French naval architect Jean-Michel Duacancelle was inspired to create Anthénea after watching the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. The floating dwelling certainly looks like the kind of place that a Bond villain would choose to live in and has some nice features including an underwater window and solar power.
Bringing to mind the UFO 2.0, the Anthénea was originally envisioned as a hotel or spa, but can also be outfitted for use as a home.
The model shown measures 50 sq m (538 sq ft). It’s accessed by a raising hatch door and visitors find a living area on the ground floor that has a sofa, a minibar, and a window offering views of the sea life below.
Elsewhere on the ground floor is a circular bed and a bathroom which includes two sinks and a bathtub. Stairs lead up to a “relaxation area” that seats up to a dozen people on a circular sofa.
We’ve no word on the insulation that’s installed in the Anthénea’s fiberglass shell, though its creator says that it can handle an impressive temperature range of -30° C to 40° C (-22° F to 104° F), so should be up to scratch. Additionally, it includes a solar panel system for all electricity needs.
Optional extras include a desalination system that turns seawater into drinking water, a wood-burning stove, air-conditioning, and a generator for backup power. If the Anthénea is to be used as a hotel, it’s towed into position, with optional thrusters for maneuvering, but if it’s going to be used as a home, it’s fitted with electric thrusters that provide a rather sedate maximum speed of 5 knots (5.5 mph/9.26 km/h) as standard.
The recently-completed Anthénea model pictured is currently located in Brittany, France, and is on the market for US$535,000.
Floating off-grid home looks fit for a Bond villain [New Atlas]