Influence of Vessels in Architecture: Building Inspired by Ships

Creativity has no boundaries in the field of architecture, and designers frequently find inspiration from everything. Buildings designed to resemble ships are one intriguing architectural fad that has taken off. Not only do these buildings honour the maritime, but they also make audacious statements about creativity and design.

 

Here are some of the examples.

 

Burj Al Arab

 

 

Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by a J-class or a yacht? World-renowned architect Tom Wright was one of those inspired by these unique designs. Architect Tom Wright created the famed Burj Al Arab Hotel, which is situated on a man-made island off the coast of Dubai and is modelled after a J-class yacht.

 

Although non-occupier space makes up 39% of the Burj Al Arab’s overall height, it remains one of the world’s highest hotels. When the building was being built, 2000 workers were employed at its busiest phase, which started in 1994.

 

The Museum of Maritime Science in Tokyo

 

 

The museum looks exactly like a massive ship. It has seagoing exhibits like an icebreaker and a battleship cannon from World War II, and it was modelled after the British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2.

 

Japanese boats, artefacts from the shipping industry, the navy, fishing, sailing, marine leisure, ship design and construction, and the sea and ocean environment around Japan are all on display.

 

IAC Building

 

 

A modern epitome of the interaction between architecture and ships. The billowing spinnaker sail of a racing yacht served as the model for the IAC Building’s architecture.

 

Completed in 2007, the Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building is IAC’s headquarters, situated in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood. The skyscraper, which was Gehry’s first in New York, had the largest HD screen in the world in its foyer at the time.

 

Sydney Opera House

 

 

The Sydney Opera House, a globally recognised landmark, was created by architect Jørn Utzon with soaring, sail-shaped roofs that follow the geometry of a sphere.

 

The largest ‘sail’ in the Opera House is as tall as a 20-story building.

 

National Bank of Dubai 

 

 

The building’s design pays homage to the region’s maritime history. The building’s design was influenced by the curved hulls of the traditional shows that anchored in Dubai Creek. Dhows are commercial vessels that are mostly used for transporting large goods. They typically have long, thin hulls.

 

The structure is located along Dubai Creek in the historic downtown area of Dubai. Constructed in 1998, the National Bank of Dubai, standing at 125 metres high, is the tallest structure in Deira and ranked fifth overall.

 

Canada Place

 

 

 Canada Place, a convention centre and hotel with a sailboat-inspired peaked fabric roof reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House, is located on Vancouver, British Columbia’s waterfront.

 

A landmark in Vancouver is the Teflon fabric roof reinforced with fibreglass. With its undulating ridges, it resembles a sail and extends 180 feet diagonally over the exhibition areas. The intricate craftsmanship throughout the entire complex reflects this nautical theme. Its ship-like shape juts into the water and a sequence of terraces outside provides a striking vista of Stanley Park and the mountains.

 

Milwaukee Art Museum

 

 

One of the biggest art museums in the United States is the Milwaukee Art Museum, which is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan.

 

The building’s design and style are derived from Gothic architecture, and it’s intended to resemble a ship gazing out over Lake Michigan. Santiago Calatrava, the building’s designer, says that the structure’s form is symbolic (opening to greet guests), utilitarian (regulating the amount of light), formal (completing the composition), and iconic (producing a memorable picture for the Museum and the city)

 

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

 

 

This museum in California is also shaped like a boat, though it is a little smaller than the one in Tokyo. With some of the best views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, the museum is free to enter.

 

Hyde Street Pier is home to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park’s historic fleet. A fleet of vintage ships, a visitor centre, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility are all part of the park. The ships in the fleet are 19th-century models.

 

Kobe Maritime Museum

 

 

Located in Meriken Park, Kobe, the Kobe Maritime Museum is a contemporary museum devoted to the city’s maritime past.

 

To mark the 120th anniversary of Kobe’s establishment as a foreign treaty port in 1868, marking the end of Japan’s Edo Period, the Kobe Maritime Museum opened its doors in 1987. The museum’s outside architecture is intended to resemble a sailing ship’s sails and rigging.

 

Defence Ship House

 

 

One of Abuja, Nigeria’s most important landmarks is the Defence Ship House. This structure is white and has an amazing design that makes it look like a ship that was built in 1975. It’s a multi-windowed, intricate reinforced concrete construction.

 

It’s interesting to note that the Nigerian Ministry of Defence is housed here and handles administrative and support functions for the armed forces. carried gear and kept an army that was extremely proficient, adaptable, and professional. Two meeting rooms, a small movie theatre, and several offices are spread across the building’s six stories.

 

St. Theresa’s Church in Thrissur

 

 

St. Theresa’s Ship Church is a one-of-a-kind attraction because of its exquisite ship model, which shows the church sailing in the nearby water stream, home to lovely fish and blooming flowers.

 

This imposing church, which is situated in Eravu, about 12 km west of Thrissur town, has drawn pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. This Thrissur-based Syro-Malabar Archdiocese’s catholic parish church, which serves three esteemed educational institutions, is home to about 850 families organised into seventeen family groups.

 

Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht

 

 

It is a hotel resort on South Korea’s east coast, Jeongdongjin. With 165 metres in length and 45 metres in height, the hotel is shaped like a cruise ship, specifically the Royal Caribbean International Sovereign class, and it faces the beach resort.

 

The hotel, which was constructed on a sizable cliff, provides a view of the ocean and appears to have been the scene of a cruise ship going aground.

 

A building with a similar cruise ship concept, the Titanic Hotel, was built in Turkey in 2003.

 

The Whompoa in Whompoa Garden

 

 

In Hong Kong, Whampoa Garden is a well-known neighbourhood for middle-class homes.

 

Phase 6 includes the 110-meter-long Whampoa boat-shaped shopping mall, which was constructed in the former No. 1 Dry Dock. In the 1980s and 90s, the building was home to an indoor family theme park, a department store called Yaohan, a cinema on floors above ground, a playground on the top and ‘deck’ level and seafood restaurants.

 

Klimahaus Bremerhaven

 

 

The first museum in the world dedicated to climate change is the Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost in Germany. The famous structure was designed by Thomas Klumpp.

 

It has a boat-like form. The 125-meter-long and 82-meter-wide structure is made up of two distinct sections. Shipbuilding components equalise with the 1200t heavy steel construction. This “Klimahause” structure offers a distinctive experience.

 

Other Buildings Influenced by Ships

 

There are many ship-inspired housing projects in different parts of the world.

 

Mersin, Türkiye

 

 

Berat, Albania

 

 

 

Derrynane Beach, Ireland

 

 

Lisbon, Portugal

 

 

Florida, USA

 

 

 

 

 Denver, USA