Architects News
UnderWater World is closer with World Discus Hotel
Some unimaginably futuristic plans will never be pursued, but some will… Despite the fact that idea of the cities of the future is still more or less on paper, underwater hotels are going to get us closer to a vision of our fate. Even though the Rangali Islands Resort in the Maldives glories in the title of the world’s first “underwater hotel”, on the horizon there is a new project which will certainly be revolutionary – the World Discus Hotel as it is to be the largest underwater building.
Russian splendor amounts to $50b for 2014 Winter Olympics
Getting a chance to organize and host the 2014 Winter Olympics is one of few opportunities when Russia can show the whole world how big and powerful it is. And it is – nothing to sneeze at. Yet, the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi amounted to record $50 billion. Billions of dollars are being spent to rebuild national prestige and pride
List of U.K. most expensive residential streets revealed
Even though the U.K. saw house prices drop for a sixth month in December, it has still true jewels which cannot be described as cheap and average at all. Lloyds TSB issued its annual list of most expensive streets in the U.K. Not surprisingly, London has once again outperformed other cities in the competition as all from the top ten are located in the capital of the U.K. According to the survey, residences located in Egerton Crescent, Kensington and Chelsea, London, are the costliest with the average house being valued at over £8 million
Dubai aims high as it plans to open world’s biggest mall and tallest hotel
Dubai aims high as it has announced its plans to build the world’s biggest shopping mall and tallest hotel, not to mention gardens that are said to be larger than London’s Hyde Park. Dubai revives its property projects which have been postponed due to the global financial crisis. And it is not surprising that Dubai wants everything to be big as it always aims at showing off. So its big comeback is not unexpectedly revolving around the business of biggest.
Archstone Inc. Attempts to Raise $3.5 Billion in IPO
On the 19th of November, Archstone Inc. stated that it expected to collect an amount of almost $3.45 billion in its first public offering. If the plans come true, the Archstone Inc.’s IPO will be, without a doubt, the largest commercial US real estate IPO of all time.
Kingdom Tower by Bin Laden Group will be the World’s Tallest Building
All set to overshadow Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building, Kingdom Tower will be built by the Bin Laden family in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the focal point of Kingdom City. Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s investment firm Kingdom Holding Co., announced the $1 billion deal they have signed with the Saudi Bin Laden [...]
Swim in Bliss – 55 stories high! Marina Bay Sands’ Infinity Pool
One of Moshe Safdie’s “first principles” that form the basis of his design philosophy – “humanizing the megascale” takes on an entirely new dimension when considered in context of Marina Bay Sands’ Skypark and Infinity Pool. To start with, think Singapore and you’re probably visualizing an intensely dense city, teeming with people constantly. Sure, there’s [...]
Eco-friendly Fake Hills in Beihai, China: MAD Architects
This Chinese firm, with its “MAD”-ly distinct sustainable building designs has managed to carve a niche for itself for sure. MAD Architects’ under-construction Fake Hills project in the Chinese coastal town of Beihai beats the current global trend of stand-alone monuments becoming sustainability symbols. This iconic 492,369sqm residential project combines high-density, economically viable housing with [...]
Virtualising Mumbai. The Cybertecture Egg by James Law & Ove Arup
Think Mumbai; what’s the first few visuals that flash by ? “Super-populated”, “ridden with slums and poverty”, “people living and working in exceedingly tiny depressing spaces”, followed by “fast life”, “glamour”, “bollywood” etc. This maximum city, second only to Hong Kong in being the densest place in the world is currently a global symbol of [...]
Noah’s Ark Re-jigged
This giant floating steel-and-glass-vertical-doughnut hotel, claiming to offer a self-sustained environment, its lower half immersed in water and its upper half afloat, is nothing if not intriguing. Designed to withstand floods caused by rising sea levels, The Ark Hotel has been envisioned as a safe, self-contained ‘biosphere’ – a haven in the case of disaster. [...]
California Desert Dreaming: Boom, much more than just a mirage
A community for gay retirees in the Californian desert, Boom is about “inclusion, not seclusion; … living, not retiring”. A $250 million project being financed by Los Angeles-based developer Boom Communities,Inc, the designs are being formulated by architect Matthias Hollwich of Hollwich Kushner in conjunction with ten architecture firms from across New York, Europe and California. [...]
Housing Crisis? Prefabricated, Recycled Plastic could be the answer.
To alleviate the 80,000 units per annum estimated housing shortage in the U.K, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has identified the return of prefab as the most suitable solution! Team that with making these new prefab homes out of recycled plastic, and pricing them at as little as £20,000, and bingo! How many birds [...]
Larger than Life: Antilla Mumbai – The World’s MOST Expensive Home
Antilla, the new home of the world’s 5th richest man, Mukesh Ambani, currently figures as the world’s most expensive home – in fact, the world’s first-ever billion-dollar home! With an estimated value of £630 Million, Antilla Mumbai, a custom-built 27-storey towering mansion overtook Villa Leopolda, owned by Russian billionaire called Mikhail Proklhorov (24th richest man [...]
