Alpine Capsule - Go Cabin

Dec 11, 2008

Alpine Capsule..........................(4422.jpg)

A little alien capsule will soon be landing on a mountain in the Italian Alps. As compelling a notion as that is, the shiny bauble pictured above is the brainchild of London designer (and self-confessioned 'evolutionary biologist') Ross Lovegrove, and nothing to do with little green men. The Alpine Capsule has been conceived as the ultimate futuristic compact living unit.

Alpine Capsule..........................(4421.jpg)

Designs for the Capsule, an 8m-wide ball which offers residents a 360-degree view of the world around them, will be unveiled on December 13th in Alta Badia, Italy.

Alpine Capsule..........................(4423.jpg)

Its exterior skin will be coated in a special mirror finish to reflect the surrounding environment, but from the inside everything outside will be visible.

Alpine Capsule..........................(4425.jpg)

The Alpine Capsule will be completely energy independent, using solar photovoltaic cells and vertical wind turbines. The Capsule will be constructed on site at 2100m above sea level at Piz la Ila, and available for overnight stays in 2010. RM

Alpine Capsule..........................(4424.jpg)

Images: Lovegrove Studio

Comments (9)

Posted by: AER | December 11, 2008 07:20 PM

Don't get it. What's inside?

Posted by: ROSHAN | December 11, 2008 07:37 PM

Sorry - I should have explained that part! It's a cabin. As you can hopefully see from the embryonic sci-fi woman pictured last, there's a bed, so you can stay the night in it.

Posted by: AER | December 11, 2008 11:46 PM

I see. Can't tell by the pic. Is there a bathroom inside? Or is it just to place to lay about in? Nothing else?

Posted by: ROSHAN | December 12, 2008 02:14 PM

No info on the toiletry arrangements yet. But if I find out, I'll let you know asap.

Posted by: MASYA | December 13, 2008 08:50 AM

Looking as Turkish Bath. :-)

Posted by: LAUGHINGMOON | December 14, 2008 11:51 AM

I like this alot, very immaginative. Is it static? I could see a whole landscape dotted with these, like droplets of water. How functional is the space inside? Are there lots of hidden compartments? or is it as sparce as it looks? Are they heated? Look forward to seeing more

Posted by: JLR | December 22, 2008 03:44 AM

Hi - this is similar to the Bean (Cloud Gate) in Chicago, USA.

Posted by: ROSHAN | December 22, 2008 01:28 PM

For more info on the bean, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cloud_Gate_(The_Bean)_from_west%27.jpg

Posted by: JOE | March 18, 2009 06:32 PM

Reminds me of the Schrodinger's Cat Box depicted in the Hyperion novels. They were tiny, 100% self-contained living quarters. Only the Schrodinger's box was for prisoners who were given a death sentence. At some random point in time, lethal gas would be released.

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