Over the past week or so, I recently learned that there are plans in place to build an architectural masterpiece in Dubai. Apparently there has been talk surrounding this building for over a year and now after recently presenting the estimated construction cost to the United Arab Emirates. It is looking more and more like these wind powered rotating apartment skyscrapers will be built in Dubai and Moscow. David Fisher, Architect of Dynamic Architecture, estimates that construction of the Dynamic Tower in Dubai will be completed by 2010. There are also talks to eventually construct these buildings in New York and London. Nevertheless, the Dubai project is slated to be the first one of its kind. Already they are advertising that you can reserve an apartment in this rotating tower.

It will also be a stunning landmark for the city, catching the sun as it quietly twists like a monolithic Rubik’s cube.

How It Works?

Construction begins with a concrete central core, containing the plumbing, the elevators, and other utilities. Then each apartment unit, which was pre-fabricated in various locations around the world, is shipped to Dubai and added to the concrete tower. Architect Fisher does this to cut down on construction costs and to make the actual construction more efficient. The Dubai Tower is planned to be 80-stories tall (1,380 feet) and house 200 apartments that are in a constant rotating motion around the central core. In between each floor unit there will be a horizontal wind turbine. There are slated to be at least 79 wind turbines in between the units, each producing an abundance of energy; enough to supply the entire tower and help out the surrounding neighborhood. Also, Dynamic Architecture has plans to place photovoltaic cells on each apartments roof, which will assist in powering the building through solar power. Due to the dynamic motion of each unit, every roof will ultimately see sunlight and this will only add to the self-sufficiency of the skyscraper. You might ask yourself, “Self, is this innovative building safe from natural disasters, like earthquakes?” Well, apparently it is.

Dynamic Architecture, the company building these structures, says that they’re actually safer from earthquakes than normal skyscrapers because each unit is independent and flexibly moves with the wind.

There is one downside though. While the few owners of an entire floor will be able to control the floors movement and pick their view, those that own individual units will be moved through the architects laptop. Thus most of the rotating floors will be controlled by the architect. Somehow this makes me uncomfortable.

What Are the Apartments Like?

As I said before there will be 200 total units attached to the Dynamic Tower. According to Dynamic Architecture, the first 20 floors will be offices, floors 21-35 will be a luxury hotel, and floors 36-70 will be residential villas. The last 10 floors will be luxury villas, which will no doubt host the wealthiest kings and lords.

Apartments will range in size from 124 square meters (1,330 square feet), to Villas of 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) complete with a parking space inside the apartment.

You read right, apartments will also be able to house a parking spot. This means that residents will be able to drive their vehicles into the elevator running up and down the central core.

Cost, Finance, & Science

While I am by no means a financial analyst nor an engineer, I thought it would only be proper for me to at least introduce the figures that have been thrown around in regards to the construction and the energy production of the Dynamic Tower. The initial cost is estimated at $700 million. Fisher’s plan to have the apartments pre-fabricated off-site and then shipped to Dubai to be added to the tower is estimated to save at least 10% of normal construction costs. Additionally, each apartment’s cost will range from about $3.7 million to $36 million (about $3000 per square foot).

On the other side of the coin, the tower is expected to produce $7 million of surplus energy per year marking its long-term profitability. According to inventorspot.com and gizmag.com, the wind turbines in between each floor are expected to collectively produce 1,200,000 kilowatts per year. With each turbine producing 300 kWh over the year and with the average family consuming 24,000 kWh annually, there should be a giant amount of surplus energy that can be pumped back into the city’s grid.

My Thoughts

Without a doubt, the undertaking to construct this rotating tower is an architectural marvel. Upon its completion it will most likely become the 10th Wonder of the World. It will definitely be an architectural feat that rivals the building of the Great Pyramids, relatively speaking of course. The future is here and it seems as though Dubai is playing host to all creative innovation and technology.

. . . each floor rotates independently at different speeds, resulting in a unique and ever evolving structure that introduces a fourth dimension to architecture, Time.

While I am by no means an avid supporter of wind power or solar power, as I think nuclear is the best way to produce energy, I can’t help but think that this tower is a really cool technological achievement. I mean this is the stuff that Sci-Fi books and movies is all about. Perhaps Dubai will be the first futuristic city in the world, kind of like machine city, Zero-One, from the Matrix. Maybe one day, Dubai will serve as the capital to the world. Maybe it will be the home of the future space federation. Regardless of political or financial motives, Dubai is quickly bringing the future to the present.