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I'm all 67X
May 19th, 2008, 07:34 PM
I think this might be the most appropriate place to post the following:

Two-mile-high urban termite mound to house planet's swarming humanity


http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/17/milehighultimatower.jpg

"We’ve seen a whole slew of gigantic, volcano shaped, city-in-a-building towers, each promising to be the largest building in the world. First it was the wacky X-Seed design for Tokyo, and then even Norman Foster got into the game with his proposal for the massive ‘Crystal Island’ development in Moscow.

"Well now, architect Eugene Tsui is taking the gigantic volcano tower concept to a whole new eco level, by taking design inspiration from the natural world. His new design for the Ultima Tower – a 2-mile high Mt Doom-esque structure - borrows design principles from trees and other living ystem to reduce its energy footprint. We are always intrigued by architecture that uses biomimicry – the borrowing of principles from nature’s designs - and Tsui’s concept for this towering, ultra-dense urban development has certainly captured our attention with its thought-provoking design. (((Also, it looks completely insane... or at least it makes Frank Lloyd Wright's nuclear-powered "Mile-High" look like a piker.)))

"Population growth rates and rural-urban migration are creating a trend of chaotic urbanization that brings environmental, economic and social challenges. Within the next 7 years, 22 megacities across the globe are expected to have populations that exceed 10 million people, according to the UN. The Ultima Tower is an innovative green design concept proposed to resourcefully use earth’s surface and allow sustainable distribution of resources within a dense urban setting.

"Designed to withstand natural calamities, (((good idea))) Ultima Tower is highly stable and aerodynamic. Rather than spreading horizontally the structure rises vertically from a base with a 7,000 foot diameter - inspired in part by the termite’s nest structures of Africa, the highest structure created by any living organism..."

http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/05/two-mile-high-u.html

dramama
May 19th, 2008, 09:00 PM
I don't think we'll have to worry about seeing this monstrocity built!

I'm all 67X
May 20th, 2008, 06:48 AM
I don't think we'll have to worry about seeing this monstrocity built!

Agreed- but it shows what the mind of man conjures...good, bad, or indifferent. Can you imagine how long it would take and the effort? Wow.

icebear
May 20th, 2008, 06:51 AM
that thing is u-g-l-y

Hootmon
May 20th, 2008, 09:33 AM
that thing is u-g-l-yIts ugly from necessity. That 3D hyperbolic shape is self-supporting assuming that sufficiently strong materials are used.

A building that size would probably have its own weather system inside. Climate control would be a nightmare.

icebear
May 20th, 2008, 04:40 PM
maybe if they painted big red hibiscus all over it

Cloud Watcher
May 21st, 2008, 07:23 AM
What if there was a fire? What if there was a major power outage and the elevators didn't work, and people had to walk up or down all those stairs? :ohno

I'm all 67X
May 21st, 2008, 08:10 PM
What if there was a fire? What if there was a major power outage and the elevators didn't work, and people had to walk up or down all those stairs? :ohno

Are you kidding? Look at that thing like a big ol' amusement park slide!

WHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! !!

icebear
May 21st, 2008, 08:21 PM
or good for BASE jumping?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/icebear713/smilies/parachute.gif

Buzzardhut
May 21st, 2008, 08:47 PM
Build one on the moon and Mars too!