From a caterpillar into a butterfly! Incredible plans are unveiled to turn old post office into self-powered solar hotel with rooftop wind turbines, fruit orchards and a 'chrysalis' dome

  • The giant dome, which sits atop the roof, has the potential to create over 70,000 kWh of energy a year
  • This is 18 times more than the average household uses in the UK, according to architect Vincent Callebaut
  • The project titled 'Metamorphosis of the Hotel des Postes' is intended to transform an old post office

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An architect has unveiled plans for a spectacular new eco-friendly hotel featuring a chrysalis 'solar dome' that is designed to create enough energy to power the entire building.

The giant dome, which sits atop the roof and extends down into the building itself, has the potential to create over 70,000 kWh of energy a year which is 18 times more than the average household uses in the UK.

The project titled 'Metamorphosis of the Hotel des Postes' is intended to transform the old post office and hotel in Luxembourg City into a modern, self-sufficient, building, which will also be used for office space. 

The dome forms a glass chrysalis structure that will have six floors including an exit to the sky garden - equipped with vegetable patches and organic fruit orchards.  

An architect has unveiled plans for a spectacular new eco-friendly hotel featuring a glass 'solar dome' that is designed to create enough energy to power the entire building

An architect has unveiled plans for a spectacular new eco-friendly hotel featuring a glass 'solar dome' that is designed to create enough energy to power the entire building

The done has a surface area of 800 metres squared and extends into the building. 

The hotel, which will include bars, restaurants and a 360-degree viewing platform, will also be connected to 20 rooftop wind turbines to increase the renewable energy intake by 15,000 kWh a year.  

The incredible designs were created by award-winning architect Vincent Callebaut, who was asked to come up with plans to redesign the hotel which was built in 1908.

Mr Callebaut, who is based in Paris, said: 'Metamorphosing is turning the caterpillar into a butterfly.

'It is not about starting again from scratch, it is about integrating the best of every era into our future, judging which elements of the past will form the basis of the future.

'Taking a stand for a mixed history, having audacity for others, the architect's role goes far beyond conservation or restoration.'

It is not known if – or when – his designs will materialise.  

Pictured is Hotel des Postes in Luxembourg at the moment. Incredible plans have been unveiled to turn the old post office into a solar- powered hotel

Pictured is Hotel des Postes in Luxembourg at the moment. Incredible plans have been unveiled to turn the old post office into a solar- powered hotel

The giant dome, which sits atop the roof and extends down into the building itself, has the potential to create over 70,000 kWh of energy a year which is 18 times more than the average household uses in the UK

The giant dome, which sits atop the roof and extends down into the building itself, has the potential to create over 70,000 kWh of energy a year which is 18 times more than the average household uses in the UK

The project titled 'Metamorphosis of the Hotel des Postes' is intended to transform the old post office and hotel in Luxembourg City into a modern, self-sufficient, building, which will also be used for office space

The project titled 'Metamorphosis of the Hotel des Postes' is intended to transform the old post office and hotel in Luxembourg City into a modern, self-sufficient, building, which will also be used for office space

The hotel, which will include bars, restaurants and a 360-degree viewing platform, will also be connected to 20 rooftop wind turbines to increase the renewable energy intake by 15,000 kWh a year

The hotel, which will include bars, restaurants and a 360-degree viewing platform, will also be connected to 20 rooftop wind turbines to increase the renewable energy intake by 15,000 kWh a year

The done has a surface area of 800 metres squared and extends into the building. It forms a glass chrysalis structure that will have six floors including an exit to the sky garden - equipped with vegetable patches and organic fruit orchards

The done has a surface area of 800 metres squared and extends into the building. It forms a glass chrysalis structure that will have six floors including an exit to the sky garden - equipped with vegetable patches and organic fruit orchards

'Our goal is to reveal the intrinsic heritage qualities of the building and highlight them with contemporary architecture that assumes its era', he said. 

'Our energy objective is a consumption of conventional energy at as close to zero as possible.'

Last year Mr Callebaut unveiled plans for a spectacular, new, eco-friendly resort in the Philippines with shell-shaped hotels and rotating apartment towers.

The Hotel des Postes was built between 1908 and 1910. Pictured is an image of the building when it was first constructed

The Hotel des Postes was built between 1908 and 1910. Pictured is an image of the building when it was first constructed

The incredible designs were created by award-winning architect Vincent Callebaut, who was asked to come up with plans to redesign the hotel which was built in 1908

The incredible designs were created by award-winning architect Vincent Callebaut, who was asked to come up with plans to redesign the hotel which was built in 1908

Mr Callebaut, who is based in Paris, said: 'Metamorphosing is turning the caterpillar into a butterfly'

Mr Callebaut, who is based in Paris, said: 'Metamorphosing is turning the caterpillar into a butterfly'

'Taking a stand for a mixed history, having audacity for others, the architect's role goes far beyond conservation or restoration', he said 

'Taking a stand for a mixed history, having audacity for others, the architect's role goes far beyond conservation or restoration', he said 

The spiral layout of the stunning Nautilus Eco-Resort follows the Fibonacci sequence, employed by architects as a 'golden ratio' to create visually appealing designs.

Over 500 guests will be able to stay at the resort at a time, and their accommodation will be entirely built from reused or recycled materials from the islands.

And, amazingly, some visitors can expect uninterrupted rays throughout the day as the towers rotate to follow the course of the sun.

Impressively, the hotel buildings will also rise and fall as they rotate around a central coil and some of the rooms, if unused, will even disappear underground. 

'It is not about starting again from scratch, it is about integrating the best of every era into our future, judging which elements of the past will form the basis of the future', he said

'It is not about starting again from scratch, it is about integrating the best of every era into our future, judging which elements of the past will form the basis of the future', he said

'Our goal is to reveal the intrinsic heritage qualities of the building and highlight them with contemporary architecture that assumes its era', he said

'Our goal is to reveal the intrinsic heritage qualities of the building and highlight them with contemporary architecture that assumes its era', he said

Last year Mr Callebaut unveiled plans for a spectacular, new, eco-friendly resort in the Philippines with shell-shaped hotels and rotating apartment towers

Last year Mr Callebaut unveiled plans for a spectacular, new, eco-friendly resort in the Philippines with shell-shaped hotels and rotating apartment towers

 

 

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