Renderings of an oceanic destination resort that makes use of one of the thousands of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been making the rounds in the green blogosphere for the last couple days. The design concept, Oil Rig Resort, Spa, and Aquatic Adventure, by Houston-based Morris Architects won the grand prize ($10,000 smackers) at the second annual Radical Innovations in Hospitality design competition. I think the vision is quite stunning even though I gather you’d need a series pair of sea legs to survive a visit. I also can't help but think of one of cinema's all-time great stinkers, Waterworld, going the Vegas (or Dubai) route. 

Not only does the resort make use of an abandoned oil rig (talk about creative reuse!) but it also generates its own renewable energy via vertical axis wind turbines, wave energy generators, and geothermal heat pumps. Individual guest room modules will be prefabricated off-site and transported to to the building site via container ship. The Rig Resort will feature a casino, shopping, dining, glass-floored “reef lobby”, and, of course, nautical activities like boating, snorkeling, and diving. The resort will be able to accommodate business meetings and conferences and will also serve as a featured pit stop for cruise ships en route to Mexico, the Caribbean, and elsewhere.