An 80-story building in Dubai will feature floors that spin around the building’s central axis, using electric motors powered by wind and solar energy.
Occupants can control their floor through a voice command system, although this demonstration video implies that the rotation will be centrally controlled. I would have used the Clapper, myself.
The building looks like it is doing a hula, although in real life, the floors would move very slowly.
I can only wonder what the Outdoor Circle might say if a similar building were proposed on Oahu. Similar towers have been proposed for Moscow and Manhattan. The Dubai project is scheduled for completion in 2010.
There’s more information at architect David Fisher’s web site, this CNN article titled Dubai ‘shape-shifting skyscraper’ unveiled and in Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun at Gizmodo.
http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/Dubai-Video/Dubai_640x360.swf
