"SOM announced today that the construction of the Burj Dubai has reached the 150th floor level at 1,821 feet (555 meters), surpassing the height of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which was previously the world's tallest free-standing structure at 1,815 feet (553 meters). The CN Tower is a communications tower and was completed in 1976."

Será construido, como no podría ser de otra manera, en Dubai (Emiratos Árabes) y se planea que alcance 1.050 metros de altura (825 metros más 225 metros de picota).

Si os parece mucha altura, imaginaos cómo podría haber sido si llega a alcanzar los 1.600 metros con los que fué proyectado en un inicio. El edifició sufrió diferentes rediseños hasta que se fijó la altura actual de 1.050 metros.

Estará ubicado en el Dubai Waterfront, una península artificial construida a semejanza de las Palm Islands.

En la siguiente imagen (click para ampliar) he hecho una comparativa con imágenes de Skyscraper Page del Al Burj, el Burj Dubai, el Pentominium y la Torre 4 de las Dubai Towers (los cuatro edificios más altos del mundo) con la Torre Caja Madrid (antes Torre Repsol) con sus 250 metros de altura que se ha terminado de construir recientemente en Madrid para que os hagáis una idea de cómo puede ser mirar Al Burj desde el suelo.

Well, let me just show you something then.

Let's take a peak.

[gallery]

DUBAI MALL - It's a 5 minute drive away from home. It will open on august (seeing it personally, I doubt if they can. But there is no such thing as impossible if it's EMAAR. They always pull surprises in the end.

I have been visiting the area frequently but I never had the chance to share with all of you this magnificent creation on its way.

Most of my projects are situated here right now. This August..be amazed as the world's largest mall will open doors for over 3 million expected visitors.

It will cover a total area of 12.1 million square feet, with 10 - 15 individual smaller malls built inside it, consisting of 9 million square feet of shopping retail space (comprising of a total of 1200 stores). Featured attractions include the world's largest gold souk with 220 retailers; the 850,000 feet Fashion Island, with 70 flagship stores dedicated to haute couture as well as the Middle East's first Galeries Lafayette department store; one of the world's largest aquariums; an Olympic-sized ice skating rink; Oasis Fountain Waterfall; Water Front Atrium; a view of the (soon to be completed in late 2009) world's tallest building, Burj Dubai. Other attractions include the region's first SEGA indoor theme park covering 76,000 sq ft; a ; KidZania, a 80,000 sq ft children's 'edu-tainment' centre; a 22-screen Cineplex; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof.

The mall has already won five awards. It won two awards at the Retail Future Project Awards at MAPIC, Cannes, in 2004, for Best Retail Development Scheme (Large), Best Use of Lighting in a Retail Environment. And the Dubai Mall brochure has won three awards at the Summit Creative Awards 2005, in Portland, Oregon; Gold award for Best Art Direction / Graphic Design, Silver award for Best 4-colour B2B Brochure, and Judges Special Recognition award.

Currently, the largest mall in the world is believed to be the South China Mall in Dongguan, China, spreading over 9.6 million feet.

The mall is being built by a Joint Venture of Dutco Balfour Beatty, Al Ghandi/CCC and Turner Construction for client Emaar Properties and was scheduled to be completed in 2006, claiming to be the size of 50 "international-sized football (soccer) pitches". It is now expected to be completed in late 2008.

The labor practices used in the construction of Dubai Mall have caused controversy. Dubai Mall has been built by vast numbers of construction workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Press reports indicate that skilled carpenters at the site earn US$7.60 (£4.34)/day, and laborers earn US$4.00 (£2.84). Unions were forbidden in the United Arab Emirates up until recently, when the government announced steps to allow construction unions.

On March 21, 2006, workers upset over low wages and poor working conditions rioted, damaging cars, offices, computers, and construction equipment. A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused approximately $1m (USD) in damage. Most workers returned the following day but refused to work. Workers building a new terminal at Dubai International Airport also joined that day's work stoppage.

So guys, if you think that Mall of the Emirates or Ibn Batutta is gigantic! think again!

cheers

Today I continue my series on Dubai Architecture with the Burj Dubai. The Burj Dubai is the tallest man made structure currently towering over 2087 feet (as of May 12th 2008 ) and is projected to reach a height of 2313 feet (although it is not confirmed what the actual height will be when completed, some estimates ranging as high as 3,005 feet!). The tower is scheduled to be completed in September of 2009. The building is designed by the same architects of the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in NYC. The interior of the skyscraper will be designed by Giorgia Armani. An Armani hotel will occupy the first 37 floors, floors 45-108 will have 700 apartments (which according to the developer sold out within 8 hours of going on sale!). An outdoor Zero Entry swimming pool will be on the 78th floor. Corporate offices will fill the remaining floors, with the 123rd and 124th floor holding outdoor observation decks. The building will also have the fastest elevator in the world, rising at 59 feet per second! (56 Elevators will be installed in the building). Outside the building will have a record setting fountain system with 6,600 lights, 50 colored projectors and capable of shooting water 490 feet in the air all set to music.

Photos of the Burj Dubai Tower

Projected Completion (Holy Smokes!)

Burj Dubai at its Current State, Not to its total height (WOW)

The Burj Dubai's Height in Relation to the other Tallest Structures

I would be scared to death to work on the top of this thing!

All I can say is WOW to this building!

Check out the other posts in the Dubai Architecture Series
The Dynamic Tower
The Burj Al Arab Hotel

*All photos obtained from LINK

]]> http://thepreppyprincess.wordpress.com/?p=1748 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:41:16 +0000 thePreppyPrincess http://thepreppyprincess.wordpress.com/?p=1748 Happy Thursday, 'tis The Princess back again from visiting the Queen and still in a dither about the Princess Consort's revelations yesterday. Really. I thought we had agreed some things just didn't need to be made public, lest people think less of The Princess. And then he just goes and tells everyone about his fear of swimming in the ocean, and the time he "...hired a man to swim in the ocean for me". How embarrassing for everyone to know he hires people to do his swimming for him!

On a side note, all Wall Street reporting aside, one would not know from the number of cars in the Nordstrom parking lot they hadn't been enjoying a completely stellar year; they were quite busy yesterday. But then again, their sale section seemed really very large, especially when one considers this was not their Anniversary Sale section, but a "regular sale area," an oxymoron at Nordstrom, for until recently (this year we believe) the only sales were the Anniversary Sale and the Shoe Sale.

We couldn't resist putting up this image of pink and green sandwiches, the shot was simply too good not to post! It is from flickr, posted almost three years ago. The description follows:

pink and green tea sandwiches: egg with capers and smoked pimentón, turkey with a cranberry-pecan-orange zest cream cheese, smoked salmon with cucumber and an herby cream cheese.

The fillings sound yummy although TP isn't sure how she would do with the bright and vibrantly-hued bread! Now the next item on our hit parade,

isn't available until March of next year, but we couldn't resist at least alerting you to its impending arrival. The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits and Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe comes to us via Bloomsbury Publishing, and is written by Laura Goldstein Crowe, the former (and fab) Fashion Inc. blogger at Conde Nast's Portfolio magazine, and Sagra Maceira de Rosen, an executive specializing in Luxury and Retail investments for Reig Capital.

One of our favorite websites, the Business of Fashion, managed to get an early and exclusive look at the book. As they put it, "The book is sure to cause a frenzy when published..." and we couldn't agree more. This one sounds like it has all the makings of an outstanding non-fiction book so filled with inside stories it's better than many a fiction book. Or, as you frequently hear from TP: "...I couldn't make this stuff up..." on some of the more unbelievable posts.

Continuing with the Jimmy Choo track, Saks has several pair on sale at markdowns that are significant if these are your style. The Elm Water Snake Sandals start us off, with what TP is tempted to describe as "only a 4.5" heel," the way things are shaping up. (And up...and up!) These have "...Glamorous water snake metallic wraps at the cut-out ankle." Indeed. Originally $920, these are now just $367.90.

Additionally Saks offers the Aeon Lizard Sandals, also originally $920, now $551.90.

A few more sale samplings at Saks, including the Burberry Infant's Stripe Skirted Onesie at $62.90 from $95; it has snaps at the shoulders, tough to see in the photos, we know.

Also available if you're looking for something a bit subdued for yourself, the Carmen Marc Valvo Polka Dot Dress is light and foofy, originally $330 and now $197.90.

Because we don't want to show specific items that have limited quantities, here are just a few overview page links to designers at Saks we know you love, so you can just scan all of their sale items rather than seeing one specific item here that has long since sold out.

Their was a fair amount of Lilly Pulitzer left, some Shoshanna bathing suits and cover-ups, a smattering of Tory Burch goodies definitely worth looking at, a good amount of Hugo Boss for him, and a substantial amount of Juicy Couture. There is simply oddles more, this is just after The Princess did a quick graze to satisfy her concerns that these merit your time and attention.

We close with a few image of the plans for what is expected to be the 'world's largest fountain," set to be built in Dubai. Situated next to the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest structure as of July 4th, with an observation deck slated for the 124th Floor when the building is completed sometime in 2009.

As the company's news release explains:

The fountain on Burj Dubai Lake is more than a visual spectacle that adds to the aesthetics of Downtown Burj Dubai. It is an engineering marvel and will further contribute to Dubai’s rich array of tourist attractions.

The Tower will have one of the first Giorgio Armani hotels in the world, the "Dubai Armani Hotel." A visit to the Burj Dubai website is an eyeopener; you can also enter a contest to actually name the enormous fountains.

As TP is truly something of a geek inside, she can't resist sharing this image of "3 Upcoming Architectural Wonders in the UAE," courtesy of the Hotel Club Travel Blog.

well... i was looking at darkroastedblend today, when i ran across some pictures that were taken from the top of the TALLEST MAN-MADE STRUCTURE ON EARTH!

that first one makes me want to roll a katamari.

scott

When I woke up this morning, had my early coffee and before going for a shower, I went outside and did some stretching. Two years,  and it is just my first time to actually notice the gigantic structure which is built a few kilometers away from where I am staying.

...think...think...think...I took my camera and clicked a snap of it. It is damn high. The tallest building in the world...not seen on T.V. but on my windows. History is just at my doorstep.

See more of Dubai's future projects by visiting my website: http://www.bengwic.com/DUBAI2008.pdf .

Architecture at its best.

Architecture redefined.

Architecture, beyond its limit.

Be amazed, looks good in picture? you bet it's better to see it yourself.

Another thing, I have got a couple of projects in Dubai Mall also, the largest mall in the world. It is next to Burj Dubai. Soon it will be over also. Pictures will be available soon. Personally taken by the "bee" himself.

cheers. head's up.

A Dubai Panorama

The Burj Al Arab & Jumeirah beach Hotel

The Burj Dubai on its way to becoming the world's tallest building

Cranes over Hotel Atlantis

Click on for a few more photos.

Dubai Marina

More of Dubai Marina

Hotel Atlantis

Jumeirah Islands

Palm Jumeirah

'The World' under construction

Sorry for the crude title, but I just really needed to get my point across effectively.

CNN reports that the oil-rich moguls over in Dubai (my future hometown) are planning to build a sky-rise that will actually rotate. No, really...each floor with rotate individually...giving the building an infinite number of possible shapes to form.

Is this what you do when you have an immense, overflowing amount of money but nothing else to spend it on? I guess after you build an artificial world out of small islands and you build the world's tallest building then you gotta just shoot for the stars (well let me not say that before they try to build homes on the moon).

The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the "world's first building in motion," will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher's Dynamic Group.

Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor.

"You can adjust the shape the way you like every given moment," Fisher said. "It's not a piece of architecture somebody designed today and that's it. It remains forever. It's designed by life, shaped by time." Watch how the tower would spin and twist »

Apartments will sell for about $3,000 per square foot, making each unit range in price from about $4 million to $40 million. Work on the tower is to be completed by 2010, according to Dynamic's Web site.   -- CNN.com

Fullscreen: 1024x768

Widescreen: 1280x800

And now a new star is rising. Dubai's Dynamic Tower, the first skyscraper in the world that actually changes shape. Each floor moves independently of others causing the building to look dramatically different, and that too in a very organic way. The technology behind this kind of construction will be key for green buildings lined with solar panels that twist and turn towards the sun. In order to keep things cooler, perhaps floors will keep rotating at a certain speed so no one side spends too much time in direct sunlight. The possibilities are numerous before we even get to the pure architectural interest that the Dynamic Tower presents.

I can hear many ask, where does this madness end? The question is sometimes motivated by the assumption that anything this grandiose must obviously be unsustainable. Sometimes, unfortunately, it is motivated simply by jealousy as "foreign" part of the world starts to rise. And at other times, it is motivated by a lack of information about what makes this all possible. Many assume that Dubai's economy is supported purely by oil and that if it weren't for oil, everything in the state would be unsustainable. Well, consider that over 70% of the UAE's GDP comes from non-oil sources such as Tourism and Finance. Here is what the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce says in its 2007 report:

"According to the U.S. Government, the UAE economy grew by an estimated 10.2 percent in 2006 and continued to diversify into non-oil sectors. As recently as 1980, only 25 percent of the UAE’s GDP derived from non-oil sectors. Today, over 70 percent of the country’s GDP is generated by such non-oil sectors such as finance, manufacturing, tourism and transportation."

So once again, where does this "madness" end? Perhaps it doesn't for a long, long time. Perhaps this is the beginning of a significant shift of power, wealth and innovation. The UAE is not alone in exhibiting these marvels. Many other countries in Asia are in the same boat, albeit in different ways.

So, when you talk about the Dynamic Tower coming up in the UAE, perhaps the noteworthy part of the story is not merely the tower's ability to shift its shape, but instead the shift of influence and innovation this structure represents. A shift in the balance of power.

I also remember watching a program on HGTV about world architecture and Dubai is home to the world's tallest building, the world's tallest hotel and, soon enough, the world's tallest structure.  It seems like a lot of buildings in Dubai are still being competed and they are all claiming that they will be/are the world's tallest.  To keep it simple, I included the winner's on HGTV.  Also, Iowa is home to the 10th largest structure in the world, the WOI-Tower, which is in Alleman.

Tallest Hotel: Burj Al Arab

World's Tallest Building: Burj Dubai

ninjagarden

Picture taken from the top of the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest builiding at 2620 ft tall.

The upper right corner of the picture shows how the workers at the top of the building can see the turn of Earth.  

For more pictures, see the previous blog Naked People…Making Buildings?!?!? (pictures below)

No a partir de esta moda que hay ahora de modernismo y bohemia, en la que parece que si tienes paredes no dejas libre a tu creatividad.

Yo quiero vivir en un loft desde que vi el que tenía Tom Hanks en la película Big.

Pero no es a eso a lo que iba.

Me preocupa el hecho de que un día se estropee el ascensor, y tenga que subir la compra por las escaleras.

No me molestaría si el ático fuera un tercero.

Me molestaría un poco si fuera un quinto.

Me molestaría mucho si fuera un octavo.

Ya no sé lo que haría si mi ático estuviera en el Burj Dubai.

Ya es la estructura más alta del mundo, y como habreis podido observar, aún sigue en construcción.

(vía)

courtesy of Imre-Solt and SSC Dubai forumers

Burj Dubai Downtown, The Old Town, Business Bay, DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Downtown 

(above) Burj Dubai, The Old Town, The Dubai Mall and part of Business Bay and Sheikh Zayed downtown.

(above) The first phase of Business Bay, adjacent to Burj Dubai. The development will eventually see more than 200 skyscrapers.

(above) Dubai's present CBD on Sheikh Zayed, adjacent to Burj Dubai.

(above) Skyscrapers lining up along Sheikh Zayed highway.

(above) Photo taken from Burj Dubai, overlooking the massive "The Index" at DIFC.

(above) The Gate at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

 Jumeirah Lake, Dubai  

Dubai Marina

Palm Jumeirah

Dubai Culture Village @ Dubai Creek

The Lagoons @ Dubai Creek

[Acknowledgement / Credit: Photos by Imre-Solt (Dubai Construction Update), Joekwon, Josau, The_King, Dubai_Steve, SSC Dubai Forumers]

Dizzy yet?

Dubai the paradise in the middle east, or shall we say "The luxurious and better version of New York".

Dubai was founded on the 9th of June 1833 by Maktoum bin Bati bin Suhail a member of the Al Maktoum dynasty. This dynasty has ruled Dubai since that day. Now more about the city itself, it's part of United Arab Emirates. Dubai has a surface of 4144 km² and has about 2,265 million inhabitants, with a density of 408 inhabitants/km².

The weather in Dubai is quite hot and dry, averaging 33°C almost every day. The best time to visit Dubai would be in the winter (December - February), when it rains a bit, but don't expect a flood!

Dubai is also known for it's luxury and huge projects where the rest of the world only can dream of. The first biggest project they have recently completed is the Palm Island, also called the 8th wonder of the world. It was a very tough and massive construction that cost a lot of money. They started with 2 other palm islands too, each of them being bigger than the previous one.

Three weeks after the Palm Deira Islandhouses were put on the market, they were sold out, prices were average $1,25 million, most of them were bought by celebrities.

Their next big project that's in construction is the Burj Dubai. It will have a height of approximately 818m and overpowering the current largest building of the world by a few 100 meters.  The construction began in 2005 and will probably finish in September 2009, it will also be opened during that period. As of 7 April 2008, the Burj Dubai became the current tallest man made structure, at 629 meters.

The tower will exist out of mainly office space, huge shopping centers and entertainment spaces.

You can expect more Dubai news here, very soon. Probably next week =)

Más cerca del cielo no se puede, porque ya están ahí.

imagen descargada de Opcionez

Los primeros rascacielos aparecieron a finales del siglo XIX en ciudades con altos índices de población como Nueva York, Londres o Chicago.

Mas hoy en día, se construye en Dubai el rascacielos que será el más alto del mundo: el Burj Dubai, de 808 metros de altura aproximadamente.

Debido a este auge en las dimensiones de los edificios, otros países se han dado a la tarea de construir edificios aun más altos, algunos de ellos, superando el kilómetro de altura. La propuesta más impresionante es otro edificio en Dubai llamado Al Burj el cual mediría, si se concreta su construcción, 1200 metros de altura.

Sabes por ejemplo que: en estos edificios, la gente que vive en los pisos mas altos debe de llamar a recepcion para saber que tiempo hace. O que el movimiento de esos edificios no es perceptible por nosotros pero en su parte alta oscila mas de un metro en cada lado.

La principal ventaja de los rascacielos es la de obtener una gran cantidad de superficie útil en un espacio de suelo reducido. Este suele ser el motivo por el que los promotores inmobiliarios deciden emprender este tipo de obras, ya que la posibilidad de vender o alquilar una gran cantidad de viviendas u oficinas compensa el enorme coste de construir estos edificios.pero existen también problemas derivados de su gran altura.

• Hacer que el agua llegue a los pisos más altos sin que revienten las tuberías de los pisos más bajos. Para ello se bombea por etapas y se guarda en depósitos en los pisos intermedios.
• Los ascensores deben ser rápidos, por la necesidad de no emplear mucho tiempo en llegar al piso deseado. Pero unas aceleraciones excesivas pueden provocar desmayos.
• Peores condiciones para soportar terremotos. Sin embargo, esto se suele tener en cuenta en su diseño y llegan a ser más resistentes que los edificios bajos.
• Un edificio alto soporta peor el viento, y en el cálculo de su estructura se tienen en cuenta las oscilaciones horizontales. Tanto por la altura como por el hecho de que el viento es más fuerte cuanto más nos distanciemos del suelo.
• Los cimientos deben soportar mucho peso, y por eso son muy profundos, además de que deben ser preparados de una forma especial para soportar los terremotos y las oscilaciones horizontales producidas por el viento.
• La acumulación de una gran masa en la misma vertical puede producir a nivel geológico y geofísico desequilibrios sismológicos, como los sucedidos en Taipei [1].
• Es más difícil de evacuar en caso de emergencia. ver Atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001. Asimismo la concentración de un gran número de personas en reducido espacio puede hacer a los rascacielos objetivo de ataques terroristas.

Construction began on September 21, 2004.

The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about USD 4.1 billion.

The price of office space at Burj Dubai had reached $4,000 per sq ft. The Armani Residences, also in Burj Dubai, are selling for $3,500 per sq ft.

On April 7, 2008, Emaar contractors announces that Burj Dubai, at 629 m (2,064 ft), has surpassed the KVLY-TV Mast to become the current tallest man-made structure on earth.

Burj Dubai would also have as addition, a massive Dh 800 million (US $ 217 m) new fountain, 275 meters long and will shoot water 150 meters (or 50 floors) into the air, in a show with music and 6,600 lights with 50 colored projectors.

The fountain will look like this...

Engineers working on the Burj Dubai design considered installing triple-decker elevators, which would have been the first in the world. The realized building will use double-decker elevators.

The highest residential floor will be level 109.

An observation deck will occupy the 124th floor.

The official height has not been released, and remains secret. The total height of 808 meters is subject to change.

ARMANI AT THE BURJ

The first Armani brand hotel is expected to be opened by the first quarter of 2009 and is under construction as part of the Burj Dubai development.

It will include 175 guest rooms and suites, five restaurants and a spa, covering more than 40,000m². A

Alongside the hotel, the Burj Dubai will also offer 160 luxury residential apartments all designed by Giorgio Armani and fully furnished with a specially designed line of products from the Armani Casa home furnishings collection.

Dubai is, once again, taking luxury living to the next level.

Source for facts and figure: Emaar

On April 7, 2008 the Burj Dubai surpassed a height of 629 meters to become the world’s tallest man-made structure. The Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) is a skyscraper under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emrites. You’ve probably seen pictures of the Dubai Tower, or have seen pictures of some of the other crazy things they are building in Dubai these days. From indoor ski slopes, to underwater hotels, to man-made islands, to spaceports, nothing is too outrageous (or expensive) for the wealthy Sheikhs of Dubai to construct.

The final height is being kept a secret but it’s estimated that it will surpass 900m (over 2,900 feet). It is expected to have 162 habitable floors besting Chicago’s Sears Tower which holds the record at 110 floors.

Scheduled for completion in 2009, the Burj Dubai is an impressive site. The official website has a great photo gallery and other information on this massive project.   

• Palm Islands
• The World and the Universe
• Dubailand
• Burj Dubai
• Dubai Mall
• The Lagoons

The first sentence of the article sums it up nicely, "Dubai doesn't do much of anything on a small scale."

There once was a sheikh who dreamed big. His realm, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, was a sleepy, sun-scorched village occupied by pearl divers, fishermen, and traders who docked their ramshackle dhows and fishing boats along a narrow creek that snaked through town. But where others saw only a brackish creek, this sheikh, Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum, saw a highway to the world.

One day in 1959, he borrowed many millions of dollars from his oil-rich neighbor, Kuwait, to dredge the creek until it was wide and deep enough for ships. He built wharves and warehouses and planned for roads and schools and homes. Some thought he was mad, others just mistaken, but Sheikh Rashid believed in the power of new beginnings. Sometimes at dawn, with his young son, Mohammed, by his side, he'd walk the empty waterfront and paint his dream in the air with words and gestures. And it was, in the end, as he said. He built it, and they came.

And build they did. Here is Dubai (City)in 1990:

And here it is now:

And that's just the beginning. Run out of room or need more coastline? No problem, you just make more (and more).

Now this is where it really gets large:

Billy Mays and Vegas have some serious competition.

(Quaker inspired)