Discover four amazing holiday destinations where engineering ingenuity meets imagination! These future resorts promise adventure and luxury, showcasing the brilliant minds behind their designs. Get ready to be amazed by the engineering feats that will shape your next getaway!
Imagine unwinding in a resort that is energy-positive and seamlessly integrates with its environment, or staying in a gravity-defying wellness area high above the ground.
From an underwater hotel that offers breathtaking views of marine life to a stunning skyscraper inspired by nature, these designs push the boundaries of architecture and engineering.
Each location not only promises adventure and luxury but also highlights the engineering feats that make such extraordinary experiences possible.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, we have put together a list of four must-visit hotel and resorts that reveal what travel will look like in the future, plus some of the engineering skills that go into bringing them to life.
Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore
This stunning new skyscraper is one of the few on our list that has been completed and is receiving guests. Located in the heart of Singapore’s shopping district, the Pan Pacific Orchard is an architectural masterpiece featuring four themed areas—forest, beach, garden, and cloud—spread across its 23 storeys. The hotel has a strong focus on sustainability too, with a roof covered in PV solar panels and plenty of green spaces both inside and out.
Engineering Insight: The design incorporated cutting-edge sustainability features, including photovoltaic solar panels integrated into the roof and rainwater harvesting systems. Structural engineers meticulously crafted the building to support its varied design elements, ensuring stability while allowing for expansive green spaces. This blending of form and function showcases the vital role engineering plays in modern architecture.
Water Discus Hotel, Dubai, UAE
If scuba diving is your thing, you might enjoy a stay at the Water Discus Hotel, which is slated for construction in Dubai. This unique hotel is divided into two sections: a 10,764-square-foot (1,000 sqm) discus submerged 32 feet (10 m) underwater, plus an above-water discus with a floor area of around 16,146 square feet (1,500 sqm).
The project is currently in the implementation phase. Its construction timelines and budget, however, have been kept secret and are undisclosed.
Engineering Insight: The engineering behind the Water Discus involves advanced underwater construction techniques, including reinforced materials designed to withstand underwater pressure. The airlock system for the dive center is a feat of engineering precision, ensuring safe transitions between the ocean and the hotel. These innovations not only create a unique guest experience but also protect the surrounding marine ecosystem.
Svart, Norway
Perched beside the crystal-clear waters of Holandsfjorden in Norway’s Arctic Circle, the hotly anticipated Svart resort will be energy-positive—meaning it’ll produce more energy than it uses. This will be partly achieved with in-built solar panels that absorb sunlight reflected off the nearby Svartisen glacier. Set to open later in 2024, the hotel plans to go completely off-grid, supplying all its own electricity, providing all produce from its own farm and managing all waste on-site.
Engineering Insight: The hotel’s circular design maximizes solar energy capture throughout the year, thanks to careful orientation and strategic placement of solar panels. Engineers have also designed innovative energy systems that harness geothermal energy from the surrounding environment, ensuring that Svart operates off-grid. This combination of smart engineering and renewable resources sets a new standard for sustainable hospitality.
Hub of Huts, Olang, Italy
This gravity-defying creation looks like a fantasy home, but it actually exists—and you can pay it a visit! The Hub of Huts was designed by Network of Architecture (NOA) for Hotel Hubertus, a wellbeing and ski retreat in the Dolomites.
Known for its extraordinary cantilevered outdoor swimming pool, NOA aimed to create a structure that would “overturn horizons,” resulting in an “effect of wonder” for the viewer.
Engineering Insight: The engineering marvel lies in its cantilevered design, supported by two sturdy pillars clad in larch logs. Structural engineers employed advanced techniques to ensure stability while allowing the platform to hover 49 feet (15 m) above the ground. The use of local materials not only enhances aesthetic appeal but also strengthens the building’s integration into the natural landscape.
Engineering the Future of Travel Experiences
As we venture into the future of travel, it’s evident that engineers will remain an integral part of transforming our travel dreams into reality.
The collaboration between architects and engineers is vital in creating the extraordinary hotels and resorts of tomorrow, ensuring they are not only visually stunning but also safe, sustainable, and functional.
With every new destination, we can look forward to experiences that elevate the travel experience, making each journey more adventurous and unforgettable!
References
Amazing designs reveal what travel will look like in the future
The New Six Senses in Norway Will Be the World’s First Energy-Positive Hotel
Gravity-defying Hub of Huts by noa* stays cantilevered between the earth and sky
Water Discus underwater hotel by Deep Ocean Technology
“Hotel in nature” in Singapore named Best Tall Building Worldwide
