Amazing Architecture

Chicago Spire is a building that according to schedule should stand in Chicago in 2012. This projected by Spanish architect Santiago Celetrava building will be approximately 610 meters high (2000 ft) and will become the highest skyscraper not only in Chicago but in the whole western hemisphere (will be also highest residential building in the world). Yet an underground part of this highrise is done but still it is uncertain that the construction will be done on schedule during developers financial problems and lawsuits from The Bank Of America.

Chicago Spire construction site, August 27 2009. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The tower will contain 150 floors, 1193 apartments, every floor will rotate at 2.44 degrees between floor plates, the lobby footprint will be 1,414 sq meters (15,220 sq ft). The building will have the highest elevator run (about 570 meters, 1864 feet) – this elevators will move directly from the ground floor to any floor in the building, there will be 17 of them.

Chicago Spire inside. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Chicago Spire inside. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Cost of an apartment in Chicago Spire will start from 750.000 dollars and end at 40.000.000 dollars.

The building looks similar to rotating towers in Dubai and Moscow, but the construction is a little bit different and the outside look of the building is more static leaving observers with only one look of the building. The facade is not so dynamic and it is not changing shapes.

Chicago Spire. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Chicago Spire. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

One of the biggest developers in Dubai – Nakheel is planning huge investment that will become soon on of the biggest building-site in the world. The plan schedules area of over 270 hectares to be covered. This project will be finished in ten years from the start. The will be about 40 towers in height from twenty to ninety floors (250-350 meters) and the highest building in the world – the Nakheel Tower (more than 1000 meters high which is also more than 3280 feet). The main building will contain about 200 floors and 150 lifts. The building will be huge construction made of four separate elements leaving free spaces between them to let the wind pass freely.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The Nakheel Tower will allow more than 55 thousand people to live there and another 45 thousand will get job while building the complex. The tower will contain 10.000 parking spaces, and the whole complex more than 950.000 sq meters of commerce space and retail, more than 19.000 residential apartments, more than 3500 hotel rooms (with exclusive 100 room hotel inside Nakheel Tower).

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The investment is currently on hold and predicted start is set to early 2010.

The Penang Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the world. Settled in Malaysia the construction connects the mailand of Malaysia with the Penang Island. Bridge is connected to two expressways (North-South Expressway and Jelutong Expressway) that makes it very congested. The official opening was in September 1985. Earlier the connection between island and mainland was provided by ferry transportation. The total length of bridge is about 13,5 kilometers (8,4 miles). The height of main spam is 225 meters, end span 107 meters and other span about 40 meters. The whole bridge is coated with 80 km/h speed limit.

Penang Bridge. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

From few years the bridge is being expanded from four lines to six – because of the increasing traffic. Neverthless construction of the second bridge has started in 2008.Works to make bridge wider started in january 2008 and are still in progress (final cut of the expancion is expected late 2009).

Penang Bridge. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

This bridge is one of the most interesting road construction in South-East Asia. It is one of the most excellent examples of modern ingeeneiring. Soon the ending of widening will make it even more impressive.

Penang Bridge. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.