Posts Tagged ‘“Urban Planning”’

World’s Tallest Building – Empty

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

dubai-burj-tower

Burj Khalifa – Closed


The world’s tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed just a month after it opened. The viewing area had been the only portion of the 2,717 foot building open to the public and it is now indefinitely closed amid Dubai’s struggle to revive it’s economy.

Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa.  But little has been reported by the spire’s owner leaving it unclear if any of the empty floors will be open any time soon.

From Archinet:

The precise cause of the £960m ($1.5bn) Dubai skyscraper’s temporary shutdown remained unclear. In a brief statement responding to questions, the building’s owner, Emaar Properties, blamed the closure on “unexpected high traffic”, but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.

“Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors and the public will be informed upon completion,” the company said, adding it is “committed to the highest quality standards at Burj Khalifa”.

More at: Archinet

Related Posts:

Photos of Financially Broke Dubai

Dubai Pyramid – Carbon Neutral Living for 1 Million

600 Meter High Rise to Include Wind Turbine

SOM Goes Mega Green in China

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

som_beijing

Proposed New Bejing  City Center


SOM – Architects of the Sears Tower are  well known for Mega-Projects and now Mega-Redevelopment Projects. Their plan for Beijing’s new Central Business District is really three projects anchored around new parks and green boulevards.

The proposed Central Business District will be made up of a network of smaller more walkable neighborhoods to encourage pedestrian travel.  They will even design the CBD for bicycle travel, a first for China since the cultural revolution.  In Bejing, bikes are back!

No overscaled mega design is complete without creating a mass transit system.  In this case they will link to Bejing’s huge infrastructure for moving people.

This redevelopment plan includes high performance buildings that will enable the city to grow in a more sustainable manner. If the SOM plan is implemented, it could reduce energy consumption within the district by 50%, and reduce water consumption by a commensurate amount.

More at:  Inhabitat

The Singapore Sail – Sustainable Gold Standard

Landfill Island to Become Park