World's First Rotating Skyscraper

June 25, 2008 9:32 PM

But where are the flying cars?
posted by troubadour (57 comments total)

I prefer this to flying cars. Very, very cool.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:35 PM on June 25, 2008

A note on the architect:

The biography also said he received an honorary doctorate from "The Prodeo Institute at Columbia University in New York." No such institution exists, however, and Columbia said it had never awarded Fisher an honorary degree.

Asked to explain the discrepancy, Fisher said, through his New York publicists, that he had been awarded the degree by the Catholic University of Rome during a ceremony in 1994 held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, which is near Columbia's campus.

In addition, he's never designed a sky scraper.
posted by tkolar at 9:37 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

More coverage of David Fisher's "building in motion."

"Speaking at a news conference in New York on Tuesday, the building's designer, David Fisher, declared that his tower will revolutionize the way skyscrapers are made -- a claim that might strike some as excessively bold.

Fisher acknowledges that he is not well known, has never built a skyscraper before and hasn't practiced architecture regularly in decades.

But he insisted his lack of experience wouldn't stop him from completing the project..."

posted by ericb at 9:41 PM on June 25, 2008

Next up ... David Fisher offers the opportunity to purchase shares for the acquisition of a bridge in Brooklyn.
posted by ericb at 9:44 PM on June 25, 2008

Wait till you see my new Jenga tower.
posted by Artw at 9:45 PM on June 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

There's a wonderfully sick irony to the all the spectacular money-pit investments these oil-bazillionaires are making in sea-level real estate.
posted by George_Spiggott at 9:46 PM on June 25, 2008 [12 favorites]

...he had been awarded the degree by the Catholic University of Rome during a ceremony in 1994 held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine...

BTW -- the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is not a Catholic Church but, "the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the seat of its Bishop."
posted by ericb at 9:51 PM on June 25, 2008

Wait till you see my new Jenga tower.

David Fisher’s Jenga Towers.
posted by ericb at 9:52 PM on June 25, 2008

I think if I ever finally got a flying car, I'd be pretty disappointed. Not that it wouldn't be cool, but it just can't live up to the hype. Thanks for ruining flying cars for me, everyone.
posted by stavrogin at 9:59 PM on June 25, 2008

Centrifugal force, anyone?
posted by Pastabagel at 10:02 PM on June 25, 2008

But, where's my jetpack?
posted by ericb at 10:02 PM on June 25, 2008

thats going to be the floppiest skyscraper ever. What about the section modulus. and i don't think the wind turbines will work as well as they hope, the cup type wind turbines i don't think work well when there is nowhere for the air to divert around the vane. have they had wind tunnel tests? CFD? this reeks to me of concept cars that are all pretty skin and claims of a 600hp hybrid drivetrain when its all hacked together steel tube and a golf cart motor underneath.
posted by TheJoven at 10:02 PM on June 25, 2008

Something tell me that the proposed height of 420m is no coincidence.
posted by b1tr0t at 10:10 PM on June 25, 2008 [4 favorites]

Methinks "David Fisher," a "visionary Italian architect " may have Punk'd all of us.

FWIW (not saying there is any connection, just pointing out the name similarity) -- "David Fisher" is the lead character (played by Dexter's Michael C. Hall) in HBO's series Six Feet Under
posted by ericb at 10:11 PM on June 25, 2008

Dubai, etc. represent the idiocies of petroleum's ~century long flash in the barrel writ large. Someone write some poetry or something.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 10:11 PM on June 25, 2008

This is probably doable. Heavy duty bearing rings are commercially available for cranes and oil rigs and such. But it will be rediculously expensive, and I guarantee half the floors won't be able to rotate in ten years due to wear. The floorplan also doesn't seem to leave any room in the central core for services (and slip rings to connect said services to each apartment). Yep, looks like the work of someone who's never designed a skyscraper before.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:20 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

From the press release: "Rotating Tower Technology Company, headed by the Dynamic Architecture Group, announced the opening on June 24 of the reservations list for the first Dynamic Tower in Dubai."

Google search on "Rotating Tower Technology Company" -- no website for any such company.

Google search on "Dynamic Architecture Group" -- no website for any such company.

Come on. It's a fraud/hoax.
posted by ericb at 10:22 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Your "facts" and "logic" and "revelations about Fisher's incompetence, lack of experience, and dishonesty about his credentials" have interfered with my continued opinion that it would be fun to live in an apartment that slowly rotated.

I now want there to be a very Rudy-esque inspirational film about a man whose dream it is to build a rotating skyscraper, despite his lack of credentials and experience, as well as the obvious implausibilities of his idea. However, through grit, determination, and the machinations of a Great Gazoo-esque animated sidekick named Gleebo, he is finally able to see his dream project built to completion, despite curses from the crusty old dean of the architecture program at Columbia University, which itself is repeatedly shown to exist inside the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. The climax features said dean stomping angrily on his own mortarboard just before he is thrown into a swimming pool in direct view of the grand unveiling. The skyscraper goes up, Fisher gets the Girl, and the soundtrack blares a truly, truly inspirational hit single by Sting, seconds before the spinning skyscraper falls to pieces, killing all within it, as well as several thousands more as the individual floors of the former structure go flying around Dubai, taking ever-huger dents out of all sorts of peculiar noveau-riche real estate projects.

Fisher appears appalled, as does Girl, at this event. The turn to Gleebo. Gleebo shrugs with a "whaddya gonna do?" expression. Fisher puts his hands on his hips and wags a playfully accusatory, "oh, you" finger. They then all start laughing and slapping their thighs at the hilarity of it all. Freeze frame. THE END. Roll credits to "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys.
posted by Sticherbeast at 10:24 PM on June 25, 2008 [8 favorites]

Oh, wait ... here's DynamicArchitecture.net.

I smell "viral" something.
posted by ericb at 10:24 PM on June 25, 2008

You ever stop and think, given that we lose thousands of lives every month to auto accidents, just what a terrifically bad idea flying cars are? We can barely handle two dimensions.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:29 PM on June 25, 2008

That building reminds me of this place.
posted by nudar at 10:32 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

The intro video is oddly like watching a Doctor Who series finale, complete with blaring music and dodgy CGI. I was pretty much expecting the arrival of the mothership or something blowing up the whole time. Also who the fuck keeps a Ferrari in the living room of their rotating skyscraper apartment? Millionaires from Dubai or Moscow apparently.
posted by Artw at 10:33 PM on June 25, 2008

Dunno, hes an architect not an architectural engineer. Its up to the engineers to make it work and its up to the architects to dream it up and find a sucker to buy it.

Im sure its crazy, expensive, and a big waste of energy but that's never stopped people before.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:33 PM on June 25, 2008

Come on. It's a fraud/hoax.

I might be wrong. I'll wait for more info in the coming days to decide.
posted by ericb at 10:45 PM on June 25, 2008

What happens if it gets really windy? Like over 100mph sort of stuff.
posted by fshgrl at 11:04 PM on June 25, 2008

The building turns into a robot and walks off somewhere else.
posted by Artw at 11:07 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

The biography also said he received an honorary doctorate from "The Prodeo Institute at Columbia University in New York." No such institution exists, however, and Columbia said it had never awarded Fisher an honorary degree.

Prodeo = "for God."

"Each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days."

Oh, come on!
posted by ericb at 11:14 PM on June 25, 2008 [2 favorites]

Fisher of Men?

No, Fisher of the Gullible.
posted by ericb at 11:15 PM on June 25, 2008

"Do you have millions of dollars in oil money and think Scarface is awesome? Have I got a deal for you!"
posted by Artw at 11:19 PM on June 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Logic would try to tell me that the "voice operated" rotation of the individual floors would result in a visual more scattered and less fluid than that in ericb's link, but straight up lust tells me that this is some awesome architecture porn.
posted by mireille at 11:21 PM on June 25, 2008

Come on. It's a fraud/hoax.

I might be wrong. I'll wait for more info in the coming days to decide.
posted by ericb

You may have to wait longer than that. This rotating tower idea has been promoted for at least a year (youtube).
posted by eye of newt at 11:24 PM on June 25, 2008

The Metalstorm guys should make a skyscraper.
posted by Artw at 11:31 PM on June 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

Dubai, etc. represent the idiocies of petroleum's ~century long flash in the barrel writ large.

No, Dubai's current (and future) economy actually has very little to do with petroleum:

A majority of the emirate's revenues are from trade, manufacturing and financial services. Revenues from petroleum and natural gas contribute less than 6% (2006) of Dubai's US$ 37 billion economy (2005)... Dubai is considered to be an important tourist destination and... is also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance
posted by dgaicun at 12:06 AM on June 26, 2008

dgaicun AFAIK Dubai's income comes mostly from the fact that it allows plenty of entertainment and business that is illegal or risky in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It has been called the Las Vegas of the Gulf. So, petroleum is certainly involved in its wealth.
posted by Skeptic at 2:02 AM on June 26, 2008

Progress...(yawn)
posted by sharksandwich at 3:01 AM on June 26, 2008

I wrote a post about Energy Positive Buildings a few weeks ago which included a link to this. I think that if you completely buy the press release material they are saying not just that the skyscraper will rotate - but that it will use wind to power its rotation and that the net energy balance will be enough to ensure the building creates more energy than it consumes. I think this is perhaps a little optimistic.
posted by rongorongo at 3:17 AM on June 26, 2008

I think it looks beautiful, and I wish the project success. I am, however, intrigued about this whole Columbia/Cathedral/Catholic credential foolery. I should have noticed myself that John the Divine is not Catholic, considering I've been to services there.

I suppose that, although rotating (saying 'spinning' just seems very wrong), much of the practical parts of the homes would have to be in the hub (bathrooms and kitchens, due to plumbing). I like that the rotation will even the amount of sun coming in.
posted by Goofyy at 4:08 AM on June 26, 2008

Wow, right out of some japanese cartoon.
posted by ryanrs at 4:48 AM on June 26, 2008

Try as I might (and I really want to like this idea), but this just seems to come under the heading of "just because you CAN do it, do you really NEED to?"

but hey. I guess that is just because I am a curmudgeonly old git, depsite any of my protestations to the contrary.
posted by toesofrubber at 5:00 AM on June 26, 2008

This is probably doable.

Pray tell, how does one use the elevators?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:04 AM on June 26, 2008

Pray tell, how does one use the elevators?

See, that's where the flying cars come in.
posted by chillmost at 5:09 AM on June 26, 2008

Is it just me or is does that building look like it's doing the jelly belly dance like the fat kid in Goonies?
posted by The Straightener at 5:16 AM on June 26, 2008

Civil_Disobedient: Pray tell, how does one use the elevators?

Check out the floor plan. The elevators are in the non-rotating central core. The outer rooms each have entrances to the central core, so there's always a way in. The elevators are the easy part. (although an elevator big enough to bring your Ferrari to the living room is a bit ridiculous).
posted by Popular Ethics at 5:40 AM on June 26, 2008

How does the elevator work?

1. The floors have no central wall, leaving the center column exposed. You have to walk an average of 180° around it to find the elevator door.

2. There is a central wall with a fixed door (relative to the apartment), and the elevator rotates to face it on each floor.

Even if the elevator doesn't open directly to your apartment, and there's a landing on each floor (I imagine the central column would not just be an elevator shaft; you'll want stairs and such), it doesn't change the fact that you need to get from a moving apartment to a stationary column through an apeture.
posted by Eideteker at 5:44 AM on June 26, 2008

*didn't preview*

*didn't see the floorplan, either*

Where is it?
posted by Eideteker at 5:45 AM on June 26, 2008

How about flying solar and wind hybrid cars? They could fly using the solar and/or wind energy, perhaps we can start thinking about using natural resources, maybe possible in 20 years from now.
posted by nikheal at 6:40 AM on June 26, 2008

Spin.

And a smidge of hyperbole: "With his new Dynamic Towers, (Fisher) is transforming time to herald a New Era of Architecture." (From his website.)
posted by WPW at 6:57 AM on June 26, 2008

Sorry, I found the floorplan on Gizmodo's writeup.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:36 AM on June 26, 2008

I don't understand the floating autumnal leaves in the rendering. Does Dubai have seasons? Or are they shredded-up bits of money?
posted by alexwoods at 7:54 AM on June 26, 2008

So, Bob, what's the status of the Peabody account?

[Gr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-chunk-rr-rr-rr-rr-r]

Huh?

[Flump-shshshs-Gr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-chunk-rr-rr-rr-rr-r]

I SAID, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF [GR-RR-RR-RR-SCREEE-RR-RR-RR-RR]-OUNT?

WHAT DID YOU SAY?
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:57 AM on June 26, 2008

Hank's Look-Around Cafe.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 9:20 AM on June 26, 2008

I SAID, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF [GR-RR-RR-RR-SCREEE-RR-RR-RR-RR]-OUNT?

I was thinking about that last night. In fact, here's some audio I recorded on the rotating 88th floor of Bankok's Baiyoke Sky Tower a few years back.

It does seem like a bit of a problem.
posted by tkolar at 10:22 AM on June 26, 2008

Looking at that floor plan I have a few immediate concerns :
1- where do the plumbing and HVAC systems go in the central core?
2- the concrete walls are nowhere thick enough to support a structure that tall.
3- complete prefab floors? how much do they weigh? how do you transport and lift them?

Anyways, not saying it's impossible, but the engineering required to construct this thing will be very interesting to follow.
posted by Vindaloo at 10:25 AM on June 26, 2008

I want to know where they're going to get the deciduous trees from to have that "autumn leaves blowing by the building" effect. In the desert. I didn't think the desert had an autumn. AND have to leaves blowing by the apartments 200+ metres up. Maybe they'll have peons suspended in baskets throwing leaves at the building. Maybe if you're rich enough, you can buy autumn and have it brought to the desert for your funky twisty penis extension building.
posted by Zack_Replica at 5:11 PM on June 26, 2008

"Each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days."

Oh, come on!

In the 1970s entire power plants were manufactured in Japan and shipped to the middle east in large pieces. Construction time was 6 weeks.
posted by tkolar at 7:42 PM on June 26, 2008

Flying cars? Do you REALLY want the average shmoe in a flying car?
posted by dasheekeejones at 4:00 AM on June 27, 2008

Maybe if we wrap a giant string around it and pull, we can make it spin like a top?

This whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen.
posted by dasheekeejones at 4:02 AM on June 27, 2008