The Dynamic Tower
image sourceThe Dynamic Tower in Dubai is insane. 80 Stories High. Completely powered by internal wind generators and solar panels. Oh, and each floor rotates based on voice activated commands.
David Fisher has designed possibly one of the most ridiculously awesome structures to be built in Dubai. The building has an central internal core housing an elevator and power generating wind turbines, in which each floor rotates around individually. The full 360 degree rotation takes around 3 hours, with the idea that the view from your penthouse condo is constantly changing based on the time of day.
The Dynamic Tower is 120% green. Not only does the tower generate enough energy for its own usage, it also has energy to spare for nearby structures. This happens through wind and solar power. Wind generators are mounted horizontally in between each of the 80 floors, and go unnoticed to onlookers of this extravagant structure.
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Solar cells are placed on the roof of each unit and as it rotates, the cells absorb energy as they are exposed to the sun. The advantage of solar cells is the sheer amount of surface area that the building will have, considering it has 80 floors, independently rotating, constantly exposing different areas on their roof to the energy providing sun.
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The Dynamic Tower will also show up in Moscow and is being built around the central core in prefabricated pieces shipped in from Italy. Reserve your unit now for around $3000 per square foot!
Burj Al Arab
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Next time you swing by Dubai, stay in the Burj Al Arab. That is, if you can drop $1300 a night for a room. If you can, you are entitled to a private butler, Rolls Royce Chauffeur, helicopter tours, yachts, a private beach and much more.
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A View inside the Atrium of The Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab screams 1000 feet up and looks like the sail of a massive ship. It was opened in 1999 and is the worlds only 7 star hotel. Thats not a typo, 7 Stars. You have to pay to just go inside and have a quick peek to see what all the fuss is about.
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The hotel is on a man built isthmus off the coast of Dubai and to say it's for the rich is an understatement. You can fly in and land on top via rooftop helicopter landing pad if need be. The hotel has not only the usual amenities such as restaurants and bars, but a private butler, guest service counters on each floor, full bar in each room and squash and tennis courts on the roof of the 60 story building.
Ski Dubai
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Ski Dubai is the largest indoor ski and snowboard resort in the world. Housing almost 23,000 square feet of room and reaching 25 stories high. The indoor ski resort has 5 "trails," a snow park for snowboarders and places to toboggan.
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Operating year round in the warm climate of Dubai you can visit this exotic indoor mountain and ski on fresh snow year round. The amount of power needed to cool such a place to a steady 32 degrees Fahrenheit has raised complaints among green groups worldwide.
The World Islands
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The World Islands off the coast of Dubai is an Archipelago of 300 islands designed to mimic the countries of the world. Construction involved plowing the sea for sand, then dumbing it back into the ocean 3 miles off the coast of Dubai to form new islands. The islands are visible from space. The islands are also for sale.
95% of the islands have been sold, with prices starting in the tens of millions of dollars going up to the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Australian part of The World is priciest due to it's unobstructed view of the Dubai shore and skyline.
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Many developers are purchasing one or many islands to build theme resorts, hotels, spa's and boutiques to cater to the overly rich. The islands will feature marinas and undoubtedly, helicopter pads, to shuttle people between Dubai's mainland and the islands.
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Nakheel Group, the developers who created The World claim that the islands live and will continue to live side by side with their underwater brethren. We will see how true this remains once there are yachts and spa's filling the docks and shorelines of each island.
The Burj Dubai
The Burj Dubai is the tallest building in the world, and it's still under construction. Upon completion it will span almost the height of two empire state buildings, dominating the Dubai skyline at over 800 meters in height.
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With over 3 and a half million square feet of inhabitable space and ranging from $3500 per square foot for office space and over $4000 per square foot for residential space, it will surely be one of the priciest places in the world to buy a condo. But what a condo, living in the clouds over 160 stories up. There are rumors as to the final height of the Burj Dubai in the 900-950 meter range.
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Inside the Burj Dubai, decked out in traditional Italian style is the Armani Hotel, boasting 144 suites for their guest. There will also be best in the world dining and shopping, as well as residences and business offices.
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The Burj Dubai will tower over the Dubai skyline, resembling a building from the futuristic 1927 film Metropolis. Many critics are citing the Burj Dubai as being not only an eye sore but a waste in energy and natural resources, and being built to simply impress.
Weather you think these pieces of Dubai architecture are hoaky, pointless and energy wasters, or a marvel at human achievement as we propel ourselves into a new dawn of existence, you cannot deny that they are awe-inspiring. Hopefully you have enjoyed reading about these structures and maybe buildings such as the Dynamic Towers can help usher in a new era of self sustainability in buildings and architecture.
