Watch: This hotel will let you sleep in a pod (but is that how you really want to spend the night?)
In Mumbai's crammed spaces, the chic capsules are a, well, out-of-the-box option.
If you are fascinated by space films like Passenger, Interstellar or sci-fiction movie Avatar you may be familiar with hibernation pods.
Now imagine 140 pods like these laid out as hotels in Mumbai – each unit self-contained with air-conditioning, wifi, television, and of course, a bed.
Urbanpod started out as a small but functional hotel in the heart of the city known for lack of space and expensive accommodation.
The idea began in Osaka, Japan as “capsules” in 1979 as cheap accommodation for guests primary wanting a place to sleep. It was designed by leading Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who was also a founder of the Metabolist Movement, a trend which aesthetically fused mega-structures with organic biological growth.
The idea of pod hotels is well-known in many countries. Entrepreneurs Shalabh Mittal and Hiren Gandhi picked up the idea for their venture, Urbanpod, in Singapore.
Not all may find the pods comfortable, though.
While the video above shows how the contemporary and minimalist design gives a futuristic feel, it also shows just how small the classic pod is, barely enough to accommodate one person in a sleeping position.
