Dubai to get Dh1.3bn Rotating Tower

Work on building the 59-floor Rotating Tower in Dubai is expected to begin soon and an official launch of the unique real estate project is due to take place in New York on June 24.

The Dh1.3 billion tower has been designed by David Fischer and will be the first prefabricated skyscraper. Ninety per cent of the building will be constructed as modules at an industrial plant in Jebel Ali and then assembled on the central core.

An official from Besix, which has been awarded the construction contract, told Emirates Business that the project was still with the tendering department and a project manager had not yet been assigned.

The 59-floor building will be powered entirely by sun and wind energy – and Fischer says it will generate 10 times more energy than is required to power it.

Solar panels will be fitted on the roof to harness sunlight and a total of 48 wind turbines will be sandwiched between the rotating floors. The turbines will be located in such a way that they are virtually invisible and each will produce up to 0.3MW of electricity. It is estimated that 1.2 million kW-hours of energy will be generated every year.

Each floor will be assembled to rotate so that the view changes constantly.

"The average annual power consumption of a family is estimated to be 24,000 kW-hours – so each turbine will supply enough energy for about 50 families," said Fischer. "The tower will have 200 apartments," he added.

The total energy produced by the built-in powerhouse every year will be worth approximately Dh25.7 million.

Four turbines will take care of the buildings' energy needs and the surplus clean energy produced by the remaining 44 turbines will light up the surrounding neighbourhood.

Each prefabricated unit will arrive on site fitted with plumbing and electrical conduits and the floors will be assembled around the concrete spine of the tower in such a way that each storey will rotate individually.

It is understood that plans are being drawn up to build a similar tower in Moscow.

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