Oil Rig Resort

By Queuebot in Science & Tech on Feb 18, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Some 4,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are set to be decommissioned during this century.  Instead of blowing them up, which costs milions of dollars and destroys marine life, how about converting them into an American Dubai of offshore luxury hotels?

Morris Architects proposes creating a self-sufficient, eco-friendly high-end resort experience in the Gulf of Mexico. The rooms could be pre-fabricated, designed to be transported out to the rig as a standard cargo container.

Geoff  Manaugh of BLDGBLOG fantasizes about what would happen next.

Image via Morris Architects

“Of course, if the real Dubai is any model for what might actually happen with such a resort, then we’ll probably see dozens of oil rigs partially converted to luxury hotels only to be abandoned by their construction crews and investors. As the lands of southern Louisiana continue to disappear into the Gulf, heavily armed refugees on fishing boats will move out to sea, recolonizing the derelict structures. There will be campfires at night, burning driftwood, and specialty gardens.”
– Geoff Manaugh, BLDGBLOG

Link – via la

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.


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  1. OddNumber
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    Sounds like a crappy place to be during hurricane season…

  2. D-san
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

    Why a luxury Hotel? with the current state of the economy and much better and more accessible rseorts already. I don’t see many takers here. Best to keep it in a niche community, like divers or researchers

  3. LisaL
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    I think it sounds like a pretty interesting idea. Of course they would have to be careful during hurricane season, but other than that, I think it would be pretty darn neat.
    Just make sure to keep it affordable.

  4. Rob
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    I am so in! Where do I sign up?

  5. l'elk!
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

    whats an ocean resort without a beach?

  6. Me two
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    Or you could do what Roy Bates did, and set-up his own country on an abandoned WWII gun emplacement.
    He called it Sealand. What happened over the years is quite a story – from piracy, invasions, passport fraud, to a fire and finally being put up for sale.

  7. birdie1
    Feb 18th, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    it’d never happen. ever. even tropical storms mess up the offshore platforms in the gulf. neat idea, but very unrealistic.

  8. Ray
    Feb 19th, 2009 at 6:17 am

    Sounds like a 1950′s Popular Science idea. Who the hell would want to stay cooped up in a box where you can’t even go outside for a walk?

  9. Polx
    Feb 19th, 2009 at 8:27 am

    I strongly suggest that you read One Fine Day In The Middle OF The Night by Christopher Brookmyre.

    Set on a very down market version of this idea.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Brookmyre

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Fine_Day_in_the_Middle_of_the_Night


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