Craig Loomes is making a point. Three points to be exact. In his latest Buck-the-Trend, D A M N the Torpedoes hull design, he’s combined one part superyacht, one part submarine and one part angry hornet trumped-up on amphetamines into a stabilized monohull with wreckless disregard for waves. And just who is this Loomatic? Craig Loomes is yacht designer from down under whose motto appears to be the first rule in Italian driving… “remove the rearview mirror, because what’s behind you doesn’t matter any more.”

The 146-meter Trimaran concept is the warp-forward offspring to the “Earthrace Wavepiercer Trimaran”, a globetrotting, purpose-built boat targeting the world circumnavigation record by favoring consistency over speed. This futuristic, 24-meter wave slayer is producing better than anticipated efficiency while taming decelerations induced by wave impact. The result is a much smoother, albeit wildly wetter ride.

In just a few short years, Loomes has gained worldwide recognition for hulls designed to silhouette waves and they have certainly pierced the press, claiming such accolades as the International Superyacht Society award for “Best Power 32m to 43m” in 2004 for his 33 meter Wavepiercer.

While the design doesn’t offer the usual exterior walkways, it offers something very different… observation lounges contained within the highest point of the arches for a birds-eye view of the main hull submerging itself with frequency. The exaggerated arches serve another purpose, to place the air intake for the engines at the highest point possible on the vessel.

The yacht concept also benefits from the submariner approach, with consistent transatlantic speeds estimated at 40 knots, moving it into a realm few others can venture. Projected power plants are four MTU V-20 8000 diesels, pumping out 8,200 hp each, which is expected to produce a sprint speed of 50 knots!

Because the hull form is narrow, accommodations have been split into multi-level staterooms for up to 28 guests. The master, seen here, is a tri-level suite. Other facilities include a helicopter pad on the aft deck and quite possibly… a cave, because if Batman had a boat, Loomes designed it.

Preliminary specifications:LOA: 148 meters
Beam: No slip wide enough
Draft: 3.6 meters
Weight: 3000 tons
Power: 4 x MTU V-20 8000′s
Range: 3000 miles at 40 knots
Cruise speed (estimated): 40 knots
Top Speed (estimated): 50 knotsFor more information, contact:Craig Loomes Design Group
P.O. Box 147-027
Ponsonby, Auckland
New Zealand
+64 9360 9799

Story by: Carl Camper – Yachtforums.com

Five hundred lucky shoppers will enjoy delicious cocktails and desserts, as well as exclusive shopping at 16 new mall retailers before the rest of the state!

Ala Moana Center will celebrate the unveiling of its highly-anticipated 100,000 square-foot, two-level retail wing with Ala Moana Center’s Preview Shopping Night & Fundraiser hosted by HONOLULU Magazine. The event invites 500 shoppers to be the first in Hawaii to explore the mall’s new retail wing, while enjoying desserts, cocktails, live entertainment. Attendees will also have an exclusive opportunity to snatch up the latest fashions at 16 of the wing’s 30 new stores before anyone else!

“We are looking forward to showcasing Ala Moana Center’s multi-million dollar expansion and new two-level retail wing at our Preview Shopping Night&Fundraiser,” said General Growth Properties Regional Vice President of Marketing, Sharon James. “The evening is a wonderful chance for local residents to come check out these exciting new stores – many which are brand new to Hawaii – all while supporting a terrific organization, Hawaii Habitat for Humanity.”

Ala Moana Center’s Preview Shopping Night&Fundraiser is held in conjunction with the mall’s new spring shopping and fashion festival, Shop a Le‘a, which runs March 3 – 9, 2008. Shop a Le‘a presents shopping enthusiasts from all over Hawaii and the Pacific with myriad experiences in fashion, beauty, active lifestyle, home entertaining, family, travel and cuisine.

Highlights of this year’s inaugural event include full-scale designer runway shows, celebrity-hosted events and appearances, expert styling and fashion demonstrations, mall-wide savings and discounts, a chance to win a spectacular shopping vacation to New York City as well as the grand opening of the state’s first Nordstrom department store!

Tiger Woods is on an amazing roll these days. He is thoroughly dominated the PGA tour with win after win.  What’s left as a goal, to win every tournament he plays? Tiger is off to a perfect start in 2008 after another victory, beating Stewart Cink in the $8 million Accenture Match Play Championship.

The margin of his recent victory is historic. It was the widest final-match margin of victory in the 10-year history of the tournament. It was Wood’s fourth consecutive PGA Tour victory, his fifth in a row worldwide and sixth in a row if you include the Target World Challenge.

When Tiger was asked about his hot streak, “I think this certainly is the best stretch I’ve ever played.”

Just this year, Tiger has victories in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, the Dubai Desert Classic and now in this World Golf Championship event at the Gallery Golf Club in the foothills just north of Tucson, Arizona.

How dominant was Tiger Woods? He won all six matches against the strongest field one could assemble – including the top 64 players in the world rankings.

Cink said, “Today I was the one who felt demoralized because I didn’t have a chance.”  Seems that’s the sentiment of everybody who’s up against Tiger Woods these days. To you sir, I tip my cap.

$3000 for two quad-core processors from the Penryn family, $650 for a special mainboard and $200 for memory. This is the hot, new exclusive dual-processor platform for enthusiasts from Intel. However, do investments like that really make sense for the sake of unattainable performance? Do we really need all this power under our PC’s hood? Sure we do.

Although Intel Skulltrail including two quad-core Penryn processors has no analogues or competitors these days, it is extremely interesting to check out. Let’s see how good this monstrous system actually is and how valuable it is going to be from a practical standpoint. Our today’ article will try to answer the following question: can Intel Skulltrail become a really useful platform or it is interesting only as a vivid example of Intel’s financial power. Full article

The developer rebuilding New York’s World Trade Center unveiled plans on Tuesday for an 80-story hotel a block away, saying he was unbowed by fears of a recession or a softening of New York’s real estate market.

The new 912-foot (278-metre) tower, due to begin construction in June and be completed in 2011, will combine a luxury hotel with apartments. The project was announced as the pace of huge real estate deals has slowed, credit has tightened and Wall Street is still struggling in the swamp of subprime mortgages.

Developer Larry Silverstein referred to “negative trends” in financial markets while announcing the project and answered his own rhetorical questions on whether the Financial District was vulnerable to downturns in the financial markets that have caused vacancies to spike in the past.

“The answer, in a word, is ‘no.’ In two words, ‘Hell no’,” said the man who took out a 99-year lease on the World Trade Center six weeks before it was destroyed on September 11, 2001.

Silverstein said his confidence reflected the commitment of elected officials to the World Trade Center’s rebuilding, the decision of 184 non-financial companies to relocate downtown, and easy access to the area through public transportation.

Moreover, downtown Manhattan needs more hotel rooms, he said, in part to accommodate visitors to the four very tall buildings he is constructing at the former World Trade Center site, including the Freedom Tower, which at 1,776 feet (541 meters) will be the tallest building in the United States.

Downtown Manhattan “will be … a model for cities all over the world. Unprecedented, unimaginable, unbeatable,” he said.

The new skyscraper will eclipse one of its nearest and most admired neighbors, the historic Woolworth Building, a neo-Gothic classic that stands at 792 feet.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects will design the hotel at 99 Church Street. Silverstein partnered with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to run the hotel on the first 22 floors. There will be 143 condominium apartments on the rest of the floors.

The new tower will have 175 hotel rooms, including a 3,700 square foot (344 square meter) suite. The biggest apartments will be 6,500 square feet — enormous by New York City standards.

Silverstein did not say how much it would cost.

Article by: Joan Gralla – Reuters

Plenty of cars costing less than $50,000 pack enough features and driving satisfaction to rival their ultra-high-dollar counterparts. Those that believe you have to spend big for a luxury car may turn up their noses at the autos on this list. That’s their loss.

Pay $37,175 for the BMW Z4 Roadster, and you can cruise around town in a two-seater roadster that allows you to automatically control the drop top while listening to your favorite tunes through a 10-speaker audio system.

The $35,605 Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicle is loaded with standard features like heated, dual power mirrors with memory, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with genuine wood accents, and four-wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system. Options include 20-inch chrome wheels, a panoramic roof, and a voice-activated DVD-based navigation system. The Volvo XC70, a $36,755 midsize wagon, is loaded with advanced safety features like hill descent control and full-length side curtain airbags.

To find others like them, we used data from Strategic Vision’s 2007 Total Value Awards. The market research firm measures classes of cars including reliability, warranty, strong anticipated resale value, durability, innovation, and dealership and ownership experience. Only cars that got a score of 700 out of a possible 1,000 were counted.

Vincentric, an automotive research firm, provided maintenance costs calculated over a five-year period. Vehicles with the lowest costs, which include oil changes, wheel alignments, and replacement wiper blades, made the list. Finally, we capped our list at cars costing $50,000; this allowed us to measure a wide range of vehicles, from coupes to large cars.

Behind The Numbers

The under-$50,000 segment is diverse. You can find an Audi A3 wagon with a starting price of $25,930 and a Saab 9-3 convertible beginning at $26,000. At the top end is a Land Rover SUV starting at $44,933 and the Mercedes SLK roadster with a base price of $46,000. Add in a few select options, and you can easily meet the $50,000 threshold.

There’s good reason the list is long. When Nissan (through Infiniti), Honda (through Acura) and Toyota (through Lexus) in the mid-’90s introduced models for the entry-level luxury buyer, they forced other carmakers to compete. Mercedes-Benz and BMW followed suit with the C-Class and 3 Series, respectively. Audi, Saab, Cadillac, and Lincoln also increased their offerings.

Their targets? Young professionals with high-paying jobs, those in high-income households, and empty nesters who are transitioning into a luxury vehicle. They found that these buyers were making their first or second luxury vehicle purchase. Upgrading to a luxury auto means sliding into plush leather seats, enjoying enhanced power features like a push-button engine starter and memory seating for two drivers, and rolling along on larger wheels.

“You are treating yourself with these vehicles,” says Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis at AutoPacific, a market research firm covering the auto industry. “It is reaching a level of maturity. You’ve reached a stage in your life where you want a little more luxury, and you can afford to purchase a vehicle with more amenities.”

Still, there’s a big difference between a $45,000 luxury car and an ultra-luxury car twice its price. Take the $86,000 Cadillac XLR convertible roadster. Its standard features include a V8 engine, a heated steering wheel, a high-tech navigation system, and a retractable hard top. Many of these are merely options in the under-$50,000 group.

Instead, these cars’ treats include standard features like electronic stability control or anti-lock brakes; stellar sound systems with multiple speakers; leather seats or high-quality upholstery; and a wider choice of options, like premium paint colors and electronic connections, like iPod and MP3 connectivity.

But let the buyer beware. Once you cross over into the luxury segment, you may never want to drive anything else.

Article by Jacqueline Mitchell – ForbesAutos

Plenty of cars costing less than $50,000 pack enough features and driving satisfaction to rival their ultra-high-dollar counterparts. Those that believe you have to spend big for a luxury car may turn up their noses at the autos on this list. That’s their loss.

Pay $37,175 for the BMW Z4 Roadster, and you can cruise around town in a two-seater roadster that allows you to automatically control the drop top while listening to your favorite tunes through a 10-speaker audio system.

The $35,605 Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicle is loaded with standard features like heated, dual power mirrors with memory, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with genuine wood accents, and four-wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system. Options include 20-inch chrome wheels, a panoramic roof, and a voice-activated DVD-based navigation system. The Volvo XC70, a $36,755 midsize wagon, is loaded with advanced safety features like hill descent control and full-length side curtain airbags.

To find others like them, we used data from Strategic Vision’s 2007 Total Value Awards. The market research firm measures classes of cars including reliability, warranty, strong anticipated resale value, durability, innovation, and dealership and ownership experience. Only cars that got a score of 700 out of a possible 1,000 were counted.

Vincentric, an automotive research firm, provided maintenance costs calculated over a five-year period. Vehicles with the lowest costs, which include oil changes, wheel alignments, and replacement wiper blades, made the list. Finally, we capped our list at cars costing $50,000; this allowed us to measure a wide range of vehicles, from coupes to large cars.

Behind The Numbers

The under-$50,000 segment is diverse. You can find an Audi A3 wagon with a starting price of $25,930 and a Saab 9-3 convertible beginning at $26,000. At the top end is a Land Rover SUV starting at $44,933 and the Mercedes SLK roadster with a base price of $46,000. Add in a few select options, and you can easily meet the $50,000 threshold.

There’s good reason the list is long. When Nissan (through Infiniti), Honda (through Acura) and Toyota (through Lexus) in the mid-’90s introduced models for the entry-level luxury buyer, they forced other carmakers to compete. Mercedes-Benz and BMW followed suit with the C-Class and 3 Series, respectively. Audi, Saab, Cadillac, and Lincoln also increased their offerings.

Their targets? Young professionals with high-paying jobs, those in high-income households, and empty nesters who are transitioning into a luxury vehicle. They found that these buyers were making their first or second luxury vehicle purchase. Upgrading to a luxury auto means sliding into plush leather seats, enjoying enhanced power features like a push-button engine starter and memory seating for two drivers, and rolling along on larger wheels.

“You are treating yourself with these vehicles,” says Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis at AutoPacific, a market research firm covering the auto industry. “It is reaching a level of maturity. You’ve reached a stage in your life where you want a little more luxury, and you can afford to purchase a vehicle with more amenities.”

Still, there’s a big difference between a $45,000 luxury car and an ultra-luxury car twice its price. Take the $86,000 Cadillac XLR convertible roadster. Its standard features include a V8 engine, a heated steering wheel, a high-tech navigation system, and a retractable hard top. Many of these are merely options in the under-$50,000 group.

Instead, these cars’ treats include standard features like electronic stability control or anti-lock brakes; stellar sound systems with multiple speakers; leather seats or high-quality upholstery; and a wider choice of options, like premium paint colors and electronic connections, like iPod and MP3 connectivity.

But let the buyer beware. Once you cross over into the luxury segment, you may never want to drive anything else.

Article by Jacqueline Mitchell – ForbesAutos

They want big houses — several of them — with ornate exteriors, situated on golf courses, designed by golf professionals. Sound like a typical wealthy American home buyer?

Nope. It’s their affluent counterparts in China, who are plowing their rapidly accumulating wealth into Western-style mansions. “We assumed they would want houses with an Eastern influence,” says Dave Jenkins, a community design director, at Sater Companies, a small Florida firm, which recently started designing luxury homes in China. “We were wrong.”

Hired by a Chinese developer of a large luxury community South of Shanghai, Sater Companies has designed a handful of “villas” with a Mediterranean influence. These houses, which will cost up to $1.5 million, typically include sleeping quarters for a live-in maid, a main kitchen, and a separate “work kitchen,’’ situated away from the main living area because the cooking tends to be smoky.

Rendering courtesy of Sater Design Collection, Inc.

Mr. Jenkins says the new development will include hotels, golf courses and homes for about 20,000 people, stretching over 10 square miles, when it’s completed. “It’s like Vegas, Monte Carlo and Taos, all rolled into one,” he says.

Many U.S. real estate companies have shied away from the Chinese market because of legal entanglements and government restrictions on foreign developers. But when considering that prices of luxury homes in China rose 13.5% in 2007, according to Chinese government statistics, U.S. builders may find China too tempting to pass up, if business at home stays slow.
Article by: Michael Corkery – Wall Street Journal

Acura’s entry-level TSX as been a hit for Honda’s luxury brand. When it first debuted as a 2004 model, Acura said the new sedan was like a four-door version of the RSX coupe, even though it was really rooted in the sporty European Accord. No matter the platform, however, the TSX was a fantastic ride—and it still is. With a 2.4-liter, 200-hp i-VTEC four-cylinder and a super-slick five-speed manual, it was always a very rewarding car to hustle.

Well the 2009 model promises to provide even more smiles. The all-new TSX will make its world debut at the New York auto show on March 19, and Acura says it will come loaded with “numerous advancements in performance, styling, technology and safety.”

That’s all they’re officially letting out right now, but we hear the new sedan might have quite a bit of fun up its sleeve for the enthusiast driver as well as those looking to get a few more MPGs at the pump.

We’ve heard rumors on two engines, both of which we hope become available:

First off, the new TSX might get a version of the RDX corssover’s turbocharged engine. That would provide the sedan with a frisky, 240-hp four-cylinder to battle the stout six-cylinder engines in Acura’s German and Japanese competitors.

And we’ve heard this juicy tip from a few folks close to Honda: Later in the year, the TSX could get a clean diesel. That engine would likely be the 2.2-liter i-DTEC that we saw last year at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Once again, the TSX will be based on the all-new European Accord, which is set to debut in early March at the Geneva Motor Show. We’ll have much more information then.

Article by Ben Stewart – Popular Mechanics

Ashley Qualls is only 17 years old but is already a millionaire. What started out as an idea and $8 borrowed from her mother, Ashley has seen her web site www.whateverlife.com grow into to huge success story.

Ashley became interested in graphic design just about the same time the online social networking craze began to catch fire. She began to develop MySpace background designs for her friends, then offered them for free on her web site.  Adding music lyrics from popular songs and custom background designs, her site took off and she now grosses over one million dollars a year.  Full article

Tired of the same old, boring luxury hotels and resorts? Well you love what is under development.  I’ve listed the Top 10 futuristic, luxury hotels and what a list it is. Amazing architecture, ambiance and decor. Sit back and make your vacation plans for the ultimate in luxury hotels. And now …. the Top 10 !

10. The Apeiron Island Hotel

Designer: Sybarite
Status: Concept
Estimated project cost: $500million

The ‘Apeiron’ island hotel is a seven star resort with a total floor area of 200,000m². It is 185-m high and boasts of over 350 luxury apartment suites. The hi-tech futuristic hotel screams of luxury and comfort with its own private lagoon, beaches, restaurants, cinemas, retail shopping, art gallery, spas and conference facilities. It’s out of the world design is magnetic enough to deliver a spell-bounded experience to visitors.

9. Foldable Hotel Pods

Designer: M3 Architects, London
Estimated project cost: $72 to $104 million

The foldable and fully transportable pods are for those traveling geeks who find it hard to shun all the amenities of their luxurious life. You can move the pods to exotic locations around the world and the amazing concept abodes will come with ‘Active’ walls and floors where guests can focus images of their choice and a disposable unit to care of all waste.

8. The Hotel Burj al-Arab

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Designer: Tom Wright (WS Atkins PLC), Khuan Chew
Status: Complete
Estimated project cost: $650 million
Cost per person: $1,000 to over $28,000 per night, $75 to have a glimpse from inside

Considered, unofficially, the world’s first and only 7-star hotel, the Burj al-Arab is a truly the most luxurious hotel imaginable and hence we couldn’t help including it in this list of futuristic hotels, which also perhaps triggered architects around the world to look beyond the fence.

The tallest, 321-metres (1,053 ft), hotel, designed as a sail of a dhow, is constructed on an artificial island 280-metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach. The hotel boasts of the world’s tallest atrium, which is 180-meters (590 feet) tall.

The suspended helipad on the top adds to the grandeur of the hotel. The lavish interior skillfully mingles the best of design ethics from both the east and the west. The 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marbles give the hotel an enigmatic touch.

The 28 double-story floors of the hotel accommodate 202 luxury suites with prices ranging from $1,000 to over $28,000 per night (for the Royal Suite). The hotel also features 8 restaurants, including bars and lounges, latest business, conferencing, fitness and recreational facilities. Carved in the midst of white beaches and the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, the Burj Al Arab is a dream come true.

7. Waterworld

Location: Songjiang, China
Designer: Atkin’s Architecture Group
Status: Concept

This spectacular design by Atkin’s Architecture Group deservedly won the first prize award last year in an international design competition. The 400-bed resort hotel features underwater public areas, guest rooms, cafes, and restaurants. The major attraction is the extreme sporting facilities including a luxurious swimming pool, rock climbing and bungee jumping.

What more to say, the pictures are screaming BLISS. (Photo Credit: TheCoolHunter)

6. The Poseidon Undersea Resort

Location: Fiji, The Poseidon Mystery Island
Designer: Bruce Jones
Status: Under construction, will be completed by September 2008
Estimated project cost: $105 million
Cost per person: $15,000 per week

Our pursuit of unique spaces now goes straight 1,200-square feet under the sea in the lap of Poseidon undersea resort. The world’s first underwater resort will be ready by the end of next year with breathtaking coral reefs where you can literally immerse yourself.

Surrounded by 5,000-acre lagoon, the Bruce Jones’ Poseidon Mystery Island offers luxurious 550 square feet large suites.

Not only this, the Poseidon Resorts website says, “the first 1,000 guests will have their names permanently inscribed on two monuments one on the island, and one on the floor of the lagoon.” Now, that’s incredible!

Tourists can indulge in submarine piloting, deep reef excursions, scuba diving, sea track on the sea floor, water sports, para-sailing, cave exploration, and much more.

5. The Hydropolis: A self-acclaimed 10-Star Underwater Hotel

Location: Dubai
Designer: Joachim Hauser, Crescent Hydropolis Resorts
Estimated project cost: $500-million

The Hydropolis Undersea Resort, especially designed keeping in mind that we’re around 60% water, endeavors to deliver the serene beauty of the ocean in its true colors. The one of its kind resort will encompass a whopping 1.1-million-square-foot of area offering shopping mall, ballroom, island villas, restaurant, high-tech cinema and surprisingly, a missile-defense system for your security 60-feet underwater.

Tourists can enjoy their stay in 220 theme suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park.

The resort is designed with a petal-like retracting roof to organize open-sky events.

Around 150 firms are involved in the project, which is expected to complete this year if all technical, land, and financial challenges are met, but it’s delayed as per the latest reports. Following the line and determined of the success of the Hydropolis, Crescent-Hydropolis is now planning a chain of underwater hotels around the world.

4. The Lunatic Hotel: Hotel on the Moon

Designer: Hans-Jurgen Rombaut, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG)
Status: Blueprint ready, will take real shape by 2050

Orbiting in space seems more thrilling but Moon brings in a nostalgic aura. Perhaps, the Lunatic Hotel concept will serve it all with spectacular views sprinkled with joys of low gravity and an alien feeling. Designer Hans-Jurgen Rombaut of the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture in the Netherlands is quite optimistic to complete the dream project by 2050.

The ‘sensation engine’, as the designer calls it, will allow tourists to indulge in low-gravity games with the help of two 160-meters high slanting towers. The towers will be equipped with teardrop-shaped ‘habitation capsules’ which will serve as spaceship like suits for tourists.

The 50-cms thick hull made of Moon rock and layers holding water will protect inhabitants from the harsh lunar environment including extreme temperatures and lethal cosmic rays and solar particles. If the whole concept comes out successful, we can expect a real lunar village too. (Photo Credit: NASA)

3. Aeroscraft: The flying luxury hotel of tomorrow

Designer: Igor Pasternak (Worldwide Aeros Corporation), Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG)
Status: Prototype under development

The ‘Aeroscraft’ is a gigantic 400-ton blimp designed to carry passengers in its spacious luxury cosmos onboard. The flying hotel with an area equal to two football fields hangs in air with 14 million cubic feet of helium, huge electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered propellers and six turbofan jet engines. The hotel can accommodate 250 passengers driving them at a speed of 174 miles per hour up to 6, 000 miles.

Flying 8,000 feet above in the air, the 165×244×647 feet airship will provide tourists hi-tech amenities including casino, restaurants and staterooms.

Designer Igor Pasternak has also plans to float a cargo-carrying version too once the project takes off. (Photo Credit: WATG)

2. Galactic Suite

Designer: Xavier Claramunt of ADD+ARQUITECTURA
Status: On hold, prototype is ready

Designer Xavier Claramunt has tried to imbibe things especially to whet a adventurer’s dream with the Galactic Suite which will have around 22 rooms, measuring 7X4 meters, free of straight lines or angles and huge windows. It is termed as the first global project of its kind, next to Robert Bigelow’s space hotel. Different capsules will act as bars, restaurants, reception, and more.

The prototype is still waiting for investors to shell out their fortunes to make this project a reality.

1. Commercial Space Station Skywalker: The inflatable space hotel

Designer: Bigelow Aerospace, Las Vegas
Location: 515-kms above Earth
Status: The human space complex will be accessible by 2015
Estimated project cost: $500 million
Cost per person: $1 million a night

Certainly, we’ll have to stop this constant to and fro journey and make space our permanent base. And to make this a reality, the assembling of ‘CSS Skywalker’ kicked off with the launch of ‘Genesis I’ from Russia mid last year. Solar cells will power the inhabitable complex made of various sections that will inflate to take their real form in space. The sections or rooms of the CSS will allow rockets to dock. In future, the modules will be used as basis for space yachts and moon cruisers.

With a volume of 1,500.00 m3 and mass of 100,000 kg, the CSS Skywalker will have a maximum diameter of 30.00 m (98.00 ft).

The concept is a big challenge while it tests inflatable technology and fights to survive in hazardous conditions. Hope it’s made to face the wrath of the meteorites, though the hull of each module is made of three protective layers with an outer 18-inch-thick shield made of alternating woven graphite composite and foam to protect against orbital debris. (Photo Credit: CNet)

Watch List: The Diamond Ring Hotel

Location: Abu Dhabi

The Diamond Ring hotel is just a concept right now, but looks to be an amazing resort.  We’ll keep you updated as new information about this hotel becomes available.