Visitors to London's South Bank could soon be left feeling all at sea, for a bizarre new hotel - shaped like a boat - is to be placed on top of the Queen Elizabeth Concert hall peering out over the River Thames.
The nautical building, due to be hoisted into position in December, will be equipped with a mast and look-out station.
The designers of the building, called A Room for London are architect David Kohn and artist Fiona Banner who said they set out to create something "playful, beguiling and thought-provoking."
The hotel, which is expected to be massively popular during next year's Olympic Games, will have panoramic windows and an upper viewing deck affording some of the most spectacular views of the capital.
Inside it will be fitted-out using real timber and the designers promise it will be full of "nooks and crannies" for guests to explore
The design was chosen from 500 entries in a competition set up by cultural organizations Living Architecture, and Artangel.
A spokesman for the architects said:"The idea evolved from narratives of travel and literary allusion, in particular Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness".
To compliment the literary theme there will be a well stocked library containing books about London by authors such as William Thackery, Henry Mayhew and Iain Sinclair.
Tickets for night stays during the first half of 2012 will be available from next month and tickets for the rest of the year, covering the Olympics, will go on sale in January.


据英国《每日邮报》8月21日报道，不久，参观伦敦南岸公园的游客可能就会对眼前的景象迷惑不解，因为一家新的奇异船型旅馆将会立于伊丽莎白女王音乐厅之上，鸟瞰泰晤士河。

预计这个装有桅杆和瞭望台的海上建筑物将于12月被架上音乐厅屋顶。


这个名为"伦敦之屋"的建筑物是由建筑师大卫•科恩和艺术家菲奥娜•班纳共同设计的。他们的初衷便是创造出"充满乐趣、令人陶醉、引人深思"的东西。

这家旅馆有望在明年奥运会上大受欢迎，全景窗户和高处的观景台将把伦敦最为壮观的一些景色展现（在旅客眼前）。


旅馆内部将以实木作为装饰材料，设计者们承诺，这里到处都是"角落和缝隙"，客人们可（自由）探索。

共有500份作品参与了文化机构"人居建筑"和"艺术天使"主办的比赛，而该设计则从中脱颖而出。

建筑师发言人说："这个创意取自旅行故事和文学典故，尤其是约瑟夫•康拉德的小说--《黑暗之心》。"

为了迎合这一文学主题，旅馆内将存放大量涉及伦敦的书籍，其中包括威廉•萨克雷、亨利•梅休和伊恩•辛克莱尔等作家（的文学作品）。


2012年上半年的旅馆夜宿门票将会在下个月开始发售，而下半年，包括奥运会期间的门票，将于明年1月份开始出售。

• banner [´bænə] n.旗(帜)；头号标题 (初中英语单词)
• timber [´timbə] n.木材；木料；横梁 (初中英语单词)
• competition [,kɔmpi´tiʃən] n.比赛；竞争 (初中英语单词)
• cultural [´kʌltʃərəl] a.文化(上)的；教养的 (初中英语单词)
• literary [´litərəri] a.文学(上)的 (初中英语单词)
• available [ə´veiləbəl] a.可用的；有效的 (初中英语单词)
• architect [´ɑ:kitekt] n.建筑师 (高中英语单词)
• architecture [´ɑ:kitektʃə] n.建筑术；建筑学 (高中英语单词)
• compliment [´kɔmplimənt] n.敬意 vt.赞美；祝贺 (高中英语单词)
• spectacular [spek´tækjulə] a.壮观的；惊人的 (英语四级单词)
• allusion [ə´lu:ʒən] n.暗指；提及；引喻 (英语四级单词)
• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (英语六级单词)