In a proposal for West Palm Beach's Currie Park, architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati has envisioned a floating plaza off the coast of the city's waterfront. The complex would be entirely in the ocean, with a pedestrian path leading out to it, and it would include housing, retail, and leisure space throughout its 19 hectares of space.
More than just an elaborate dock, the Currie Park concept includes large portions that are partly submerged beneath the surface of Lake Worth Lagoon, the channel that separates West Palm Beach from Palm Beach. These partially submerged volumes would be constructed in the same fashion as an underwater vessel, albeit without ever diving below the surface.
The plaza's buoyancy would be regulated by a series of air chambers that fill with and release water depending on the amount of people on it -- similar to ballast systems on submarines.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Floating Plazas
- Opportunity for creating unique and captivating floating spaces for various purposes such as retail, leisure, and housing.
- Underwater Architecture
- Innovative designs that utilize submarine technology to create partially submerged spaces for various purposes.
- Buoyancy Regulation
- Development of sophisticated systems to regulate buoyancy in floating structures for enhanced stability and safety.
Where This Applies
- Architecture and Design
- Exploration of new possibilities for creating captivating and sustainable structures.
- Real Estate and Development
- Opportunity to develop new waterfront properties and leisure destinations.
- Submarine Technology
- Integration of submarine technology in innovative and unconventional applications for architecture and construction.
