The Dubai Airshow: As Seen From Outer Space
Captured by the GeoEye-1 satellite at about half-meter resolution, this photo shows a stunning view of the Dubai Airshow in progress.
Solar Cell-Coated Supertower to Be Higher Than Burj Dubai
We thought everything was bigger in Dubai.
Santa Monica building designer Tommy Landau created a model for a 224-story supertower which could one day stand in Abu Dhabi. Hell, the model itself is almost as tall as a man. The structure, aside from far eclipsing the 2,600 ft. Burj Dubai, would be coated in solar cells which would allow the building to power itself. The building will house over 11 million square feet for offices, shops, hotels and condominiums (but no farms that we know of). An early concept of the building includes a large clock at the same height as the Empire State Building would reach on the building.
The project is still under consideration by the Abu Dhabi powers that be, though if approved the $3.5 billion project would likely not be underway for several years to come. I imagine it takes a massive amount of planning and bureaucratic cajoling for a project like this to even break ground
Dubai Building World’s Tallest Arch Bridge
Oh, Dubai. You built worlds in the ocean, but it wasn’t enough. You scraped the sky and laughed at the clouds, but it wasn’t enough. And you also built the Palazzo Versace, but it isn’t enough. So what’s another $817 million, right? That’s how much it’s going to cost to build the world’s tallest arch bridge. The goal is to have this 12-lane monstrosity finished by 2012. It’s all being designed by the NYC-based architecture firm of Fxfowle. I bet Dubai’s next move is to build a Disney-themed park in the center of the country or some equally crazy shit.
Refrigerated Sands Of The Palazzo Versace
Richer than Richie Rich? Only one vacation locale comes to mind this year and it’s the refrigerated sands of the Palazzo Versace fashion hotel in Dubai. When walking on hot sand is too much for you and you’re more spoiled than Paris Hilton, why shouldn’t you spend money on the luxury of cool sand?
How does one even cool sand? For starters, you’ve got to be rich. Then, you lay a network of pipes beneath the sand containing a coolant that will absorb heat from the surface. That’s just one absurd feature among many that you’ll find at the Palazzo Versace hotel. This 10-story building contains 213 rooms and an additional 169 apartments. Some rooms even have their own internal swimming pools. Good golly. There is rich, then there is Dubai.
Another Act Of Wealth From Dubai
Dubai is a cool city and all, but have you ever gotten the feeling that it’s just flaunting its endless wealth? That’s because it is. Dubai is rich, filthy rich and they aren’t afraid of letting the world know it by dropping billions of dollars on over-elaborate fountains and animated skyscrapers.
Now, Dubai is “WOWing” the world once again by having the UAE development company, Tameer Holding, develop the world’s largest LED screen to be embedded on an intended commercial tower in the Majan district of Dubailand. That’s 33 stories of advertising. It might seem a little excessive, but this is Dubai. It’s got money and it’s not afraid to flaunt it.
The World’s Largest Water Fountain
What’s filled with sand, has tons of oil and a shitload of cash? If you answered the playground on Christopher St. where those heroin dealers hangout, you’re probably correct but I was thinking more along the lines of Dubai. Seems Dubai is one-upping the world again, this time with the biggest water fountain. The deets?
Costing a whopping $281 million, the new fountains will shoot water 450 feet into the air and pump 22,000 gallons of water through it at any given time. 6,600 lights and 50 projectors will shoot video and images onto the spray as its in the air…
So essentially, it’s going to make the Bellagio fountain out in Vegas look like Ryan’s penis: small and inferior. Way to go Dubai.
Dubai Tower Is World’s First Building In Motion
A revolutionary skyscraper by Italian architect Dr. David Fisher is planned for Dubai. The unnamed tower will be 80-stories high with revolving floors that alter the shape and form of the building. With the aid of an immobile cement core, spinning floors rotate around the core while staying connected to it. This will give guests of the building a constantly changing view of the city and surroundings. Wind turbines are installed between every floor, which generates enough electricity to power the entire building, making it self-sufficient.
That’s not all. A building is also planned for Moscow in 2010. The Moscow tower, though only in its design phase, will contain 70 floors and be 1,310 feet tall. With all these shape-shifting towers, you’d think they would’ve thrown the U.S. a bone and built one here, considering we’ve lossed two of our best buildings. No worries, we still have the greatest rotating tower of all: the Seattle Space Needle.
Link