Sunday, June 26, 2011

Dubai rotating building


This one I like. Imagine having a different view each day from your home or office. No wonder similar towers are being planned for Moscow and New York. (Though I doubt if such a tower would be built in China. Feng Shui masters would go nuts.)

The rotating tower is just one of the many amazing buildings that can now be found in Dubai. Below, the tallest and the only seven-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al-Arab.



But wait, there's more! Below is the proposed Al Burj. As one can see from the illustration that follows, it will dwarf the Burj Dubai and all the other skyscrapers that came before it. However, no one knows when it will be built, if ever.



Personally I think the architecture doesn't allow for such a height. It doesn't taper off at the top to compensate for the extreme weight that the foundations have to bear. Also, it isn't aerodynamically-shaped like the Burj Dubai, considering the great wind forces that will act on it. And more importantly, is it even feasible enough to construct? The cost would probably equal the GDP of a small country. How will it pay for itself in terms of its maintenance and upkeep?



But wait, there's still more! Rumor has it that Saudi Arabia (perhaps feeling a little insecure with all the construction projects going on in Dubai) is set to build a mile-high tower (5,250 feet)!

Now that, to me, is pure bollocks. Until intelligent robots or nanotech materials are developed to replace construction workers, it cannot be built. Steel workers, welders and masons would freeze to death at such a heights.


No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails