Posted on 09/18/2009 7:36:26 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
A Santa Monica architect known for his high-rise designs is working on what may be the ultimate "spec" building -- a 224-story skyscraper with green ambitions that would be the tallest structure in the world.
The tower is envisioned for a man-made island in Abu Dhabi, if leaders of the oil-rich emirate decide they want to make a statement to rest of the world and perhaps one-up neighboring Dubai.
A conceptual design for the $3.5-billion project in the United Arab Emirates is under consideration by an Abu Dhabi planning committee, said Tommy Landau, the architect who created the design and is part of an unusual team of U.S. real estate players trying to get the ambitious project launched.
Landau knows it might be several years before construction starts -- if it starts at all. But he's not in a rush.
"This would be my swan song, my goodbye thing," the 72-year-old architect said.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Please don’t spoil my birthplace with such a monster eye sore! Santa Monica should reject this project in a second. If not pray for the next Richter 7.0+ earth quake to really take care of the mess. Just don’t build it too close to the pier, please, as I’d hate to see it damaged by this brain fart.
Are you kidding? Nothing this spectacular will be built in the USA again. This is all arab land stuff.
bttt
I hate to agree with you. Arabia and Asia seem to be where all the truly awe-inspiring construction projects are happening these days while American cities age, depopulate and slowly turn into slums.
Even Dallas, which has been doing ok and is still building up, is only building smaller buildings these days. They are decent, but not more than 20-30 stories it seems. Certainly nothing as nice as during the 80’s build up.
It makes me sad that we’re in such a bad situation and people have kinda given up in general in this generation.
How do you fill space in a 100 story skyscrapers nowadays?
I was recently in Kiev and even poor Ukraine is knocking down many of those old Soviet-era concrete monstrosities and building beautiful glass and steel towers. The Kiev skyline was dotted with cranes.
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