Four Dutch designers?Chris Collaris, Ruben Esser, Sander Bakker and Patrick van der Gronde?have envisioned a sustainable design of re-use for a discarded oil tanker in the Southern Gulf Region, which they have entitled The Black Gold. They believe that the oil tanker is the "perfect icon" for representing "the geographic, economic and cultural history of the Arabic oil states" ? an icon which they predict will become more and more obsolete as the supply of crude oil is moved away from shipping and into pipe infrastructure.

© Chris Collaris Design, Ruben Esser, Sander Bakker and Patrick van der Gronde / MISS3

Four Dutch designers?Chris Collaris, Ruben Esser, Sander Bakker and Patrick van der Gronde?have envisioned a sustainable design of re-use for a discarded oil tanker in the Southern Gulf Region, which they have entitled The Black Gold. They believe that the oil tanker is the "perfect icon" for representing "the geographic, economic and cultural history of the Arabic oil states" ? an icon which they predict will become more and more obsolete as the supply of crude oil is moved away from shipping and into pipe infrastructure.
Section. Image © Chris Collaris Design, Ruben Esser, Sander Bakker and Patrick van der Gronde / MISS3

"The unprecedented rosy financial prospects of the Arab states in the Southern Gulf region has led to an incredible amount of new buildings with iconic pretensions. Multi...