Europe's own Windy City - literally

Turbine City

Wind turbines are continuously growing in size to keep up with our insatiable appetite for renewable energy, but could they eventually grow so big that we could live within them?

That's the dream of architecture company On Office, who are hoping the tourism and energy industries can be combined to form a "Turbine City". Their brainchild houses a posh hotel, swanky spa and "culturally-stimulating" museum right inside the base of a towering wind turbine.

Located in Stavanger, Norway, Turbine City would be designed to attract tourists, sailors, offshore oil-workers and cruise ships to the area, where people would be able to experience first hand the advantages and the spectacle of turbines and hopefully increasing awareness and support for the fight against climate change.

Attracting wind investment

Norway possible has the best conditions on the planet for utilising offshore wind power. It has the longest and the windiest coastline in Europe but as yet has failed to attract much wind turbine investment. This means there is plenty of room to truly take advantage of Norway's wind potential and thanks to the oil industry the country has plenty of experience in offshore operations as well as a healthy investment capital.

Often dismissed as unappealing eye sores, the development could transform the image of wind turbines and the renewable energy sector in general. The development would also be self-sustaining with just 1MW from a 8MW turbine being enough to power the entire facility.

The EU commission has committed to getting 20 percent of its total energy consumption from renewable sources by the year 2020, and Norway alone has the capacity to surpass this goal and become one of the world's biggest exported of renewable energy.

Alleviating fears

Although just an idea at this stage, On Office truly believe it as achievable. They will have to go some way to alleviate fears over the prospect of living within something notorious for being very loud, and whether such a huge investment would be worth it when wind turbines have been accused of limited efficiency (critics believe the energy they produce is just a fraction of what passes around its blades).

If renewable energy is to become such a huge part of people's future then it makes perfect sense to try and integrate the technology into everyday life beyond driving past the odd wind farm on your way to a holiday destination. Soon, the turbine could be your holiday destination.

The humble windmill has come an awful long way.

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Clean energy supergrid coming to Europe | Samso: The energy self-sufficient island | Copenhagen: The footprint

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