I was captivated when I read about the world’s largest cruise ship and how it has a horticulturist on staff. With close to 100 plants species on board, this novel idea is taking gardening to the next level. Though I have yet to experience this park for myself, the images from Royal Caribbean’s website show a very manicured, well designed oasis on this 16 deck beast.
"Central Park" on the Allure Cruise Ship
"Central Park" at Night
The funny thing about this floating garden on the Allure cruise ship is that it has a lot of similarities to courtyard gardens built in New York City. The 505 development right here in Hell’s Kitchen has a comparable courtyard completely surrounded by buildings with balconies facing the garden. The important thing to consider in a courtyard design like this is to develop a sense of height within the structure of the landscape. Pergolas, trellises, fencing and other features (both evident in the Allure Cruise Ship and The 505) help stretch the garden vertically so you don’t have the feeling of being enclosed in a canyon.
The Modern Courtyard of the 505 in Hell's Kitchen
Read the fascinating article in the NYT by Toni Schlesinger: http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/travel/13allure.html
Check out more pictures of the Allure cruise ship: http://www.allureoftheseas.com/image.php?ship=allure
Visit the 505 condo website for more images of this new Hell’s Kitchen residence: http://the505hk.com/
