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wtf
What Lies In The Shadow Of The Statue? Dubai, Of Course!
OK. Sorry for the geeked out LOST reference. Couldn't help it. But seriously, Dubai is planning to build this huge, talking statue for the Zaabeel Park. And I think there's a discotheque in the head. More » -
airplanes
British Airways' Last Concorde May Become Dubai Novelty
It's like those sci-fi rich guys who collect everything including somebody's frozen head, only it's real: Dubai collectors—possibly the same ones turning the QE2 ocean liner into a hotel—are trying to buy BA's last Concorde. More » -
yachts
The World's Largest Luxury Yacht Sails Out Of...You Guessed It...Dubai
Even though poor Dubai has been far from immune from Depression 2.0, someone who's still doing just fine is Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai. This is his new $350 million yacht. More » -
clips
Even Illustrious Dubai Is Suffering a Devastating Real Estate Crash
With the world in financial peril, it seemed like Dubai, home of 200 new skyscrapers built in the last five years, could have enough hype to be immune. But such is not the case. More » -
dubai
Dubai Hotelier Hasn't Heard of Flip-Flops, Plans to Refrigerate Entire Beach
There's nothing like a good bit of Dubai excess, but this just isn't impressive enough to justify the profligacy: the Palazzo Versace hotel is building a beach with refrigerated sand. More » -
architecture
BuildingPorn: The Dubai Skyline-in-Progress
The Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world, is at 160 stories and counting, with the tower due to be complete next September. But it's not the only tower under construction in Dubai, not by a longshot. No, the city appears to be sprouting up from the ground like a bunch of weeds, with as many cranes as buildings. And now, The Big Picture has nearly 30 amazing shots of the city in transition. Hit the jump for another of my favorites and then head over to The Big Picture for the rest. More » -
architecture
Dubai's Newest Insane Skyscraper to House a Restaurant in a Glass Pod at 2,150 Feet
Oh look, another insane tower planned for Dubai! This one is dubbed the Anara Tower, and while it's not going to be the tallest in the world (it'll be about 500 feet shorter than the Burj Dubai at 2,150 feet), it's still incredible all on its own. More » -
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architecture
Glittery 16 Million Square Feet Dubai Terminal 3 Is Largest In the World
At 16.1 million square feet, Dubai's International Airport Terminal 3 has not only became the shiniest airport terminal ever, but it's also the largest in the world, beating the 10.6 million of the previous record holder, the firebreathing Olympic terminal 3 at Beijing International Airport. More » -
architecture
The Plans for the 1.55-Mile-High Skyscraper in, You Guessed It, Dubai
Forget the 3,280 feet-high 200-floor Nakheel Tower because it's no longer going to be the highest skyscraper in the world. The new upcoming beast is this amazing 1.55-mile-high skyscraper planned for the Jumeirah City project in Dubai. The building is so tall that its main elevator is in fact a vertical 125mph bullet train. This city-in-a-skyscraper will consume 37,000MWH/year, with a 15MW peak usage, but as the plans show, it has been designed to generate most of it using wind, thermal, and solar power: More » -
Dubai Slaves
The Misery Behind Dubai's Architectural Splendor
As you know, we always wonder at the grandeur of Dubai's buildings: the tallest buildings in the world, the longest bridges, and the weirdest architecture imaginable. When Addy and I were there last year, we marveled at this explosion of concrete, glass, and steel with our own eyes. But we never saw the other side, the misery behind the splendour, the 300,000 illegal almost-slaves who live crammed into labor camps, working—and often dying or getting injured—for a few dollars a day. Fortunately, the Guardian's correspondant Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reminds us about it. More » -
led
The World's Largest LED Screen Is, Of Course, In Dubai
It's not built quite yet, but Tameer Holding is constructing the world's largest LED screen in Dubai for a commercial office building named The Podium. The gigantic display will be implemented as the building's facade, reaching 33 stories into the sky and maintaining visibility up to a mile away. (Needless to say, that's a lot bigger than we are building displays in America.) More » -
architecture
The Highest Skyscraper in the World
When it's finished in ten years, Dubai's latest architectural monolith will be the tallest skyscraper in the world. At more than one kilometer high (3,280 feet), the Nakheel Tower will have around two hundred floors. Like always, the company behind the project is very secretive about the actual size of the leviathan, in order to beat other buildings for as long as possible, but you can see how it compares to Burj Dubai and other the rest of giant towers here: More » -
dubai
City-In-a-Pyramid Could House a Million Dubaians, Power Itself
A particularly optimistic design firm in Dubai called Timelinks has proposed designs for the Ziggurat, a complete city to be layered inside of a massive pyramid that could serve as home for a million people at a time. Timelinks is currently seeking patents for a variety of technologies that would make such a building possible, including a three axis public transportation system that would run residents up, through and across the pyramid. They've also claimed that with a hybrid wind, solar and steam power the Ziggurat would be able to meet its own power needs, and that there would be enough room to allow for some minor agriculture in designated "green spaces." More » -
architecture
Real Sim City Comes to Life in the Desert
Yesterday's images of the almost-finished Burj Dubai blew our minds with its scale and grandiosity. Today, reader David Hobcote zooms out his Canon 1Ds Mark III on board a Bell heli to show us the current state of some of Dubai's new landmarks, including the stunning New Atlantis Hotel and the first house constructed on one of The World's artificial islands. Yes, it looks like a new Sim City running in a PlayStation 3. More » -
Mega Fountain
Massive Dubai Fountain Will Be the Largest, Most Technologically Advanced Water Works of its Kind
In Dubai, they're doing things big these days. Big hotels, big palm tree islands, big wallets, and very soon, big $281 million fountains. The biggest one in the world, in fact, and it will be large enough to give the famed fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas an inferiority complex. More » -
buildings
Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun
Italian architect David Fisher is building his first skyscraper, the Dynamic Tower, and it happens to be one of the most ambitious construction plans since the Pyramid of Khufu. Every floor of the 80-story self-powered building rotates according to voice command, and nearly the entire structure of the $700 million building is pre-fabbed. I caught up with the architect in New York, and he blew my mind again and again.
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dubai opera house
Zaha Hadid's Dubai Opera House Design Makes Me See Cylon Raiders
I'm just wondering if British architect Zaha Hadid is a Battlestar Galactica fan. It seems so, as her design for the Dubai Opera House is reminiscent of those croissant-shaped fighters that zing through space, facing down Starbuck et al. The development will go up on an island in Dubai Creek, and as well as hosting an auditorium with room for 2,500 people to hear fat ladies singing, it will house an 800-seat playhouse, arts gallery, performing arts school and six-star themed hotel. [Dezeen] More » -
The Inevitable Future of Mankind
Long Island To Get 35-Story Indoor Ski Resort, Doubles as Villain's Lair
For some, it’s more police. For others, it’s better traffic management. For Riverhead Resorts, though, what Long Island needs more than anything else is a 35-story man-made ski resort. As you could easily imagine, a few (read: lots and lots) of people aren’t too happy about the two billion dollar proposal, but the concept is stunning. More » -
skyscrapers
Burj Dubai Becomes World's Tallest Man-Made Structure Today
As of today, the Burj Dubai skyscraper in the Middle East stands at 650 meters, and here's a diagram found on the SkyscraperCity forums, comparing it to all the other towers. The construction has finally surpassed the current tallest man-made structure, the Warsawa radio mast in Poland, which stands at 646 meters. Only another 169 meters to go before the tip of the aircraft beacon is up, then. Clicky for bigger. [SkyscraperCity—thanks, Brian] -
fuzzywuzzymodo
One "Horsepower" Vehicle is a Slap in the Muzzle
Once upon a time horses were the kings of the open trail. The best horses were treated like royalty and their riders were worshiped for their skill. Unfortunately, those days are over. The Naturmobil pictured here was was built by Abdolhadi Mirhejazi of Dubai and it is powered by a single horse walking on a treadmill, encased in a plastic prison like some sort of common hamster. When the horse gets tired, a battery kicks in to power the vehicle along with the lights and the electrical system. More » -
dubai
Dubai Taking More Cues From Failed Movies By Sinking Money Into Floating Islands in the Shape of Letters
Just when we thought Dubai couldn't make more absurd architectural decisions, they go and commission a Dutch dude to make floating islands in the shape of Arabic letters that spell out a part of a poem. This floater of an idea has been tried before, albeit on a smaller scale with cruise ship terminals, mosques and a beach. What's the point of this other than to push the insanity envelope even further? The ability to rise up or down depending on how sea levels are going in the next few decades (they're going up). [NPR] More » -
showers
Emirates Air In-Flight Showers Cost $18,000 (Plus Enviro Guilt?)
Starting October 1, if you're flying first class from Dubai to New York on an Emirates Air A380, you'll have the option of grabbing a hot shower midflight. It'll cost you $18,000, but some showers are worth it, am I right? "No!" say those party poopers in the environmental lobby. More » -
mobile air
Emirates the First Airline to Allow Inflight Calls from Passenger Cellphones
Dubai-based airline Emirates has claimed the first ever permitted mobile phone call from a commercial flight. The conversations took place aboard a Casablanca-bound Airbus A340 that had been kitted out with a system that stops cellphones from messing with the plane's electronics. By the end of the year its passengers will be able to clack away on their BlackBerries and use other data services, such as sending texts. Calls on night flights will not be allowed, and the crews will be allowed to prohibit yakking whenever they feel like it. The only stipulation is that cell users, who can only make calls when at cruising height keep their phones switched to silent—thank God—during flights. [BBC Online] -
dubai
Dubai Artificial Island City Mixes Mythic Past and Future With a Death Star 3D Neighborhood for Kicks
From afar, Dubai is the most exciting place on earth, almost every day shaping up to be more like the utopic sci-fi fantasy city we had in our heads growing up. Its latest architectural stuntwork/masterpiece is the 1.5-billion-square-foot Waterfront City designed by Rem Koolhaas, an entire self-contained city resting atop an artificial island that mixes inspirations from ninth-century mosques to Koolhaas's own ideas about the THX 1138-esque generic city. More » -
twisted architecture
Infinity Tower to Twist by 90º Over Dubai Marina
For the record, I would like to state that I'm really bored of these outsized erections popping up all over the Arabian Peninsula. This one is going up in the Dubai Marina. It's called the Infinity Tower (because that is how long it seems that we have been covering these giant penile substitutes that are currently littering the Middle East) and its USP is that it twists 90º. This is the blurb on the 1,000-foot, 80-story, twisted monstrosity. More » -
dubai
Dubai Building World's Largest, Tallest, Most Futuregasmic Arch Bridge Next Month
Dubai is the Tetsuo of cities, expanding so fast it's on the verge of creating of its own universe. And architecture that looks like it's from the 22nd century only adds to the sheer grandeur of its growth—this bridge, envisioned by NY architecture firm Fxfowle, will be the largest and tallest arch bridge in the world, at one mile long and 670 feet tall. Construction starts next month and is due to wrap up in 2012 after running some $817 million dollars. World's first vacuum tube mass transit system will launch in Dubai shortly thereafter. [World Architecture News via io9] -
sea saw
Five Undersea Cables Cut So Far
In this strange maritime epidemic, the number of undersea cables cut in incidents around the Middle East and South Asia now totals five, including Sea-Me-We 4 (in two places) and cables run by Flag Telecom located at Alexandria, the Dubai coast, and Bandar Abbas in Iran. (Insert not-so-funny-anymore Dick Cheney terror joke here.) [Khaleej Times via Slashdot] -
robots
A Robotic Jurassic Park Coming to Dubai
When it comes to Dubai and attracting wealthy tourists, the word "restraint" is seldom used. Perhaps that is why it is not surprising that the locals are building a $1 billion theme park that will feature over 100 animatronic dinosaurs of 40 different species. Dubbed "Restless Planet," the park will attempt to provide an educational experience amid all of the Vegas-style spectacle. This will be done using history themed rides and robots/habitats that represent an accurate portrayal (based on current knowledge) of what life was like millions of years ago. More » -
media
The World's Tallest Building Has a Hell of a View
Not so long ago, our own Addy Dugdale showed us the Burj Dubai, what will be the world's tallest building of any kind when finished. Discovery Channel show "Really Big Things" got a slightly better view as the first camera crew allowed on top the building. And what can we say? It's high up there at 137 stories. And only 2/3 of the building is done. And Dubai is freakin' insane. [thedubailife] -
burj dubai
The Tallest Building in the World Looks Like a Stack of Pringles
On our blink-and-you'll-miss-it visit to the world's largest building site, aka Dubai, we stopped for a gawk at this, the Burj Dubai. Currently the tallest structure in the world, it stands at 156 stories and 585 meters high, but is expected to reach around 800 meters when finished. Designed by Adrian Smith, the tower continues the Armani-Samsung love-in, as the Italian designer is putting his name to a sexy hotel, while the Korean mega-corp is one of the three constructors on the skyscraper. But the cruelest cut of all is that Burj Dubai (burj means "tower" in Arabic) will be dwarfed by Kuwait's Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir, which will measure 1,001 meters (3,284 feet) when it is ready. But that's not expected to be until 2012 so, until then, size queens will be eyeing up Dubai. [Burj Dubai] -
good credit
Diamond Card...Actually Made of Diamonds
Smart Card maker GK Power has been contracted by Dubai First Bank to produce 1,000 diamond-packing credit cards for their most affluent clients. While the deal cost the bank $175,000 just in materials, we're more interested in the conversation when some guy loses his card. More » -
pseudo-steampunk
Steampunkish Stormtrooper, Boba Fett and Alien Look Almost Scarier Than the Originals
Just what you want to see when you're doing the shopping at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai &mdash three badass Steampunk nasties in the Al Jabber art gallery. Gallery below. More » -
mini earth
Design of the First Continent in "The World" is Complete
For those of you who haven't heard of The World, it's an enormous project going on in Dubai. Where they will construct islands, that as a whole will resemble the different parts of our planet. More » -
gadgets
Dubai Getting an Undersea Hotel for Rich Abyss Fans
Dubai, a place that represents what happens when a few people have way, way too much money, is going soon be home to Hydropolis, the world's first underwater luxury hotel. More » -
portable media
iPad vs Tower of Pisa: Leaning Building Battle Photos
Here are pictures of the Dubai iPod building set to be finished sometime in 2009. And the lean, designed at the same angle as a docked iPod, just beats out the Tower of Pisa's lean: 6 degrees vs the Tower of Pisa's 5.5 degree slant. More »
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