Lina Ghotmeh unveils her design for the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, actor Ed Norton to launch eco-camps in Kenya, and HDTV visits Manifest. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
World’s first Terayacht in the works
Rendering courtesy of Lazzarini Design Studio
What’s bigger than a superyacht? A terayacht, according to Italian firm Lazzarini Design Studio, which is working on the world’s first ship to qualify for the self-invented designation. Architectural Digest reports that when completed, it will be the world’s biggest boat but also a floating city with parks, shopping, and residences for up to 60,000 people. Named Pangeos, a nod to the archaic continent Pangea, the ship will measure 1,800 feet in length and 2,000 feet wide. The turtle-shaped design, while cute also has another intent—efficiency. The “flippers” are designed to minimize drag and power the boat with kinetic energy without requiring emissions. Metaverse versions of the residences will be available beginning in 2023, while construction on the IRL version will take at least eight years and cost approximately $8 billion.
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Lina Ghotmeh’s 2023 Serpentine Pavilion design
Photo by Gilbert Hage
Architect Lina Ghotmeh recently unveiled her design for the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, the 22nd designer to do so since the annual tradition began. A recent article from The Guardian details Ghotmeh’s inspiration, which nods to the toguna huts of the Dogon people in Mali, Africa with the use low of ceilings. Striving for the smallest carbon footprint possible, Ghotmeh will use low-carbon recycled glass as well as laminated veneer lumber, joined together with bolted connections so that the pavilion can be disassembled when no longer in use. Visitors can experience Ghotmeh’s Serpentine Pavilion beginning June 2023.
Many office buildings remain empty
Despite many companies implementing return-to-office policies, ranging from fulltime to hybrid schedules, huge swaths of office buildings still sit empty. According to Jones Lang LaSalle, vacancy rates for offices sit at an average of 19.1 percent with cities including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco running higher than 20 percent. The New York Times reports that 185 million square feet of office space is currently available for sublet in the U.S. with more expected to come on the market through 2024. Though the full implications of work-from-home on commercial real estate are yet to be realized, it is believed that companies will continue to downsize or relocate to cut costs, leaving many buildings in limbo.
Actor Ed Norton to launch eco-camp in Kenya
The Marafa Depression in Malindi, Kenya
Fight Club star Ed Norton will soon add hotelier to his resumé. The actor is working with a veteran from the wellness brand Six Senses to bring a luxury eco-camp to Kenya. Skift reports that the camps will feature electric vehicles, employ locals, and sustainably source water. Norton has a well-documented passion for wildlife, conservation, and Kenya, where he serves as an ambassador to the Kenya Tourism Board, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, and is the head of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.
ICYMI: HDTV’s latest stop is Manifest in DC
A floor-to-ceiling window fronts Manifest, flooding the interiors with natural light
After tours of Pendry Manhattan West and the Michelin-starred Oiji Mi, HDTV went to Washington, DC to film the video series’ latest episode at Manifest. A reimagining of the classic barbershop, entrepreneur K.J. Hughes wanted to create a modern space that honored barbershops’ role in Black culture as a place for gathering. In addition to a barbershop, the mixed-use space comprises a coffee bar and boutique on the first floor, a speakeasy Out of Office, and a forthcoming apartment, Abode, on the top floor. Watch a tour of the Snarkitecture-designed space here.
