New tower in the Emirates — Nakheel Tower

The latest design attempting to breach the dizzying heights of the Burj Dubai has been revealed as the multibillion dollar Nakheel Tower. Designed by the developments wing of major investment company Nakheel, the tower will be more than a kilometre high, covering a space of around 270 hectares, and will become home to around 55,000 people, a workplace for 45,000, and is hoped will attract millions of visitors each year. More images and video after a jump...

Nakheel Tower will comprise of four individual towers within a single structure, a distinctive crescent-shaped podium encircling the base and complementing the structure’s remarkable height. The multibillion-dollar development, commissioned by Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, will also include 250,000 sq m of hotels and hospitality space, 100,000 sq m of retail space and huge expanses of green spaces, including canal walks, parks and landscaping. The Tower itself, cited geographically central to Dubai at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed Road and the Arabian canal, will aim to complement surrounding developments, such as Jumeirah Park and Discovery Gardens.

In terms of design the architects have sought inspiration not just from Islamic design but also from the Islamic principles of inclusion, innovation, diversity, excellence, growth and progress: “These are the principles that have motivated and guided Islamic culture throughout history. Now they are shaping the cities of the future,” explained Sultan Bin Sulayem. To this end, the architects have sought inspiration and incorporated elements from the great Islamic cities of the past such as the gardens of Alhambra in Spain, the harbour of Alexandria in Egypt, and the bridges of Isfahan in Iran.

Sustainability and safety will be key to the development of the tower, with the latest standards and technology incorporated in its development, Sultan Bin Sulayem believes it will “send another message to the world that Dubai has a vision like no other place on earth.” Via Link

 

Forget the 3,280 feet-high 200-floor Nakheel Tower because it’s no longer going to be the highest skyscraper in the world. The new upcoming beast is this amazing 1.55-mile-high skyscraper planned for the Jumeirah City project in Dubai. The building is so tall that its main elevator is in fact a vertical 125mph bullet train. This city-in-a-skyscraper will consume 37,000 megawatts per hour per year, with a 15MWH peak usage, but as the plans show, it has been designed to generate most of it using wind, thermal, and solar power. Via Link

The Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Monument Is Raised in Moscow

The famous sculpture has been installed onto its new pedestal on 28th November. It was originally created in 1937 by the soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina especially for the World Fair in Paris. This 25 meters high sculptural composition was to crown a huge Soviet pavilion at the bank of Siene River. More images after a break.......

 The sculpture is made of stainless chrome-nickel steel – not a very typical material for sculptures even for extremely industrialized Soviet countries in the late 1930’s. But for the words of the author “its reflecting grey would allow to single the monument out of the ambient space”.

A young man holding a hammer and a lady with a sickle were to embody the masters of the Soviet land – labor class and collective farming. The tools they hand form the hammer and sickle symbol – state emblem of the Soviet Union. After the Paris World Fair finished the monument was tried be moved to Moscow but due to its enormous size was seriously damaged while being transported. In 1939 it was reconstructed in Moscow and installed at the Northern entrance to the All-USSR Agricultural Exhibition (now called All-Russia Exhibition Center). In 1979 the sculpture was restored.

In 2003 Moscow was one of the favorite to accept Expo 2010 so it was decided to dismantle the monument for substantial reconstruction. It was taken in 40 pieces. It was planned to be returned to its place in 2005 but after Expo 2010 was awarded to Shanghai and due to the financial problems reconstruction works were delayed and the day of the sculpture’s return was postponed for several times.

Nobody knew the exact time when they are going to raise the monument, but there were some rumors a day before that it’ll be 8 a.m. They appeared to be truth and at 7.50 the huge sculpture began its way up. A unique crane that can cope with a nearly 200 tons weight was ordered especially for this event in Finland. There are only three of them in the world. The lift was very slow – about 30 minutes. That gave enough time for gapers to stand open-mouthed and to use their cell phone cameras.

At last the statue was fastened at the top of a new exhibition pavilion – an exact copy of that standing in Paris in 1937. It will accommodate Vera Mukhina Museum, a number of exhibition sites and a conference-hall. The facade of the building is not finished yet – some decoration works are in progress. The modern restorers refused to use beautiful marble originally decorated the pavilion due to its high cost and susceptibility to low temperatures. They used granite instead – stones of 12 different tints were ordered in Italy, Kazakhstan, Turkey and China.

Via : Link

The Mystery of Qin Shi Huangdis Mausoleum

 

1. The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi / Photo from Fraggle Rockstar

The tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China is loaded with historical significances. This mausoleum, which is seen as the epitome of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s boundless power and prestige is located 30 km to the outside of X’ian in the Shensi province of China. Qin Shi Huangdi was the only ruler who single-handedly unified the seven warring clans of the China of 221 BCE and commanded massive construction of several public infrastructures as well as the legendary Great Wall of China.

2. Generales de Qin Shi Huang / Photo from Lezama

The emperor left a written record of his military and diplomatic feats in a series of tablets. He successfully abolished feudalism, promoted religion and divided China into 36 states for an efficient administration. Among the other significant achievements of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was the standardization of various systems of writing, weights and measures, currencies and the simplification of the record-keeping methods. Despite these progressive works, Qin Shi Huangdi was despotic and tyrannical in his rule.

3. Some of the 7000 Warriors, discovered in 1974. They are guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi near Xi’an, Central China. Known as the “Terra-cotta Army”, the Warriors are now considered the 8th Wonder of the World / Photo from Heaven’s Gate (John)

Interestingly, this great builder ordered the erection of his burial chamber right after his ascension to the throne in 246 BCE when he was just a boy of thirteen! Going by the records about his personal traits, it was rather a contradictory step for Qin Shi Huangdi to take because of his search for an immortality formula to help him eternalize his ‘divine rule’. However, the work completed 36 years after it was started and Qin Shi Huangdi died soon after in 210 BCE to be buried in it.

4. Tomb Warriors exhibit in Epcot’s China Pavillion. / Photo from Damgaard

The discovery of this archeological treasure happened in 1974, when a team of Chinese peasants abruptly came across the tomb while trying to drill a well. What was most striking about this mausoleum was its huge size and the remarkable artworks stored in it. This includes the 8000 life-size army consisting of terracotta statues of men and horses. Because each statue was individually built with 3-inch thick terra-cotta clay, you can distinguish each soldier and horse from another in their unique looks, weaponry and dressing.

5. Terracotta Warriors / Photo from One Daring Armadillo

The warriors are positioned according to the ranks they held in the contemporary time. The different sections of the 8000 troops are distributed in three separate chambers. The first and the largest chamber contains the troop of active duty officers, the second chamber is where the reserves are placed while the third small chamber houses 68 elite commanders and officers. All the soldiers face east to protect the afterlife of Qin Shi Huangdi from possible enemy attacks coming from that direction.

6. Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses – Xian, China. / Photo from Purple Cloud

The mystery of this tomb lies in the fact that the three-chamber terracotta soldier complex forms only 1% of the total mausoleum area. The central section of the 90-feet tall mausoleum building beneath an earthen pyramid is still unexcavated. According to the accounts of Chinese historians and popular legends, this part is mapped as a city, with walls, palaces and cemetery and meant for the use of Qin Shi Huangdi in his luxurious afterlife. The rivers and water bodies are sketched with flowing mercury while the sky is represented by constellations of pearls.

7. Photo from Kiwi Mikex

The underground palace is arguably the most elaborate structure in its grandeur and amenities. It could be an abode of long-buried treasures like precious gems, metals and other wealth. This intricate bronze-lined, waterproof construction extending over four square miles took the labor of 700,000 prisoners of war and slaves for its completion after which they were killed to stop them from divulging the tomb’s secret. To make Qin Shi Huangdi’s second life as pompous as his life on earth, his mistresses were buried alive in this tomb as well.

8. Life after death / Photo from Mernas

Even today the excitement over the mysterious secrets of this sophisticated necropolis has not stopped drawing groups of tourists and intellectuals from the world over. As a tourist, you can freely take a tour to the spot although all the details of its excavations are strictly under Chinese authorities. They are still to dig out treasures and valuables from the womb of Qin Shi Huangdi’s mausoleum. Only when the tomb is opened up completely, the myriad marvelous accounts it has commanded will meet the light of truth.

9. Xi’an – Terracota Warriors / Photo from mseguias (Source)