Why HMS Furious lacked a conventional island

Why did Furious not receive an island like Hermes or Eagle when converted?

Because early carrier designers were still debating island, funnel, airflow, and flight-deck arrangements; Furious retained an experimental flush-deck solution rather than the layout that later became standard.

Early designers did not yet have a settled answer for where to put funnels and command spaces without disrupting flight operations. Furious embodied one experimental path, while later ships showed the practical advantages of a well-designed island. The contemporary proposals included flush decks, retractable bridges, and even islands on both sides of the landing area. The answer emphasizes that carrier form emerged through competing technical proposals rather than a single obvious blueprint.