Floating establishments, from hotels to museums, are making a splash all around the world
1. 2000
The maximum number of diners that can be accommodated at Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Hong Kong. The iconic 43-year-old venue is decorated in the Chinese imperial style and has attracted famous names from David Bowie to Chow Yun Fat.
2. 850m²
The total size of Fluctuart in Paris. Opened in June 2019, the space is billed as the world’s first floating museum. It’s dedicated to street art, with works from big-name graffiti artists such as Keith Haring, JR and Shepard Fairey. There’s also a bookshop and bar.
3. 19
The number of rooms on guntû, an upscale floating hotel that sails around the Seto Inland Sea. The wood-clad cabins come with floor-to-ceiling windows and there’s a six-seater sushi counter that serves fresh fish caught from the surrounding waters.
4. 32
The number of cows at Rotterdam’s off shore dairy farm Floating Farm. Should the cows tire of the water, they can cross a bridge to a mainland pasture. Their milk is processed into dairy products, while their manure is used to help fertilise the city’s green spaces.
5. 100
The approximate age of the 1920s-era Dutch barge that Word on the Water, a floating bookstore in London, is housed on. Permanently berthed on Regent’s Canal, the 15m boat is filled with both new and used books and hosts talks, readings and other events.
SEE ALSO: By the numbers: Shanghai Yangtze River Estuary Nature Preserve
This article was originally published in the August 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine
