Michael Young designs electric boat concept to replace Hong Kong ferries
Micheal Young is using this quieter time to plan for a more sustainable future
Like many others, the Hong Kong-based designer Michael Young ‘wanted to put out some positive energy during a period where there is very little optimism.' One of the early feel-good stories to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic was a report of clear waters in Venice, suddenly silt-free in the absence of churning vaporettos and water taxis, allowing fish and fowl to return and flourish. Young's solution is an attempt to capture a bit of this inadvertent calm and preserve it for the future. The OseaD1 is an electric concept boat, a hypothetical craft to ferry passengers between Hong Kong Island and Herzog and de Meuron's new M+ Museum, one of the core attractions in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
‘I did the boat to create waves and show that we can still create when the world is so unstable,' the designer says, pointing out that ‘a lot of boat design is stuck in the 80s.' The OseaD1 is friendly, curvaceous and quite unlike the thrusting forms of modern maritime design. Recycled polythene and steel are the principal materials. ‘We want to support environmentally-friendly transport where it's needed most,' Young says, ‘and we're using this quiet time to get ahead.'
While Hong Kong's own boat industry is dwindling to nothing, manufacturing is obviously a Chinese strength. The oval form of the tourist ferry could easily be up or downscaled, from anything to a personal craft or a more capacious taxi boat. ‘I'd like to design luxury boats, of course, but we decided to offer commercial solutions for the time being,' he says. The proposed propulsion system would give the little OseaD1 the flexibility and manoeuvrability of a modern tugboat, with hydraulic stabilisers for a smooth ride.
Electric boats are barely represented in Hong Kong's waters at the moment, but the tide is turning and new legislation will encourage a far greater take up of electrified watercraft. Young and his studio envisage a role for this kind of compact, near-silent boat in the Hong Kong of the future, with a walk-on, walk-off design and docking points that double as charging stations. As well as cleaning up the Bay, electric propulsion is also low maintenance. However, the studio notes that just 2 per cent of boat are currently electric or hybrid, and with shipping emitting about 2.2 per cent of all human-made CO2 every year. By focusing on a particular niche at this very peculiar time, Young is hoping that bold new approaches will be spurred on by the shutdown.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws
Architectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
How to buy art: the accessible new market
Thanks to a growing pool of art advisers, digital intelligence and collector groups, buyers are better equipped than ever
By Annabel Keenan Published
-
The coolest design-led coffee shops in Seoul
Seoul counts more coffee shops per capita than any other city in the world – cut straight to our six must-visit spots
By Robert Schneider Published
-
Could this Swiss start-up shape a new approach to city travel?
KOMMA presents its Urban Mobility Vehicle proposal as a new bid for sustainable urban travel
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Is this the future of connected urban transport?
The Zbee is a highly-connected, shared urban transport pod
By Nargess Banks Last updated
-
Vélosophy refuses to reinvent the wheel with the best of basic biking
There's nothing newfangled about the look of these timeless Swedish bikes – and that's exactly why we love them
By Luke Halls Last updated
-
Bentley EXP 100 GT imagines driving in the year 2035
By Nargess Banks Last updated
-
Scandinavia’s new sustainable stations recharge mind, body and electric cars
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Electric boat builder X Shore takes sustainability onboard
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Mizzi Studio envisions a contemporary take on Malta’s recently retired art deco bus
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Biomega SIN electric concept car wins Wallpaper* Design Award
By Gabriele Dellisanti Last updated