Designer Paul Priestman has aimed to tackle overcrowding in popular tourist destinations with Viewpoint, a concept for a sightseeing boat where everyone is guaranteed a good view.
Created with his new studio PULI Innovation, which Priestman set up after leaving PriestmanGoode in 2022, Viewpoint features tiered seating similar to an amphitheatre but inverted so that the audience faces outwards rather than in.
Priestman sees the concept vessel operating in cities such as Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong or Sydney ? harbour- or riverside cities where the number of tourists creates congestion around landmarks.
Viewpoint is a concept for a boat with tiered seating
Viewpoint would displace a share of these visitors from the streets and footpaths onto the water. At the same time, it would offer tourists a better experience than current sightseeing boats, which use flat-decked designs that only offer unobstructed views to a lucky few.
"These boats aren't designed for people to see out from," said Priestman. "They're old ferries. They're on a single deck. So one person stands on the outside of the ship and no one can see anything from behind them."
The seating resembles an inverted amphitheatre
He points to the endless stream of boats carrying athletes during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony as an example.
"I thought, this image here is just a classic example of the problem because I just don't think they're designed correctly as sightseeing ships," h...