Russian architect Alexander Remizov : "The Ark" could have 10, 000 peole

The rising sea waters caused by global warming have inspired a Russian architect to design a hotel that could be built on water as well as land. The eco-friendly "Ark" could be constructed in just a few months anywhere in the world, the designer says.

It's called "The Ark", but looks more like a ship sitting upside down on the water. A new design by Russian architect Alexander Remizov challenges the tradition of land-based hotel living and would provide a refuge in the future -- should the world face a modern-day flood of Biblical proportions.

"The form of a dome promotes the formation of turbulences of air, strengthening the work of wind generators," said Remizov.

"Inside the building, the dome form promotes accumulation of warm air in the top part of a building," he continued. "This heat will be transformed to other kinds of energy and collects also in thermal accumulators."

The building of the hotel could be fast and simple, Remizov told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "Prefabricated sections could be put together in three to four months," he said. The versatile structure could be constructed in most corners of the earth, even in earthquake-prone areas. Constructing "The Ark" -- which would include 14,000 square meters (151,000 square feet) of living space -- would cost roughly the same as building an energy-efficient house.

While still on the drawing board, Remizov believes The Ark could be used for many purposes from apartments to offices and hotels, and be built on different scales to house between 50 and 10,000 people.

The way in which the Ark could be assembled from ready-made structures would reduce the cost of construction, suggests Remizov, who estimates that it would be comparable to the cost of energy-efficient "green" buildings.

"Lightweight materials, such as coating film, light design of the foundation, no insulation due to the presence of the buffer zone, reduce the weight structures, which would lead to cheaper construction," he said.

Remizov has designed the building without glass, choosing instead a durable and self-cleaning foil that could withstand harsher weather conditions. That foil would be fastened to metal profiles, which would also collect rainwater. The building would also feature an indoor jungle, creating its own microclimate.

Self-contained power supply – building design as a single grid by means of multiple use of alternative, solar, wind energy sources, heat of building environment and thermal energy coming in an under dome space and accumulating in three-level temperature heat storage, electric and hydrogen accumulators (due to transformation of thermal and electric energy) for a regular power supply irrespective of environment condition. Universality – open planning and adaptation of a building to different functions (residential, production building, public place).

Biospheric structure - planting of greenery in internal spaces to output oxygen and pick up carbonic acid; creation of natural environment inside the building. Ecological compatibility – reduction of CO2 emission, technology control, influencing the ozone layer, rain-water collection and utilization, recycling of wastes by explosive boiling and anoxic pyrolysis.

Economy – quick fabric due to both standard precast elements and new superlight building materials. Manufacturability – interlinking engineering services control and creation of comfortable microclimate. Attractiveness of a building, harmonizing with nature.

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