DUTCH ARCHITECT READY FOR FUTURE MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ABANDONED OIL TANKERS Meanwhile, in Amsterdam: As the IMF announces predictions of oil prices as low as $20 to $30 per barrel, architect Chris Collaris is already deep into planning for the conversion of empty oil megatankers into residential and mixed-use spaces. Collaris refers to “an overdose of pretentious iconic buildings” in oil-wealthy Persian Gulf states such as Dubai, and suggests that retrofitted tankers would serve as “a true icon” of today’s economic landscape “into the present and next era”, referencing a hypothetical post-oil future. Check out interior and exterior renderings and plans for the group’s inaugural design: the enormous Black Gold. [Chris Collaris, via CityLab]
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In the bad old days, these were called ‘hulks’, and used to store prisoners until they usually died. My how times have changed.
Unless the quantity demand of petroleum or petroleum products is declining, this probably won’t come to pass. Generally, when prices go down, quantity demand is induced. If production declines occur disproportionately in North America then the balance of trans-oceanic trade may shift back toward favoring tankers.
This is economically pointless. You are using beach side property which is inherently expensive and you are only adding a frame for the structure which is normally only about 7% of the cost of an entire project. Interior mechanicals and buildout would still be a major cost. Not to mention the necessary cleanup from the oil itself.