World Tour

Dubai Projects

2012-02-17T19:02:00.001-08:00

Dubai Projects

Palm Island

Palm Island. Three artificial islands in the shape of palm trees will shelter nearly 500 apartments, 2 000 villas, 25 hotels and 200 shops of luxury. Palm Jumeirah, the most advanced, will be completed as of the end of 2005. Hundred twenty-five kilometers of coast additional will be thus created.

11 More after the break...

The World. With broad of Dubaï, nearly 300 artificial islands, seen sky will form a planisphere. If you want to acquire one of these islands, it will cost some to you between 6,2 to 36,7 million dollars. Work of fill, already begun, should be completed at the end of 2005.

The World

Dubai Waterfront. Advancing on water of the Gulf, this whole of islands in the shape of crescent will extend on 81 square kilometres. Becoming the greatest sea front in the world, it détrône thus the island from Manhattan in New York.

Dubai Waterfront

Old Town. It is the final district of the building site located at the foot of the tower Burj Dubai. This great real complex will include the highest tower of the world, the greatest shopping centre of the world as well as a gigantic residential district

Old Town

Hydropolis. Entirely assembled in Germany, this underwater hotel will be immersed with broad of Dubai at the end of 2006. It will comprise 220 continuations whose panoramic windows will give on sea-beds. The price of a room for the night would rise with 500 dollars.

Hydropolis

Burj Dubai. This phenomenal tower from which construction began last January and will end in 2008 should reach the 800 meters height. The building, built in three parts around a central column, finishes in spiral. It will count 160 stages.

Burj Dubai

Madinat Al Arab. Here the representation of the one of the districts of the future greater sea front in the world, Dubai Waterfront. This sight accounts for the architectural ambition and the spectacular development of real constructions with Dubaï.

Madinat Al Arab

Dubai Marina. new city, of a total cost of 10 billion dollars, will be built on a way of artificial navigation of 4,5 km. It will be able to lodge 120 000 people. Three principal towers will be set up and will bear the name of Arab perfumes

Dubai Marina

Dubai Sports City. This immense sporting complex of 7.5 km² will accomodate sports such as the cricket, the golf, Rugby, football, the sports of ground, track, and interior (tennis shoe, handball, volley ball). Hotels, residences and villas are also envisaged.

Dubai Sports City

Golden Dome. With its 455 m height and its 2,2 million m² of total surface, it will be one of bulkiest and higher buildings of the world. It will shelter 500 000 m² offices, commercial spaces like 3 000 residential apartments.

Golden Dome

Dubailand Ski Dome. This ski resort indoor, will comprise inter alia a directional ski piste and tracks of snowboard (with 6 000 tons of true snow). "Pinguinarium", aquariums four seasons, spa cold and hot... are also envisaged with the program.

Dubailand Ski Dome

Space Science World. Space is one of the subjects exploited in the immense park with topics of Dubailand which has the ambition to become the largest tourist park and of attractions in the world.

Space Science World

Tropical Island Of Fiji

2012-02-14T18:46:00.001-08:00

Tropical Island Of Fiji

Tour To Fiji

The Republic of the Fiji Islands, or Fiji, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago with two sizable islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where the majority of inhabitants live, and is joined by over eight hundred islands, with about one hundred regularly inhabited. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is turn derived from the Fijian name Viti. More after the break...

Fiji consists of 322 islands, of which about one third are inhabited. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1200 m, and covered with tropical forests. Other important towns include Nadi, (location of the international airport) as well as Labasa, Lautoka, and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively, the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group.

10 Wonders of the New China

2012-02-14T18:35:00.001-08:00

10 Wonders of the New China

10 Wonders of the New China It's a hotbed of innovative architecture, from diaphanous theaters to buildings heated and cooled by water

China 's current building boom is doing more than sucking up the world's supply of steel -- it's creating a stage for some of today's boldest architecture and engineering. Take a tour of the 10 of the most intriguing examples.

1. The Commune, Beijing First phase completed 2002, expansion scheduled for completion in 2010

Even if the Commune didn't sit beside that wonder of the ancient world, the Great Wall of China , it would still qualify as a wonder. The complex includes houses by 12 of Asia 's leading architects. It was conceived by married real-estate developers Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi, who gave each architect a $1 million budget. Shigeru Ban, the Japanese architect most famous for the paper houses he designed for refugees of the Kobe earthquake, designed the Furniture House, featuring the laminated plywood typically used for modular furniture, and China's Yung Ho Chang created the Split House, which takes the idea of a boxy dwelling, slices it in half, and spreads it out like a fan.
The Commune is now operated as a boutique hotel by the Germany luxury hotel group Kempinski, which is responsible for an upcoming expansion, which will feature 21 homes (including replications of the originals). One element will remain untouched in the new development: the Commune's private pedestrian trails, which trace untouched sections of the Great Wall.

2. Beijing International Airport , Beijing Foster & Partners. Under construction, to be completed in late 2007

According to the U.S. Embassy to China, the country will be building 108 new airports between 2004 and 2009 -- including what will be the world's largest: the Beijing International Airport, designed by Foster & Partners. Set to open at the end of 2007, in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the airport terminal will cover more than 1 million square meters, giving it a bigger footprint than the Pentagon.
It's designed to handle 43 million passengers a year initially and 55 million by 2015, figures that will probably push the new facility into the ranks of the top 10 busiest airports, going by the 2004 numbers from the Airports Council International. Given the scale and traffic, Foster & Partners focused on the traveler's experience, making sure that walking distances are short, for instance.
Building on Foster's experience designing Hong Kong 's new mega-airport, the massive Chek Lap Kok, the sprawling Beijing terminal is housed under a single roof. To help passengers distinguish between different sections of the vast space, skylights cast different shades of yellow and red light across walls -- a subtle but innovative navigational aid. The architects also kept sustainability in mind: An environmental-control system reduces carbon emissions, and skylights situated on a south-east axis lessen solar heat, keeping the building cool.

3. Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects. Under construction, completion scheduled for 2008

Rising in the Lujiazhui financial district in Pudong, the Shanghai World Financial Center is a tower among towers. The elegant 101-story skyscraper will be (for a moment, at least) the world's tallest when completed in early 2008.
One of the biggest challenges of building tall is creating a structure that can withstand high winds. The architects devised an innovation solution to alleviate wind pressure by adding a rectangular cut-out at the building's apex. Not only does the open area help reduce the building's sway but it also will be home to the world's highest outdoor observation deck -- a 100th-floor vista that will take vertigo to new heights.

4. National Swimming Center , Beijing PTW and Ove Arup. Under construction, completion scheduled for 2008

The striking exterior of the National Swimming Center , being constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games and nicknamed, the "Water Cube," is made from panels of a lightweight form of Teflon that transforms the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment. Solar energy will also be used to heat the swimming pools, which are designed to reuse double-filtered, backwashed pool water that's usually dumped as waste.
Excess rainwater will also be collected and stored in subterranean tanks and used to fill the pools. The complex engineering system of curvy steel frames that form the structure of the bubble-like skin are based on research into the structural properties of soap bubbles by two physicists at Dublin 's Trinity College . The unique structure is designed to help the building withstand nearly any seismic disruptions.

5. Central Chinese Television CCTV, Beijing OMA/Ole Scheeren and Rem Koolhaas. Under construction, scheduled for completion in 2008

The design of the new Central Chinese Television (CCTV) headquarters defies the popular conception of a skyscraper -- and it broke Beijing's building codes and required approval by a special review panel. The standard systems for engineering gravity and lateral loads in buildings didn't apply to the CCTV building, which is formed by two leaning towers, each bent 90 degrees at the top and bottom to form a continuous loop.
The engineer's solution is to create a structural "tube" of diagonal supports. The irregular pattern of this "diagrid" system reflects the distribution of forces across the tube's surface. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren and engineered by Ove Arup, the new CCTV tower rethinks what a skyscraper can be.

6. Linked Hybrid, Beijing Steven Holl Architects; Li Hu, lead architect. Groundbreaking on December 28, 2005 , scheduled for completion in 2008

Linked Hybrid, which will house 2,500 people in 700 apartments covering 1.6 million square feet, is a model for large-scale sustainable residential architecture. The site will feature one of the world's largest geothermal cooling and heating systems, which will stabilize the temperature within the complex of eight buildings, all linked at the 20th floor by a "ring" of service establishments, like cafÃ©s and dry cleaners. A set of dual pipes pumps water from 100 meters below ground, circulating the liquid between the buildings' concrete floors.
The result: The water-circulation system serves as a giant radiator in the winter and cooling system in the summer. It has no boilers to supply heat, no electric air conditioners to supply cool. The apartments also feature gray-water recycling -- a process that's just starting to catch on in Beijing in much smaller buildings -- to filter waste water from kitchen sinks and wash basins back into toilets.

7. Dongtan Eco City, Dongtan Masterplan by Arup, for the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corp. In planning stages, first phase to be completed in 2010

Developed by the Shanghai Industrial investment Corp., Dongtan Eco City , roughly the size of Manhattan , will be the world's first fully sustainable cosmopolis when completed in 2040. Like Manhattan , it's situated on an island -- the third-largest in China . Located on the Yangtze River, Dongtan is within close proximity of the bustle of Shanghai .
By the time the Shanghai Expo trade fair opens in 2010, the city's first phase should be completed, and 50,000 residents will call Dongtan home-sweet-sustainable-home. The goals to be accomplished in the next five years: systems for water purification, waste management, and renewable energy. An infrastructure of roads will connect the former agricultural land with Shanghai .

8. Olympic Stadium, Beijing Herzog & de Meuron. Under construction, to be completed in 2008

Sports stadiums have long followed the enduring design of one of the original wonders of the world, Rome 's Coliseum. Herzog & de Meuron's National Stadium in Beijing is an attempt to rethink the classic sports-arena layout for more ecologically correct times.
The Swiss architects (of Tate Modern fame) wanted to provide natural ventilation for the 91,000-seat structure -- perhaps the largest "eco-friendly" sports stadium designed to date. To achieve this, they set out to create a building that could function without a strictly enclosed shell, yet also provide constant shelter for the audience and athletes alike.
To solve these design problems, they looked to nature for inspiration. The stadium's outer grid resembles a bird's nest constructed of delicately placed branches and twigs. Each discrete space within the facility, from restrooms to restaurants, is constructed as an independent unit within the outer lattice -- making it possible to encase the entire complex with an open grid that allows for natural air circulation. The architects also incorporated a layer of translucent membrane to fill any gaps in the lacy exterior.

9. Donghai Bridge , Shanghai/Yangshan Island China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group, Shanghai # 2 Engineering Co., Shanghai Urban Construction Group. Officially opened in December, 2005

A key phase in the development of the world's largest deep-sea port was completed when China 's first cross-sea bridge -- the 20-mile, six-lane DonghaiBridge -- was officially opened in December, 2005. Stretching across the East China Sea , the graceful cable-stay structure connects Shanghai to Yangshan Island , set to become China 's first free-trade port (and the world's largest container port) upon its completion in 2010.
To provide a safer driving route in the typhoons and high waves known to hit the region, Donghai Bridge is designed in an S-shape. The structure, reported by Shanghai Daily to have cost $1.2 billion, will hold its title of China's -- and one of the world's -- longest over-sea bridge for only a couple of years, though. In 2008, the nearby 22-mile Hangzhou Bay Transoceanic Bridge, which also begins (or ends, depending on your journey) in Shanghai , will earn the superlative.

10. National Grand Theater, Beijing Paul Andreu and ADP. Under construction, to be completed in 2008

Located near Tiananmen Square , the 490,485-square-foot glass-and-titanium National Grand Theater, scheduled to open in 2008, seems to float above a man-made lake. Intended to stand out amid the Chinese capital's bustling streets and ancient buildings, the structure has garnered criticism among Bejing's citizens for clashing with classic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes (dedicated to revolutionary martyrs), the vast home of the National People's Congress, or Tiananmen Gate itself (the Gate of Heavenly Peace).
French architect Paul Andreu is no stranger to controversy -- or to innovative forms. A generation ago, in 1974, his untraditional design for Terminal 1 of Paris 's Charles de Gaulle airport was criticized for its unusual curves, yet Andreu's groundbreaking, futuristic building later was seen to distinguish de Gaulle from more generic European and international air hubs. (The same airport's Terminal 2E, also designed by Andreu, gained attention in 2004 when it collapsed, tragically killing four people.)
Beijing 's daring National Grand Theater is as much a spectacle as the productions that will be staged inside in the 2,416-seat opera house, the 2,017-seat concert hall, and the 1,040-seat theater. At night, the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the performance inside one of three auditoriums, a feature that highlights the building's public nature.

Guatemala City : Sinkhole

2012-02-14T17:54:00.001-08:00

Guatemala City : Sinkhole

A 330-foot-deep sinkhole — GUATEMALA CITY , Guatemala - killed at least two teenagers as it swallowed about a dozen homes on Friday and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people in a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood. Officials blamed the sinkhole on recent rains and an underground sewage flow from a ruptured main. The pit emitted foul odors, loud noises and tremors, shaking the surrounding ground. A rush of water could be heard from its depths, and authorities feared it could widen or others could open up. Rescue operations were on hold until a firefighter, suspended from a cable, could take video and photos above the hole and officials could use the documentation to decide how to proceed. The dead were identified as Irma and David Soyos, emergency spokesman Juan Carlos Bolanos said. Their bodies were found near the sinkhole, floating in a river of sewage. Their father, Domingo, was still missing, according to disaster coordinator Hugo Hernandez. 04 more images after the break..

Durrat Al-Bahrain

2012-02-07T11:01:00.001-08:00

Durrat Al-Bahrain

Making waves

Great days at the races are literally ensuring that Bahrain tourism industry is going places Bahrain’s tourism is on the way up, with the country’s tourist arrivals passing the five million mark last year. 07 more images after the break...

Doha International Airport

2012-02-07T11:00:00.001-08:00

Doha International Airport

Doha International Airport, 15 more images after the break...

Towers Around The World

2012-01-21T18:15:00.001-08:00

Towers Around The World

Highest Towers - of the World

Location : Paris

Height : 318 Meters

Floors :

Built : 1887

11 More after the break...

Location : Dubai

Height : 321 Meters

Floors :

Built : 1999

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 421 Meters

Floors : 88

Built : 1998

Location : Chicago Illinois

Height : 443 Meters

Floors : 110

Built : 1973

Location : Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Height : 452 Meters

Floors : 88

Built : 1998

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 492 Meters

Floors : 101

To Be Completed : 2007

Location : Taipei Taiwan

Height : 508 Meters

Floors : 101

Built : 2004

Location : Guangzhou, Shanghai China

Height : 514.8 Meters

Floors : 131

To Be Completed : 2010

Location : WTC Manhattan NY

Height : 541 Meters

Floors : 69

To Be Completed : 2010

Location : Tokyo Japan

Height : 600 Meters

Floors :

To Be Completed : 2007

Location : Dubai

Height : 705 Meters

Floors : 160

To Be Completed : 2008

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 1228 Meters

Floors : 300

To Be Completed : 2020

Burj Al Arab

2012-01-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Dubai - A desert Paradise in the Arabian Gulf

In preparation for the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open, tennis legend, Andre Agassi and the world No. 1, Roger Federer, couldn’t resist the temptation to have a friendly knock about on the world’s highest tennis court, the helipad of Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel. Both players are in Dubai to compete in the US$1 million Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open, which is the first round of the two-week Dubai Tennis Championships. 11 more images after the break...

Dubai is incomparable. Blessed with sunshine 350 days a year, the town is situated right off the beautiful coast of the warm Arabian Gulf. Tourists from all over the world relax along the natural, golden beaches. They indulge in exquisite restaurants and chic bars, play tennis and golf or test their equestrian skills.

The world’s top athletes compete in Dubai for the highest prize money in their disciplines. And all well-known, international companies reside in one of the architecturally unique and exciting skyscrapers in the heart of the pulsating metropolis. People with different cultures and religions living together in harmony, a cosmopolitan culture, dynamic economy, the highest infrastructural standards as well as a fantastic quality of life and literally no crime whatsoever - that's Dubai.
Dubai is simply unique!

Sri Lanka - Paradise Found

2011-12-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka - Paradise Found

Autumn in North Korea

2011-12-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

Balmy beaches, red-leaved trees, mellow sunshine... who would have thought this was North Korea? In one of the world's most isolated nations, as described by travel writer Pico Iyer in his anthology "Falling Off the Map", it appears that people do lead a life. It may not be easy to get a visa to North Korea, but this slideshow will transport you there!

Holy Land

2011-11-29T19:41:00.001-08:00

Cardinal bow down ath the birth place of Christ.

13 more after the break...

Tomb of Jesus Christ.

Mother Mary's tomb.

Mother mary's idol at Dormition church.

Place of ascension.Mark of the footstep of Christ is on the rock.

Place where Jesus multiplied bread and fish.

Golgotha-Crucifixio n place of Jesus.

Jordan River, where John the Bapist baptised Jesus Christ.

Statue of brass snake made by Moses to rescue Israelites from the bite of venomous snake.

Alter in church of annunciation in Nazareth.

City of Jerusalem.

Dead sea.

Grand old Olive trees in Gethsemane .

Lixão

2011-11-29T19:36:00.001-08:00

Have seen This Type Of Airport, 11 more images after the break...

Greatest Driving Road

2011-11-29T19:31:00.001-08:00

World's Greatest Driving Road U.A.E

Greatest Driving Road 06 more images after the break...

Water Bridge Over River

2011-11-29T16:07:00.001-08:00

Even after you see it, it is still hard to believe !

Water Bridge in Germany ....

What a feat! Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long.......

now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration. To those who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for you armchair engineers and physicists. Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?
Answer: It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water! Why? A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded.

Towers Around The World

2011-11-08T07:51:00.001-08:00

Highest Towers - of the World

Location : Paris

Height : 318 Meters

Floors :

Built : 1887

Location : Dubai

Height : 321 Meters

Floors :

Built : 1999

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 421 Meters

Floors : 88

Built : 1998

Location : Chicago Illinois

Height : 443 Meters

Floors : 110

Built : 1973

Location : Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Height : 452 Meters

Floors : 88

Built : 1998

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 492 Meters

Floors : 101

To Be Completed : 2007

Location : Taipei Taiwan

Height : 508 Meters

Floors : 101

Built : 2004

Location : Guangzhou, Shanghai China

Height : 514.8 Meters

Floors : 131

To Be Completed : 2010

Location : WTC Manhattan NY

Height : 541 Meters

Floors : 69

To Be Completed : 2010

Location : Tokyo Japan

Height : 600 Meters

Floors :

To Be Completed : 2007

Location : Dubai

Height : 705 Meters

Floors : 160

To Be Completed : 2008

Location : Shanghai China

Height : 1228 Meters

Floors : 300

To Be Completed : 2020

Amphibious Bus Dubai

2011-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

More images after the break...

Scariest Bridges of the World.

2011-11-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hussaini Hanging Bridge, Pakistan

Aiguille du Midi Bridge, France

William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge (Bay Bridge), Maryland

Sidu River Bridge, China

Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado

Puente de Ojuela, Mexico

U Pain Bridge, Myanmar

Iya Valley Vine Bridges, Japan

Cikurutug Bridge, Indonesia

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

Capilano Suspension Bridge, Canada

Trift Suspension Bridge, Switzerland

Canopy Walk, Ghana

Mackinac Bridge, Michigan

Millau Viaduct, France

Hoover Dam

2011-10-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hoover Dam

Creeping closer inch by inch, 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River, the two sides of A $160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam slowly take shape. The bridge will carry a new Section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and Winding around and across the dam itself. When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona . In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive Concrete arches which jut out of the rock face. The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24 feet long which have been Cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung Between temporary steel pylons. The arches will eventually measure more than 1,000 feet across. At the moment, the structure looks like a traditional suspension bridge. But once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side will be removed. Extra vertical columns will then be installed on the arches to carry the road. The bridge has become known as the Hoover Dam bypass, although it is officially called The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, after a former governor of Nevada And an American Football player from Arizona who joined the US Army and was killed In Afghanistan. Work on the bridge started in 2005 and should finish next year. An estimated 17,000 Cars and trucks will cross it every day. The dam was started in 1931 and used enough concrete to build a road from New York To San Francisco . The stretch of water it created, Lake Mead , is 110 miles long and Took six years to fill. The original road was opened at the same time as the famous dam in 1936. An extra note: The top of the white band of rock in Lake Mead is the old waterline prior To the drought and development in the Las Vegas area. It is over 100 feet above the Current water level.

Neon Green River

2011-10-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

On December 29, 2010 waters of this river in Goldstream Park, Canada, turned neon green. According to the local Environment Ministry, there was a chemical reaction in the water known as “fluorescein”. They believed that somebody dumped fluorescein in the Goldstream River to make a holiday season joke, but that substance wasn’t toxic and fish along with the habitat weren’t affected.

VIEWING DUBAI BY NIGHT

2011-10-10T16:28:00.001-07:00

VIEWING DUBAI BY NIGHT