The RV FLIP

The RV FLIP is a research vessel that flips. Or bows, at least, since it only actually rotates about 90 degrees during normal operation. Still, the name (an acronym for FLoating Instrument Platform) is descriptive and evocative of what the ship does, and you can read more about it here:
RV FLIP

There are reasons (good) why FLIP is designed to do what she does. When her aft ballast tanks are flooded a 300-foot section of FLIP extends vertically below the ocean's surface, well below the influence of surface wave action. This provides FLIP with a steady platform ideal for the study of waves, acoustic properties of the ocean, and seawater conditions. In order to accommodate crews both underway and while moored, the interior of the ship is an Escher-esque labyrinth of doors in floors, toilets on walls, and converging staircases, which you can read more about on Winchell Chung's wonderful and time-consuming Atomic Rockets blog. As Mr. Chung points out there may be compelling reason to build spacecraft interiors this way, too. Pay attention to science, and you find design lessons in the oddest places.