AHEAD

Fuelling the Future

As Radical Innovation prepares to announce its 2022 winners, the annual design competition looks back at the travel and hospitality concepts introduced through its platform.

Over the past 15 years, Radical Innovation has seen a variety of inventive concepts, from personal drone vehicles to hotels in space. At times, some may have seemed wildly futuristic or entirely inconceivable, but as technology advances and the pace of change accelerates, working prototypes are proof that the future is closer than we think.

Launched in 2009 by The Hardy Group, Radical Innovation was established as a global platform for change, challenging creative thinkers to envisage the future of travel and hospitality. With a focus on elevating the guest experience, the annual competition calls for professionals and students to submit their concepts to a jury of experts, who review entries based on originality and feasibility. Select finalists are then invited to present their concepts in front of industry leaders and investors during a live event in New York, with the eventual winner decided by vote.

The scheme has brought several fresh ideas to the fore, some are pre-cursors to current trends, others have developed into fully operational models. In 2009 for example, Pixel Hotel caught the eye of the jury for its home-rental scheme, which saw existing real estate leased to travellers. This was presented six years before Airbnb hit the mainstream. And take Zoku, the home-office hybrid hotel that took the grand prize in 2015; the venture now has properties in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Vienna, and a forthcoming opening in Paris.

“Radical Innovation has been discovering and spotlighting visionaries,” explains John Hardy, founder of Radical Innovation and Chairman and founder of The Hardy Group. “Many of the entries that we review represent major industry trends way ahead of their time, and years before they are introduced to the marketplace, some before they even seem feasible.”

The competition also serves to connect design visionaries to industry decision-makers, uniting creative thinking and business acumen with the aim of advancing travel and hospitality. Industry leaders nurture, make introductions, award cash prizes and connect students to scholarship opportunities – the ultimate goal being to bring the concepts to fruition.

In all, Radical Innovation has received submissions from more than 55 countries, from firms such as HOK, Arno Matis Architecture, Indidesign, Cooper Carry, Populous and more. Winners of the 2022 scheme will be announced in October, but in the meantime, The Hardy Group take a look back at just a few of its entries and their impact.

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1. AUTONOMOUS TRAVEL SUITE Submitted in 2018 by Steve Lee of Aprilli Design Studio

Imagine being able to work, watch TV or sleep while on the road? This is exactly what the Autonomous Travel Suite proposed in 2018, a submission that has prompted new concepts from a number of automobile manufacturers. Integrating hospitality and transportation through a driverless unit, the mobile suite accommodates up to five people and is equipped with a sleeping area, bathroom facilities and a lounge for working or entertaining. Scheduled online via an app, the vehicle offers door-to-door travel and can be docked at parent facility where it extends into a larger suite. 2. POSEIDON UNDERSEA RESORT Submitted in 2007 by Jean-Claude Carmer

Poseidon Undersea Resort was presented to Radical Innovation in 2007 as the world’s first underwater hotel. Located 40ft below the surface in a lagoon in Fiji, the acrylic glass structure housed 51 suites as well as restaurants, bar, a fitness centre and spa. “15 years ago, Poseidon was a great example of eco-tourism, social responsibility and ESG long before it became an important business initiative,” says Hardy. “Guests would experience a beautiful natural environment and contribute financially through their hotel fees to replenish the ocean reefs that are suffering as a result of climate change and ocean pollution.” 3. THE WIND TOWER Submitted in 2008 by John Naranjo of MRA Design in partnership with Richard Moreta

Designed to be more energy-efficient than a conventional hotel building, The Wind Tower is an architectural habitation where people exist in harmony with the natural environment. Featuring a photovoltaic exterior and making use of biofuel, recycled water and wind energy, the concept offers a blueprint for sustainable architecture. “This submission came to Radical years ahead of its time,” comments Hardy. “The Wind Tower is the first example, we are aware of, in which the sustainability components of the structure are integral to the basic design concept rather than add-on features. If this could be accomplished, it would open an entirely new world of opportunities to expand design and sustainability.”

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4. GAME HOTEL Submitted in 2021 by Adelina Abdullina of Kazan State University of Architecture & Engineering, Russia

Game Hotel, Radical Innovation’s 2021 winner in the student category, was the precursor to the recent spate of hotels in the metaverse, according to The Hardy Group. Through virtual and augmented reality, the concept transports guests to a digital universe, where they can interact and play games with other visitors. “Last year when Adelina submitted her futuristic hotel to Radical Innovation, the concept was unheard of,” notes Hardy. “Today, well known hospitality brands such as CitizenM and M Social are building pixel hotels for avatars to visit in the metaverse.” 5. SPACE VIEW INN Submitted in 2016 by Juan Orduz of University of Nevada, Las Vegas

With existing space vehicles compact in size and equipped only with the essentials, Space View Inn proposes using an expanded truss system to support and add boundaries to a main spherical volume, allowing guests to experience incredible views as well as microgravity. Since this Radical Innovation submission, a number of other concepts have been announced, some expected to launch as early as 2025. “We learned a valuable lesson with this submission,” explains Hardy. “Just because a concept does not yet exist and seems very far off, we should keep an open mind. This is a great example of believing in the future.” 6. MORPHOTEL Submitted in 2012 by student Gianluca Santosuosso, now with Uoou Studio

A floating resort designed for exploring unchartered ocean territories, Morphotel is based around a vertebral spine, approximately 1km in length, that can adapt its shape and form according to the weather conditions and surroundings. The ecosystem, comprising interconnected capsules for accommodation and recreational facilities, move together at a pace slower than the average velocity of a boat, floating with the ocean currents. “Over the past few years, floating hotels have been introduced in various worldly locations,” says Hardy. “The functioning hotels began small in size, and we are confident that this is the start of a much larger chain, such as the Morphotel.”

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