But this innovative design is actually a blueprint for the city of the future - a giant glass pyramid that could house up to one million people.
The development, named the 'Ziggurat', will be self sufficient and carbon neutral with power being supplied by wind turbines.
No cars will be allowed inside the 2.3 square kilometre building, with residents being whisked around by a monorail network which operates both horizontally and vertically.
Security in the city will be provided by biometrics with residents relying on facial recognition to enter their homes.
Dubai based designer Timelinks has already patented the design and technology incorporated into the project.
Ridas Matonis, managing director of Timelinks, said the city would work by 'harnessing the power of nature.' He said: "Ziggurat communities can be almost totally self-sufficient energy-wise.
"Whole cities can be accommodated in complexes which take up less than ten per cent of the original land surface. "Public and private landscaping will be used for leisure pursuits or irrigated as agricultural land.
"If these projects were realised today the world would see communities that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and in tune with their natural surroundings."
73 comments:
September 3, 2008 9:50 PM
2.3 sq kms of land doesnt seem enough for 1 million people... i find that really tough to believe or maybe enough detail hasnt been provided here
September 3, 2008 10:05 PM
It'll fail. Designers tried this crap back in the 50's and 60's and the problem was that noone wants to live like that.
September 3, 2008 10:06 PM
The entire population of the world would fit in an area the size of Texas, so this is more then enough room for a million people.
September 3, 2008 10:49 PM
actually, teh entire population of teh world would fit in an area about teh size of teh average county in texas.
dumbass.
texas is the shiznat.
September 3, 2008 11:05 PM
I would hate to think what happens if the food and water supplies into it stops flowing... Plus where does all the waste go?
I wouldn't want to live in there.
September 3, 2008 11:34 PM
I'd live in. I think that'd be freakin' OSM.
Built it!
It's got to be politically autonomous, though... like any other city.
September 3, 2008 11:46 PM
only steers and queers in Texas
September 3, 2008 11:50 PM
Logan's Run anyone?
Although I do like the idea, and if you like city life, it'd probably be no different inside.
September 4, 2008 12:04 AM
I think it's doable, I mean obviously they'll be thinking about the waste system and the article says that it's in a conditioned ecosystem. Can't wait to see what comes out
September 4, 2008 12:15 AM
Actually, this has been thought of before by Paolo Solari.
Its called an Arcology, and its supposed to be self sustaining (farms are built in). That seems to answer the question about what happens if food stops coming in. What happens if the food stops coming into New York? Ever thought of that? HUH?!? I didn't think so.
For those of you who have played Sim City 2000, you should be familiar with arcologies at least in a vague sense (Maybe. You could build them if you got that far or had Urban Renewal and by vague I mean you may have seen the term "Arco" somewhere associated with a frick'n big ass building. There were at least 4 kinds). This would also theoretically help lower the emission of CO2 (more public transportation, like elevators and trams, or just walk... BUT THIS IS THE FUTURE!! Use a Segway!)
The reason why so many people can fit in so small an area is mainly because they live vertically. Its like Japan and their population density with so little land. Building vertically allows for a higher density. That, or chop the people up smaller. Take your pick.
Sure, this never worked in the 50s or 60s, but neither did other ideas like electric cars. They have been around since the early 1900s, but have mostly been held back by cost and availability of materials. Now that new materials such as carbon composites are becoming more readily available, such projects are seeming to become more viable. Heck, most of the world's problems could probably have been solved if we used Buckminster Fuller's work on synergy... He had the idea about green architecture since the 40s or 50s!
Sure, there are problems. These things would probably be big targets for your enemies due to the population density, so better build them sturdy, underground, or defend the heck out of them! Also sound would be a problem. This could be alleviated through good planning and sound reducing technology.
And remember: EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS (except maybe people's brains... Ok, just GWB's...)
One last thought: save a room for me.
September 4, 2008 12:34 AM
fuck texas.
and fuck biometric security. privacy ftw.
September 4, 2008 12:38 AM
By any chance, does "shiznat" mean "home of the fucktards"?
September 4, 2008 1:14 AM
Well there was that fort city in China near Hongkong which had over a million people in it and it was smaller than that, run by the triads i think, anyway it has been known to work.
Sounds like the kind of thing that would have to be run by a corporation or a group of corporations in order to keep everything working together in a coerent way
September 4, 2008 1:18 AM
Everybody, just read Azimov's Robot and Foundation books.
September 4, 2008 2:22 AM
Wow! only steers and queers in Texas!?! I mean come on grow the Fuck! up that's a stupid saying and only queers would say that.
I Got my horns "Mother Fucker" how bout You?
I think this is a sound idea, we need to start reducing green house gasses, as well as cleaning the environment. Everybody has to do their part in this matter, not just 5 country's the whole friggin Planet.
If we don't our race well not last much longer in the current course we are on.
September 4, 2008 2:49 AM
Cabrini-Green
September 4, 2008 5:22 AM
I came.
September 4, 2008 5:39 AM
Seems an idea that has merit. Would suit quite a lot of people who seem to enjoy being crammed into cities. Plus it would allow for ultra-efficiency in work plus delivering of essential services.
Will be interesting to see how far they get with this idea.
September 4, 2008 11:48 AM
Seems like a good idea, but I think the problem is that it would be too expensive.
September 4, 2008 5:36 PM
Re: egyptian flying machine, if such a glider was taken to great heights using a hot air balloon it could travel large distances very fast, if the balloon was attached to a rope it could be reuseable. the dragon appearance of the underside of the glider gives the impression that they witnessed such a creation, rather than created it, or possibly tried to or did capitalise on such an invention. yes arcologies are a great idea. you'd want to make those windows nice and sturdee, not that we today build our living structures very durably anyhow. also the one pictured is to close to river to be safe. and yes you would want to arm it with long range missiles or something, for the sake of the world preferably not nuke tips.
September 4, 2008 6:49 PM
http://www.wowwiki.com/Ziggurat
lolz
September 5, 2008 5:07 AM
Judge Dredd readers will know the danger of block wars: outbreaks of violence between or within large buildings of multiple occupancy.
September 5, 2008 1:36 PM
cabrini green + soylent green = dubai prison ghetto
efficiency will get your children fed to the fatcats
September 6, 2008 4:06 AM
Well in conception it's similar to Le Corbusier's idea of 'machines to live in' - essentially huge skyscraper blocks to house the population and leave the rest of the environment green and unspoiled - however as we all know in the UK, what happens when city planners get hold of the germ of a good idea and only implement part of it (and badly at that) result: total screw up and swathes of ugly concrete jungle no one wants to live in which then has to be demolished and replaced with traditional housing 20-30 years later. Nice utopian image but as we all know in the real flawed world with real flawed people, this stuff never works... - Nik
September 6, 2008 10:56 AM
Shadowrun's Renraku Arkology anyone?
(think D&D's tomb of horrors, but in 2050AD instead)
September 8, 2008 9:49 AM
If you read the text, it says that is is a "template" for a design that could house 1 million people. It does not say that THIS structure is the one for 1 million.
Also, jacob, please use "the" not the idiotic, I can't type or use spell check version "teh". Of course that is only if you want to say something that anybody cares about.
September 8, 2008 10:01 AM
Queers in Texas...really? Hmm.. They sure have more than that... 5 types of Terrain including Dessert, Plains, Hill Country, Mountain, and Prairies. Does its own farming/agriculture, own Space Program (Houston), own oil reserves, beside a coastline to trade with the world by sea, Military bases (Air Force, Army, Marines), Texas Instruments w/ thousands of patents in leading technology, its own Power Grid (supply), NO STATE TAX, and is the only state to have its flag raised the same level as the US flag. Can your state flag do that?...Not legally anyway... These are just to name a few...
September 10, 2008 1:28 PM
Wow, 5 types of terrain among other blah, blah, blah. Also home of the worst president ever.
Don't mess with Texas... it's not nice to pick on the retards.
September 10, 2008 6:47 PM
A communal "city" exists in Arizona. Its success is questionable.
http://www.arcosanti.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcosanti
September 10, 2008 8:36 PM
not to sound like a republican or a negative nancy, but 1 mil people crammed into 1 building? that my freinds is a recipe for disaster. what if sombody targeted that place with even a tactical nucular warhead talk about killing quit a few birds with one stone. lets stop kidding ourselfs here the answer is colonizing other worlds. this idea is a waste of time and always has been.
September 21, 2008 9:14 PM
LMAO @
negativeffect.......Cabrini-Green
oh yeah.....'shopped
September 29, 2008 5:35 PM
or Texas is just a vast open space populated by the few George Bush type morons who live there
October 24, 2008 5:54 PM
OMG!!...Imagine all that human waste...trash and shit...
would need to cristalize it probably... but i know i would not live in there.
October 28, 2008 7:15 AM
where do they all work?
What do they do with the sick and the poor?
The pompous of the wealthy would not want to share the same space with so many common people.. hence the facial recognition.
How much would commercial space cost?
If we need to expend energy and travel in a vertical path to accomplish daily tasks, then we are not being green at all. Even if the power is wind generated.
you can NOT sustain the food, jobs, housing in this space effectivly.
I love my urban environment for the reason that I have so many wide open spaces adjacent to my daily life.
The base of the city would turn into a sprawling mall and community in no time.
Looks clean.. sounds nice, but in reality?
Not necessary
Of course I would never want to live in Dubai oppressed by an economy of fear.
November 16, 2008 3:16 PM
That is just too creepy. No way I would live there.
January 21, 2009 7:56 AM
This is brilliant! Terrorists can now kill 1 million people at a time with just a few strategically placed explosives.
March 12, 2009 3:13 AM
You can paint Communism green but it's still Communism.
"I know, lets throw all the slaves in a giant eco-pyramid and we can have all their old space."
March 12, 2009 3:22 AM
why do people hate texas? seriously... it's a big piece of land just like anywhere else. There's nothing special about the people there, they aren't any gayer or dumber than anyone else in america.
March 12, 2009 3:30 AM
It's a nice thought, but try convincing anyone to live in it...
March 12, 2009 3:40 AM
"dont mess with texas" its not nice to pick on retards :(
March 12, 2009 3:44 AM
Would not live in one of those pyramids they look shit
But the way George Bush is a moron but there are far more morons that voted him in power, America, America, America home of the morons.
March 12, 2009 3:54 AM
global warming is lie propagated by special interest groups, hippies, and asses like Nancy Pelosi who feel the need to waste tons of fuel and pollute the air by having private fighter jet escorts
March 12, 2009 4:07 AM
What this world really needs is population reduction. We don't need more idiots to blog on the Internet from the ticky tacky boxes they will be living in!
Dan
March 12, 2009 4:43 AM
Wow, talking about major coolness!
TR
www.privacy.at.tc
March 12, 2009 4:54 AM
This Texas bad mouthing is a hoot. Keep it up lads.
This would work. I would definitely be at the party.
March 12, 2009 6:02 AM
What about my marijuana? Will they grow it for me? Are we allowed to leave or is this a cult type thing? Do I get to have a garden? Will the police be able to enter my home with just a face scan or do they need a warent. Freaking commies....
March 12, 2009 6:02 AM
WHERE DOES THE SHIT GO? WE WANNA KNOW!
WHERE DOES THE SHIT GO? WE WANNA KNOW!
March 12, 2009 6:09 AM
Ok has anyone ever stood next to glass in the sun. This place in Dubai would be hot as hell. So wind power is OK but what happens on a week with no wind or low wind? The lefties are screaming "GO GREEN GO GREEN" but have no fucking clue how to get us there. Come up with a plan that works first. Besides how is all going to hold up when the world tries to shake us all off at 2012?
March 12, 2009 7:07 AM
I'd only live there if we all had to wear uniforms, like a white jumpsuit and if there were a real calm sounding woman's voice on the public address system and we all rode around in electric carts that started up with a kind of "bleep, blib, blib, blib" sound.
March 12, 2009 7:23 AM
So, who's going to Carousel tonight?
March 12, 2009 7:24 AM
2012? What are you going do different over the next 3 years? Nothing. So stop thinking about it. Enough with hysteria.
-next -
Renewable Energy is able to be done now, is being done now and is effective. If you don't know that then you don't enough about all the solutions out there. It must not be one solution it must be many so we don't depend on any one resource and we don't have an emmission that becomes a problem in high volume.
Now with regards to this mega-building, I think it's worth looking into. City dwellers are used to that kind glass and steel jungle. The great thing about this is there would be no cars needed and the food that is grown can be very close by which reduces the energy needed to bring food to the masses.
Man is spreading like a plague across this planet. We kill the plant life that filters our toxic area and soil and we encroach about the animal life to the point of their extinction. I would prefer if we give back the land to the plants and animals. Beside the animals make for good hunting then ;)
March 12, 2009 8:27 AM
Robert Silverberg wrote a novel about this called "The World Inside". Its a good read. The cities had lots of sex and stuff.
March 12, 2009 9:00 AM
Soylent Green is people much?
BTW, jacob is dumb ass giving Texans a bad name. Stupid stupid jacob
March 12, 2009 9:53 AM
doesent this emediatly bring to mind biodomes from sim city 2000? lol bring on the fires, earthquakes, and tornados. (UFO's too.)
March 12, 2009 10:03 AM
Paolo Soleri has been designing and building arcologies for decades. I've visited Arcosanti many times, as it's an hour's drive from me. It's an actual construction project that is ongoing, depending on funding. There is a decent community that supports Soleri's projects both in funding and labor.
As for the naysayers, I remember people dissing the hybrid car concept when they first came out, saying that they would never want to drive a hybrid. Yet, soon, hybrid technology will be standard, until better technology can be refined. These days, owning a hybrid is wise, not crazy as many people said previously.
Regardless of whether the developers in Dubai stole the concept of arcologies from Soleri, I'm sure he'd be pleased to see support for better sustainable urban living. Soleri's not only an architect, but also a philosopher. Maybe he even had a hand in this design.
I think that many people who are unfamiliar with arcologies will change their minds once they realize that it's not as far fetched or uncomfortable as it sounds.
March 12, 2009 10:30 AM
Personally, I think that these are the future. Instead of trying to figure out what we're going to do about the climate changes, we need to start building these in every threatened city. Move the entire population of the cities into these, let the rest of the land go back to nature. We would be shielded from the environment, and the environment would be shielded from us.
March 12, 2009 11:27 AM
It's a people ant-hive! Hopefully no giant aliens will come along to kick it over
March 12, 2009 12:10 PM
What I find remarkable, sans the multitude of unintelligent responses, is the fact that no one has pointed out the following:
To those of you that are touting, "these should be used"...theoretically they're already used, they're called "villages". Except the problem is that villages expand into towns, then into cities, then into mega cities (New York and Tokyo).
So this thing houses 1 million people. That's fine. But what do you do when that 1 million exponentially increases? You start building around it...and expanding, just like every other village through out historical civilization.
One thing that is abundantly clear, we've got plenty of land. But it's not usable land. Despite the marvels of Texas (sarcasm), land is abundant. What is not abundant are the resources to sustain and provide for the populace.
So you think that throwing a few "magic gardens" into a glass and steel structure is going to solve the worlds ills?
Either stop expanding (population control), or work on distribution of existing resources to more remote locations. Population density is controlled by the desire of the people to want to be there (jobs, resources, etc.). And for goodness sake (from a purely financial aspect) focus on renewable resources. Any asshat can easily figure out that if you cannot replentish what you use you'll eventually run out.
And, one last point regarding the "magic pyramid": The article didn't specify that it was necessary for it to be self contained, nor a "bio-sphere". What are you going to do when the city you live in runs out of food, huh? You're going to wait for the trucks to roll in from other districts...just like you're doing now.
And as for Texas, the reason why people bash you, is because you're deserving of such treatment. So you've got the most amount of un-usable land in the country, after Alaska. Perhaps it's the way you consider yourselves to be so superior. I noticed you didn't tout all of the crime statistics for the state, or the illegal immigration. Look, you're a state with lots of land...get over yourselves, no one is impressed except for yourselves.
March 12, 2009 1:15 PM
"It'll fail. Designers tried this crap back in the 50's and 60's and the problem was that noone wants to live like that."
either you are speaking of those small circular retro houses that are totally pointless or some other mass housing idea i haven't heard of but population growth is a impending problem to face so inevitably these kind of things will be forced into use. Also, It's probably not exactly 1 million people, since you would require to have stores, public entertainment sections, waste treatment facilities, maintainence areas and the like to keep people healthy and happy.
March 12, 2009 1:38 PM
The entire population of the world could fit in Texas? They tried that in the 50s and 60s but nobody wants to live in Texas.
March 12, 2009 5:28 PM
Considering the huge financial and real estate growth currently happening in Dubai, I can easily see this being a reality by the end of the next decade (ie: before 2020). I dont think that's really that far off at all.
Its the natural progression from high-rise, apartment style, living and I can see it being snapped up incredibly quickly once development starts.
Carbon neutrality and sustainability are the buzz words for this decade and I, personally, see some of the rhetoric being turned into action even now. I expect the planning and early development to be all over DIGG some time next year.
Everything mentioned about the pyramid is do-able today. There's nothing "far off" or "futuristic" about the concept except for the psychological aspects of living in a self contained city. I can easily see large companies buying "houses" in the pyramid for long term contract workers who will need accomodation in Dubai.
March 13, 2009 12:14 AM
Those who are doubting stupid things as "where does the waste go"...for someone's sake, do you really think the ppl behind this havent been thinking about it? Im pretty damn sure they have such things totally covered until they would even think about the possibility of it. And someone told noones gona live in there...well its just stupid twats like you ruining the great idea and NOT living in it. I think its awesome, if you disagree...well then i disagree with your opinions.
March 13, 2009 2:06 PM
Well, planned cities or communities don't work. That's right. They also wast resources and are built in the wrong places. And planned communities nearly always replace the natural landscape because it is easier to build on unbuilt land.
We need to rethink and rebuild our existing cities and put aside as many acres for the Earth as possible.
Richard Stafursky
http://wslfconwaymausa.blogspot.com/
March 17, 2009 2:53 AM
How horrible to be jammed up in a glass city with a million other people.
March 17, 2009 4:34 AM
all my x's live in texas.
March 17, 2009 12:59 PM
Any not one person would throw a stone??? Better have plenty of Band-Aids!
March 17, 2009 1:43 PM
human waste... how do they deal with it in skyscrapers, if you take a poop on the top it still makes it to the sewer system.
to maintain jobs you would have people working in the city to support those that live in the city, you live there, you work there? obviously this will not apply to everyone, but to support itself it will have store wherein you buy stuffs if you live there (not to mention the initial flow of tourism simply from the concept). To the people that dont work in the city, ie: internet business, they still make money and will have the money to spend, and to spend in the store in the city = sustainability.
as for food = http://mb-soft.com/public/growtowr.html and http://www.verticalfarm.com/
and as for defense from nukes, there is already a missile defence system in North America (shoot down the nukes... yeee). Smaller networks built around these cities would probably not be in the cities themselves, but in SAM site-like structures 'X' number of distance away from city in a perimetre
i dont care about texas one way or the other
stop being so afraid of communism, all of you, being all together hating communism communally... commie bastards.
i think im done.
www.realitycarnival.com
yay!
March 17, 2009 5:12 PM
For the r tards who dont like Texas and bad mouth Texas. Please continue to do so! Also, could you tell your friends to please stay the heck away from my state.
Please stay in your Igloos and -40 degree sleeping bags. Stop MOVING here! I like to keep as many of the hottest women in the USofA all to myself please.
Texas women are BEAUTIFUL. Please continue to propagate with your cheese graters and sheep sheers. It's done wonders.
We have so many wonderful places to populate and party. Padre Island. Austin. SXSW. UT. SW Texas. Live music capitol of the world...
Warm summers/ hot summers. Shady Hollow, where the nudists go. Decent winters where you dont have to shovel snow. EVER. Where you dont have to scrap ice from your vehicle except perhaps once a year.
Yeah. Total hell hole. Steers and queers? Please continue to think that, and stay the hell away.
March 18, 2009 11:15 AM
Stay the hell away? Stay the FUCK away you fucktwats.
March 20, 2009 5:48 PM
"huge financial and real estate growth currently happening in Dubai"... That was yesterday. Today Dubai is going broke from a mountain of debt left from overbuilding. If someone tries to build this, they will probably end up broke too. Then you will be able to buy a forclosed cube in this thing at a big discount.
March 27, 2009 10:04 AM
Looks more like a cage to me. Of course the idea comes from a country that had never experienced freedom. And all the freedom hating, left-wing, liberal kooks will think it's the greatest thing in the world.
March 30, 2009 1:23 PM
that would make a great prison
March 31, 2009 8:33 AM
It's not called "shady hollow" its called "Hippy Hollow" where the nudists go.
It's been in the 70's the past month here in Texas. Beautiful flowers, beautiful spring.
When it get's really hot this summer we will be tubing down the wonderful Texas rivers. Take a tub, get some ice cold beer, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Lay back in your tub and have a nice lazy trip down the river for six or seven hours.
"Floating" it's called. I wonder how many people up north get to do this? I wonder how many people get to go to their creeks and tub down those after a good rain shower. My guess is not too many.
People who bash Texas obviously have never been here. Their ignorance is astounding.
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