Dubai's Time Residences tower: world's largest gadget?

We've seen lots of ridiculous claims in our day, but this time we're not sure which is more absurd, that someone thinks that Dubai needs another ridiculous high-rise building, or that the Time Residences tower is going to be a solar-powered 360-degree rotating version. Yes, all that solar power (the UAE gets a lot of sun over there on the Tropic of Cancer) could be used to power individual units instead -- but instead, all that energy will be used to power the ginormous motors needed to turn this building a full rotation over the course of a week. Tav Singh, the director of Dubai Property Ring, the local branch of UK Property Group which is funding the project, said that the company plans on building similar structures in every time zone around the world. Regardless of which room in the Time Residences you decide to set up shop in, it's bound to be significantly more overpriced than your Manhattan studio.

[Via Gear Factor]

[mark @ Dec 19th 2006 9:44PM]

Sweet! This remind anyone else of the cosmic key from the He-Man movie?

[himan @ Dec 19th 2006 9:59PM]

the ads on the right don't work properly. they just open the site within that small box. like that absolut ad.

[Jeramy @ Dec 19th 2006 10:03PM]

la, new york, chicago, denver, you all better get ready.

[tekdroid @ Dec 19th 2006 10:39PM]

if they can do it, why not? Though yes, actually using the solar to power someothing a little more useful would be my focus, just personally.

[BobbyW @ Dec 19th 2006 10:48PM]

Of course there are better uses for the solar power. But it takes head-turning projects like this to get funding. They'll learn more about solar power the rest of us can use.

It's the same as going to Mars or developing weapons. Weapons suck, but good things come from the research.

[Dan @ Dec 20th 2006 12:03AM]

Imagine stumbling home drunk one night, only to find that your room is now on the other side of the building. I have a hard enough time finding my car in the parking lot - and my car doesn't move after I leave it - I don't want to have to search for my apartment too!

[JBDragon @ Dec 20th 2006 12:07AM]

It kind of cool because you get a different View out your windows Daily! The Entrance though is always moving, that may be a little annoying at first until you know for sure where it is at what time of day and week.

[joel @ Dec 20th 2006 1:10AM]

i say it takes no more than 20hp to turn a building that slowly, which wouldn't use so much solar capacity

[teodoro @ Dec 20th 2006 1:51PM]

According to the Gulf News it might use 31,000 watts of power. ("21 electric kettles", unless an ek is a unit of measurement in Dubai)

I think the cool thing is the clock feature:
"A distinctive time line runs down the building that meets 12 o'clock markings on the ground and the podium, allowing observers to use the building as a fully functioning time piece "

[soopergooman @ Dec 20th 2006 2:52AM]

Can't wait to see them try to build one here in Newfoundland GMT-3.5.

[Waseem @ Dec 20th 2006 12:11PM]

The only problem with Dubai is that they are putting skyscrapers next to each other so all that might change day by day is the persons bedroom you are looking into :)

[The Jeremy @ Dec 20th 2006 12:46PM]

The top of the structure reminds me of the various artist renditions of the "horns" on the top of the central temple of Atlantis.

[carl @ Dec 20th 2006 1:56PM]

Dan, I doubt the walk from the elevator to your front door would change. Unless you're really drunk.

[Ben @ Dec 21st 2006 8:38PM]

I don't understand why whoever designed this thought it would be worth using a ton of energy to have the building spin. The whole solar panel walls thing is a good concept though.