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In an audacious project, Dubai proposes a 550-meter-high circular skyscraper, redefining the limits of engineering and urban architecture.
Dubai, known for its futuristic cityscape and bold architectural designs, is setting the internet on fire with yet another impressive proposal. Although not yet under construction, the project for a circular skyscraper measuring 550 meters high and 3 kilometers long, involving the Burj Khalifa, captured worldwide attention. This project, proposed by ZNera Space, an architecture firm based in Dubai, aims to start a conversation about urban density and the efficient management of space in cities.
Dubai, which has experienced a population growth and explosive urban, is exploring innovative ways to accommodate this increase. With the world's urban population projected to double by 2050, cities like Dubai need to find solutions to remain liveable without being suffocated by population growth.
Dubai Downtown Circle
Dubai's Downtown Circle concept, while not claiming to solve all urban density problems, raises an intriguing question: what if, instead of building vertically, we started to build horizontally in the sky? This proposed skyscraper, lying horizontally, could bring a new dimension to urban construction and potentially further boost Dubai's economy.
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The skyscraper, imagined as a five-story ring around Burj Khalifa, presents several engineering and construction challenges. The proposal includes a series of neighborhoods, separated into “nodes”, following the idea of a “15-minute city”, where everything a resident needs or wants is available within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Residential, public and commercial spaces would all be within walking distance of the building's central park, offering fresh air, natural light and panoramic views of the city.
Train capsules that circulate the structure at 100 km/h instead of elevators
A particularly innovative aspect of the project is the replacement from the elevators to train capsules that circle the structure at 100 km/h, offering 360-degree views of the city. Although this technology has not yet been built on a similar scale, it resembles existing suspended monorails, with the difference being that they are half a kilometer above the ground.
Support for this massive structure would come from five towers, which in themselves would be skyline-defining buildings in any other city. These towers could incorporate pollution-eating technology, similar to that proposed for towers in New Delhi, using cladding materials coated with photocatalytic titanium dioxide, which react to natural light to break down nitrogen oxides and “clean” the city's air.
The project, while not set for construction, highlights the need for we think outside the box em architectural terms to face the challenges of the XNUMXst century, such as climate change and growing urban populations. Downtown Circle may not be the definitive answer to the housing crisis, but it certainly stimulates debate about how we build for a changing world.
