Buzz Aldrin has awarded his first namesake Space Innovation Award to Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin space venture. Aldrin, the second human to walk on the moon, gave Bezos his weighty glass trophy during a Saturday night gala at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre.
One detail about the trophy stood out in particular; it was made from 100 percent recycled glass by the team at Soneva Art and Glass studio in Soneva Fushi.
In a day-after tweet, the 87-year-old Aldrin said he was “delighted” to have Bezos and Blue Origin as the award’s first honorees. Bezos tweeted his thanks in return.
Soneva Fushi opened the Soneva Art and Glass studio in 2015, making it the first of its kind in the Maldives. The state-of-the-art facility uses only glass materials used at Soneva resorts and other tourist properties in the Maldives.
The studio produces items used at the resort’s restaurants, as well as elements for the architectural design at new and existing Soneva resorts and private residences. After the opening of the studio, each of Soneva’s restaurants also got its own signature lines of custom-made plates, bowls and glasses.
Aldrin is no stranger to the Soneva experience, having spent his 2014 vacation at the resort.
Established in 1995, Soneva Fushi is the original Soneva. The No News, No Shoes blueprint for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways is located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. Soneva Fushi inspires the imagination with 57 spacious beachfront villas, ranging in size from one to nine bedrooms, hidden amongst dense foliage.
The iconic resort has bagged several international awards for eco-friendly tourism and green initiatives, including the 2017 Green Hotelier Award for the Asia Pacific region and a spot in the Gold List compiled by Condé Nast Traveler China as the Best Hotel in the Maldives.