June 25, 2007

Dubai Energy Tower Fuses Sustainability With Sex Appeal

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energy_tower.jpgSustainability, that buzz-word being used by everyone from fashion designers to auto makers, doesn’t yet have the cache in Dubai that it does in other locales, according to a recent article in WorldChanging. A new zero-energy building may change that; the Burj al-Taqa (translation: Energy Tower) by German architect Eckhard Gerber, seamlessly fuses a sexy exterior with a fully sustainable interior.

The tower, which at 68 stories would be the tallest zero-emissions skyscraper in the world, will sport a bevy of energy efficiency features ranging from cooling roof-top wind towers and light-reflecting mirrors to its own island of solar panels in the sea nearby.

As an article in Der Spiegel noted, the engineers have used computer simulations to test the towers, although the true effectiveness of the high-rise can’t be proven until it has been built. The project still lacks investors, but in a city where flashiness trumps energy efficiency, the building’s spectacular, state-of-the-art technology is sure to win points.

—Rose Miller

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