements
The island's developer on the other hand, insists that the scheme will have a strong environmental basis, stating on its website that: “Mobilona is committed to operating Barcelona Island with zero carbon emissions and by producing green energy for the people of Barcelona.”
The space theme runs throughout island and hotel. Hotel room windows will be made of transparent glass displays that can be turned on during 'flights' and turned off when guests want to return from their ‘Space Trip’.
3D model of Mobilona Space Hotel on Barcelona Island at night
A ‘Planktonium’ (pictured above in front of the towers) will contain knowledge of ‘life discovered on earth-like planets’ and guests will fly on emission-free Space Gliders to any elevation in the hotel. It will also feature Europe’s tallest hotel building, a 300m Galaxy Tower.
Island Barcelona is the first in a string of space hotels planned by Mobilona, with plans to build in Los Angeles and Hong Kong after the completion of the Barcelona project. Technology is under development in an Immersive Technology Center in Bangalore, India, which works with film studios, game creators and app developers who want to offer immersive content in Mobilona Space Hotels.
The project is financed by Apogee investments, whose mission statement is to ‘invest in opportunities that produce sustainable returns while protecting life on planet earth.’
Barcelona Island Website
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