The Heart of Europe’s Floating Seahorse Villas and New Signature Edition
They just keep building the wildest stuff in Dubai. By now you may be familiar with the The World in Dubai, a global landmark made up of 300 islands reclaimed from the sea in the shape of the world map that is home to an iconic collection of private and resort islands. Within The World lies The Heart of Europe, a cluster of six islands designed to emulate Europe. And within that you’ll find the The Floating Seahorse Villas, three-level luxury houseboats whose lowest levels are submerged underwater.
Floating Seahorse Villas
A butler welcomes the press to a prototype of The Floating Seahorse. photo by Nick Hannes from a documentary on leisure and tourism in Dubai.
The Heart of Europe in Dubai is made up of six islands: Main Europe, The Floating Venice, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and St. Petersburg located 20 minutes from the coast of Dubai. The islands span six million square feet and will be able to accommodate up to 16,000 people at any one time. All six islands will be connected via bridges and will be accessible by boat, seaplane and helicopter. There will be no traditional fuel vehicles permitted on the islands to create the perfect island experience.
The Heart of Europe masterplan
The cluster of six islands is owned by Kleindienst Group on The World project and was conceived to capture the authentic artistic and cultural treasures of European towns. The Heart of Europe is also home to The Floating Seahorse, the world’s first luxury underwater living experience with a view of the Arabian Gulf, the world’s largest natural aquarium.
The following are actual photos, as opposed to the computer generated renderings largely shared on the web, of the Floating Seahorse.
The Floating Seahorse is a truly unique underwater product which is the first of its kind in the world. It is an exclusive marine style retreat (essentially a boat without propulsion) which has its own plot in the Arabian Gulf.
Each individual Floating Seahorse boasts three levels, one underwater, one at sea level and an upper deck. (cgi image)A model of the Floating Seahorse
The Underwater Level:
The master bedroom and bathroom are totally submerged underwater and command breathtaking views of the surrounding coral reef and marine life.
The Sea Level:
The sea level accommodation boasts floor to ceiling windows, uninterrupted sea views, a fully-fitted kitchen with a dining area and an open plan living area. When the glass façade opens the sun deck becomes an extension of the living space.
Bent wood and glass staircase within the Floating Seahorse:
The Upper Deck Level:
The upper deck is the perfect place for alfresco dining and relaxation and features an informal bedroom, a mini bar, a kitchenette and a beautiful glass-bottomed Jacuzzi.
The deck can be converted into a winter bedroom which can be enclosed with retractable drapes.
computer-generated image
“Throughout my life I have always been passionate about bringing visions to life; from Lego and cardboard castles as a young child to exclusive hospitality and residential projects around the world.
Senior Architect Marco Bolzoni for The Heart of Europe project on the Floating Seahorse.
This passion has brought me to one project I am most proud of; The Floating Seahorse. This allows people for the first time, to live in luxury both above and below the water.” – Marco Bolzoni, Senior Architect, The Heart of Europe project
Following the overwhelming success of the world’s first Floating Seahorse since its official unveiling in early 2015, Kleindienst, the developer of The Floating Seahorse, has announced the launch of The Signature Edition, a new icon now in the making in the UAE. The following images are computer renderings, not actual photographs.
Inspired by the very best of Emirati culture and lifestyle and leading European designs, The Signature Edition of The Floating Seahorse has been developed especially for families with guests, groups and children of all ages.
Offering four flexi living / sleeping areas, The Signature Edition accommodates up to eight adults and eight children and provides excellent versatility whereby each level can be adapted to suit individual needs as and when required.
Each unit can also be customized to ensure the ultimate in privacy by fully enclosing the outdoor areas on the sea level and upper level. When not enclosed, these outdoor areas can be used for alfresco entertaining all-year-round thanks to the introduction of climate controlled technology and innovation.
Each Signature Edition Floating Seahorse spans an impressive 4,004 square feet across three levels and will be home to unique special features, state-of-the-art technology and smart home automation.
The eight main rooms include a Sky Majlis and Sky Bedroom on the upper level and a Sea Family Room and Sea Bedroom on the sea level. The totally submerged level features an Underwater Ladies Room and Master Bedroom, A Coral Entertainment Room and a Coral Guest Bedroom. During the daytime all rooms can be used to serve various purposes and by night, they can be transformed into luxury sleeping accommodation.
The spectacular underwater level will boast two totally submerged en-suite underwater bedrooms with a breathtaking view to the surrounding coral garden and marine life from the master bedroom. The living areas in the underwater level alone will span 861 square feet and the coral garden will exceed 600 square feet in size.
What’s more, The Signature Edition gives owners the opportunity to personalize their Floating Seahorse with their own individual signature style and taste. Inspired by the true meaning of a signature, each Floating Seahorse will be bespoke and distinctive.
You can select from a variety of different premium quality finishes ranging from flooring and kitchens to bathrooms. Even the interior design and soft-furnishings can be customized to float your boat. Owners are invited to sit with Kleindienst’s team of expert interior designers to create their dream marine style retreat.
Designed, engineered and built in the UAE, 40 Signature Edition Floating Seahorses are now under production and are currently priced at AED 12 million ($3.25 Million USD). Phases I and II have already sold out. The Signature Edition of The Floating Seahorse will be an idyllic and exclusive holiday retreat for UAE residents and international tourists.
CEO of Kleindienst Group, Josef Kleindienst adds “Many months of research, design and planning have gone into The Floating Seahorse and we are excited to be able to officially launch and build it in Dubai. We are confident that it will set a new benchmark in the luxury lifestyle market worldwide for outstanding innovation, contemporary design and underwater living at its best.”
