Aesthetically pleasing, yet multifunctional by design, Paul Priestman presents his vision of the Cove
By
Guest |
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors.
One of the best things about travelling is immersing yourself in the local culture: sitting in a café by the harbour, people watching, observing fishermen as they bring in the catch of the day and visiting local craftmakers’ studios. As designers, we’ve always put culture at the heart of our designs and believe they should reflect a sense of place.
The Cove is designed as a flexible space that turns the stern of the ship into an event in itself, enabling passengers to observe the comings and goings of the ship. Importantly, it enables local communities to create temporary spaces, cafes, restaurants, performances, carnivals and concerts at the stern. This creates a dialogue between ship and harbour, and allows cruise operators to contribute to the local economy, thus countering one of the industry’s biggest criticisms.
The Cove can change with every port. Just imagine: a Spanish street food fiesta one day, a Moroccan souk the next. At sea, the Cove becomes a tiered town square with Spanish steps overlooking restaurants and a performance space. Balconies look out over the stern, offering passengers a great view and atmosphere. Salt water swimming pools allow passengers to swim safely. Pop up cafes or gelato shops are set up and run by local restaurateurs. Local fishermen come to the ship every morning, allowing passengers to pick their produce and have it grilled on site. Local craftsmen and artists set up stalls to sell their wares, all creating a lively seaside town atmosphere onboard the ship.
When the ship is moored at harbour, the Cove can be used as a grand welcoming entrance for boarding and disembarking passengers. Currently on cruise ships, this process is more akin to arriving and departing through the back door, through a small hole in the side of the ship along snaking industrial walkways.
The Cove also transforms the experience of shore excursions. Rather than being herded onto the lower deck, queuing and being ferried to shore on orange lifeboats, passengers can take local boat taxis from the Cove, creating a much more pleasant holiday experience.
The benefits of the Cove for passengers are abundant, not least for those that are less mobile and may not be able to make it to shore. Importantly for cruise operators, its multifunctional use also means that you no longer need to have a theatre elsewhere on the ship. The design is made possible by the development of isopod propulsion units. It also allows for watertight bulkheads that wrap around two decks above the waterline when the stern door is open. Provision can also be made to include a security feature on the Spanish steps that allows local suppliers to access the Cove only, and not the rest of the ship.
The Cove offers huge potential for the cruise industry. Not only does the flexible design allow operators to tailor the space to their own needs, but in an age where consumers are increasingly seeking boutique style experiences reflective of local culture, it allows operators to sell a unique offer to their customers while supporting and contributing to local economies.