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 Posted August 29th, 2007, 12:18 AM |
#9 (permalink)
| |  West elevation
  Longitudinal section
 the Burj al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) in the Persian-Gulf emirate of Dubai distills the idea: It has no roulette wheels, magic shows or nightclubs to distract a visitor. The primary entertainment is the brute its the world’s tallest hotel, >>> 1,053 feet,
the structure itself is the height of extravagance. It is built on an artificial island 1,300 feet from the shore, partly to avoid casting a shadow on the beach, but mainly (as if that were not flippant enough) for the sheer exclusiveness of it. The Burj also flaunts its impressive engineering: A massive steel exoskeleton steadies the tower against seismic loads and the wind. This V-shaped frame wraps around a second V, the reinforced concrete tower containing the hotel rooms and lobbies. The two structures connect along a shored, reinforced concrete spine at the base of the V, and at two points along the curving atrium wall. The seismic superstructure rises 850 feet from the ground, and is further garnished with a mast that extends another 200 feet. Instead of putting a helipad on the ground, the architects constructed a special platform near the building’s pinnacle, held aloft like a votive offering to those rich enough to fly. The central atrium is more than 600 feet high, and takes up a good third of the interior space. Each of the 28 guest floors is double height, and every room a duplex, simply to give a more luxurious feel. The humblest accommodation, at 1,800 square feet, outdoes the grandest yacht cabin, while the 8,400 square feet covered by a three-bedroom suite would make a good-sized sailing lake. |
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TOTW/F/M Award(s): 2
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. hehe 
