Daniel Pedersen

Dubai's Wind Powered Rotating Skyscraper is Building in Motion

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dubai skyscraper building rotating wind imageThe world’s first moving building, a skyscraper with 80 independently rotating floors, is being planned for Dubai (which has big green plans for 2008), with another 70-storey structure to be built in Moscow.

These cutting edge buildings, over 400 meters tall, will be constructed of prefabricated sections mounted on a central concrete core, at an estimated cost of $700m.  Catering to the upper crust, apartments are priced to sell at $3.7m – $36m, and will include such necessities as in-house parking, indoor swimming pools, voice controlled systems and an ever changing view.

Aside from the tremendous “cool” factor, the design incorporates a number of advanced environmental building principles (links to EPA in the United States):

Wind Power: The power for the building will be supplied by horizontal wind turbines installed between the floors, thus avoiding the visual impact, one of the major drawbacks of the familiar “propellor” turbine.  The blades are designed and constructed of materials to allow for quiet operation – a necessary feature, since they are only meters away from the residents.  The architect, Dr. David Fisher, explained wind is a problem for most skyscrapers, and he decided to make use of it instead.

Solar Power: Photovoltaic solar panels will be installed on the roof of each rotating floor, and because they are constantly in motion, 20% of each roof will be open to the sky and to the sun.

These sources are designed to generate more electricity than is used in the building, and to make this the first skyscraper that is self-powered.

Prefabrication: The individual units will be manufactured off-site in a dedicated factory, thus reducing the costs by about 10% and increasing the efficiency of the construction by 30%.  Prefabrication has the added benefit of allowing for a cleaner construction site, with a simpler and shorter process of assembly, less use of resources and energy, and minimal site disturbance.

High Density Building: High rise construction is an efficient use of area with a reduced footprint, as opposed to sprawling, low density development.

Building Materials: The use of natural and recyclable materials, insulated glass and structural insulating panels.

Natural Lighting: The units in the building should have sufficient natural light from the large expanse of glass and the rotation.

Check here and here for videos of the planned buildings in motion.

More links on greening buildings and Dubai:
A Green Survey of Dubai and United Arab Emerites
Dubai’s twirling tower
Rotating Wind Powered Apartment Skyscraper
Dubai plans ‘moving’ skyscraper
US Green Building Council
USEPA guidelines for Green Building

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24 Responses to “Dubai's Wind Powered Rotating Skyscraper is Building in Motion”

Richard Buckton • October 3rd, 2008 • 10:15 pm

This will be a good way to offset some of the less green things that are done in Dubai – developments like Palm Island and The World have been criticised for the disruption they cause to marine life etc.

Daniel Pedersen • November 7th, 2008 • 5:49 pm

I’ve been following more coverage of this project – apparently there are plans for one in New York City (but where would you put it so that it can be seen…)
One of the criticisms I’ve read: how does the plumbing work? How would you attach pipes in the moving section to the stationary core? Or maybe you just have to put the toilets, showers and sinks in the central core.

Kevin • March 13th, 2009 • 6:49 pm

I can’t figure out how they are going to run water/sewer pipes into a rotating building with standard technology. Has anyone else thought this through and figured it out. I envision plumbing/electric running up the center, non-rotating portion of the building, but how can you pipe that out to the rest of the building.
My only thought is that the building cannot continually rotate in the same directions. Rather, it has to oscillate it’s rotations back and forth, and then they can use flexible piping.

Jelly • October 6th, 2009 • 7:02 pm

Technically, the planned wind turbines (“power for the building will be supplied by horizontal wind turbines”) will not be horizontal. Wind power generators have two classes: HAWT and VAWT; the difference being the plane on which the axis lies, horizontal or vertical. Since these will be mounted on a central vertical structure that makes these plans for a VAWT.

Otherwise, interesting idea. S

BUT, who gets to decide which side of the structure faces which way?

J

deborah byrd • November 3rd, 2009 • 5:18 pm

We’ve been wondering about the plumbing, also. One thought was a circular sealed trough that allowed a waste pipe to move along with the building’s rotation. another thought was a holding tank that would allow for dumping after the rotation was complete and located at specific intervals along the core. Kind of like a docking station for a space module that would lock into place after rotation is complete and automatically empty the tank. Would love to see the plans!

Bracken • December 12th, 2009 • 7:15 pm

This is a very unique and cool idea. I am amazed that those blades will capture enought energy to spin that building, I also hope it has a braking device just incase of superspeed gusts. I would move in, but the price tag seems to be a little much.

Bracken • December 13th, 2009 • 2:15 am

This is a very unique and cool idea. I am amazed that those blades will capture enought energy to spin that building, I also hope it has a braking device just incase of superspeed gusts. I would move in, but the price tag seems to be a little much.

marytayon • February 10th, 2010 • 8:21 pm

do you have any posters or mini models you could donate to our after school program?15-25 kids average 15 per day at our residents service

marytayon • February 10th, 2010 • 10:21 pm

do you have any posters or mini models you could donate to our after school program?15-25 kids average 15 per day at our residents service

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