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An Italian architect said he is poised to start construction on a new skyscraper in Dubai that will be "the world's first building in motion," an 80-story tower with revolving floors that give it an ever-shifting shape.
The spinning floors, hung like rings around an immobile cement core, would offer residents a constantly changing view of the Persian Gulf and the city's futuristic skyline.
A few penthouse villas would spin on command using a voice-activated computer. The motion of the rest of the building would be choreographed in patterns that could be altered over time.
Speaking at a news conference in New York on Tuesday, the building's designer, David Fisher, declared that his tower will revolutionize the way skyscrapers are made -- a claim that might strike some as excessively bold.
Fisher acknowledges that he is not well known, has never built a skyscraper before and hasn't practiced architecture regularly in decades.
But he insisted his lack of experience wouldn't stop him from completing the project, which has attracted top design talent, including Leslie E. Robertson, the structural engineer for the World Trade Center and the Shanghai World Financial Center.
"I did not design skyscrapers, but I feel ready to do so," Fisher said.
Twisting floors are just one of several futuristic features in the building, the first of several Fisher hopes to build with a similar design.
Giant wind turbines installed between every floor, he said, will generate enough electricity to power the entire building, and lifts will allow penthouse residents to park their cars right at their apartments.
A second version of the tower, to be built in Moscow, would have a retractable helicopter pad. Both structures, at over 1,300 feet, would be taller than the Empire State Building.
Even the method of construction would be unorthodox.
Fisher said each floor will be prefabricated in an Italian factory, then shipped to the site to be attached to the core. Assembling a building in this fashion, he said, will require only 80 technicians and take only 20 months, saving tens of millions of dollars, for a total cost of $700 million to build.
On its face, the project seems to pose a number of complicated engineering puzzles.
How would the plumbing hookups work in an apartment that is constantly moving? Fisher said the pipes will connect to the core via attachments similar to the ones used by military aircraft for in-flight refueling.
Wouldn't people get dizzy? No, says Fisher. The rotations will be slow enough that no one will notice.
With so many moving parts, wouldn't the building be a maintenance nightmare? Fisher said the building's modular construction will allow easy access to parts that need to be replaced.
Robertson, who attended Tuesday's news conference, said that the skyscraper might be unusual, but is "absolutely" buildable.
"You can build anything," he said, smiling.
Fisher declined to say exactly where in Dubai the tower will be built or when site work might begin. He insisted, however, that factory production is set to start within weeks and that the tower, which will contain office space, a luxury hotel and apartments, will be complete by 2010.
Sales of individual apartments will begin in September, with asking prices of around $3,000 per square foot. The smallest, at 1,330 square feet, would cost about $4 million and the largest, a 12,900-square-foot villa, $38.7 million.
Skeptics might question Fisher's credentials to pull off the job.
In a biography he had been distributing for months, he said he graduated from the University of Florence in 1976, came to New York in the mid-1980s and later developed hotels and ran a company that specialized in stone and prefabricated construction materials.
The biography also said he received an honorary doctorate from "The Prodeo Institute at Columbia University in New York." No such institution exists, however, and Columbia said it had never awarded Fisher an honorary degree.
Asked to explain the discrepancy, Fisher said, through his New York publicists, that he had been awarded the degree by the Catholic University of Rome during a ceremony in 1994 held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, which is near Columbia's campus.
Asked again to clarify the name of the school that conferred the degree, Fisher's publicists said in an e-mail that the information has been removed from his bio "because he wants to be entirely accurate and cannot be with this information." [More] [Less] |
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Date: 27 June 2008 Category: Skyscrapers |
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Architects envision a shape-shifting skyscraper, with each floor capable of rotating independently in Dubai |
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Date: 27 June 2008 Category: Skyscrapers |
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Chateaux de Paris
Finally, royalty has found a worthy home. Experience the opulent lifestyle fit for modern day royalty. Be ushered into an existence of posh surroundings, stately homes and a grand clubhouse, that is by invitation only. |
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Date: 05 June 2008 Category: Subdivisions |
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Phuket Mansions
Imagine living in your own private exotic paradise. Celebrate the splendor of tropical majesty in a home that balances the richness of Thai art and the refreshing elements of nature's vitality. Enjoy a getaway entirely surrounded by the rejuvenating waters of paradise and embrace the warmth of pure exotic happiness. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 25 May 2008 Category: Subdivisions |
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Mediterranean Villas
Discover a slice of Europe right here in South Forbes Golf City. Feel the ambience of Spain in these finely crafted European-inspired Villas. Come home to the Alicante, Sevilla, Cadiz and Castellon and Savor the same open air architecture inspired by the sun-filled climate of Southern Europe. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 25 May 2008 Category: Subdivisions |
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Today Angeles City is given a new lease on life through recent developments in global communication technology and the establishment of fine restaurants, hotels, resorts, shopping centers and entertainment facilities within its bounds.
Fuelling the city’s economy are developments within the Clark Special Economic Zone that has transformed the facility into a hub for business, industry, aviation and tourism.
The modernization of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport provides tourists from Seoul Korea and other parts of Asia with a new gateway into the Philippines.
Further enhancing it’s accessibility from within the country is the completion of the 51 kilometer four lane expressway that starts at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales and ends at its interchange with the North Luzon Expressway near the Clark Special Economic Zone providing a faster means of transporting goods between the two hubs.
Nestled within the backdrop of a thriving economy, is a haven for those who want to live the good life, a stress free environment that epitomizes the real meaning of living the ultimate lifestyle.
Grand living right at the hearth of the now fast developing hub of Asia. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 12 May 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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- Most Viewed
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Davies Paint TV Commercial Annalu, Murilo, Nathanael & Alex |
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Date: 08 January 2008 Category: |
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Ironically, the tallest skyscraper in the world is named "World Financial Center", resembling WTC in New York so much, but located in the City of Tomorrow: Shanghai. But this building is designed exactly to avoid the same kind of fatal attack that failed the WTC. How do they manage that after all? This documentary shows you. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 08 January 2008 Category: Skyscrapers |
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We are pleased to present to you our newest on-going condominium project the MACTAN TOWER / BAY GARDEN (near MALL OF ASIA and 10 minutes drive to NAIA AIRPORT) at Metropolitan Park, Pasay City Philippines. This executive residential condominium are conveniently accessible to major business and shopping areas, as well as nearby school, dining and recreation establishments, it features excellent space planning and recreational amenities that go beyond the basics. A Choices of 1bedroom, 2bedroom & 3bedroom Units FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO ARRANGE FOR SITE VIEWING, PLEASE CALL US. THANK YOU Ms. Len Tel. # : 8166865 Mobile # : 09164170068 Email : len_federal@yahoo.com [More] [Less] |
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Date: 03 January 2008 Category: |
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Nation Paint "Zip" TVC |
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Date: 08 January 2008 Category: Ads |
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What? Rotating floors? Yes, you heard that right, rotating, every single one of the 68 stories high skyscraper that is planned to to become a part of the Dubai skyline, maybe. It would only cost $330 million, which is a bargain, not? A single rotation would take around 90 minutes, so no problem to get sea sick if you are visiting :) See the article at the Wall Street Journal online here: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117625795099465923-WFaTx4FSsy1oW4x8lS4eK1518io_20070418.html?mod=regionallinks [More] [Less] |
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Date: 08 January 2008 Category: Skyscrapers |
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For more Info jonathan.renato@gmail.com |
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Date: 05 January 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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- Highest Rated
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Avida Towers Makati WestFinally, all you’ve ever wanted - The home you’ve always dreamt of owning is now within reach. A well secured property minutes away from your work place and malls, surrounded by lush gardens and modern amenities awaits you in the city. It is a solid investment for your future made affordable with easy payment terms today. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 03 January 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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3D Interior Walkthrough Animation Reel of The Eton Residences Greenbelt Client: Eton Properties Philiipines, Inc. (A real estate arm of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies) Dated: April 19, 2007 |
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Date: 05 January 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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We are pleased to present to you our newest on-going condominium project the MACTAN TOWER / BAY GARDEN (near MALL OF ASIA and 10 minutes drive to NAIA AIRPORT) at Metropolitan Park, Pasay City Philippines. This executive residential condominium are conveniently accessible to major business and shopping areas, as well as nearby school, dining and recreation establishments, it features excellent space planning and recreational amenities that go beyond the basics. A Choices of 1bedroom, 2bedroom & 3bedroom Units FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO ARRANGE FOR SITE VIEWING, PLEASE CALL US. THANK YOU Ms. Len Tel. # : 8166865 Mobile # : 09164170068 Email : len_federal@yahoo.com [More] [Less] |
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Date: 03 January 2008 Category: |
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A 37 storey condominium, owned and developed by Federal Land, Inc., real estate arm of Metrobank. It is situated along Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City |
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Date: 05 January 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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5th Tower of the Bay Garden Project situated at Roxas Boulevard where you can capture the "sunset drama" of Manila Bay |
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Date: 05 January 2008 Category: Condominiums |
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The SM Mall of Asia is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines and the 7th largest shopping mall in the world in terms of gross floor size, after the South Dongguan Mall (China), Golden Resources Mall (China), Central World Plaza (Thailand), Seacon Square (Thailand), Runwal Arcade - Mumbai (India). It opened on May 21, 2006.[1] It is owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, under the management of Henry Sy, a Chinese-Filipino business tycoon. Here is the TV Commerial of Mall of Asia. [More] [Less] |
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Date: 05 January 2008 Category: Mall |
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- Featured
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Davies Paint TV Commercial Annalu, Murilo, Nathanael & Alex |
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Date: 08 January 2008 Category: |
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[ 1 ] - Categories
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