. . . and we thought the Freedom Tower was going to be tall . . .

It is always fun to preview cool architectural achievements around the world! We’ve covered everything from the world’s smallest apartment to the coolest architectural projects in the middle east (includes the then proposed-tallest building in the world) to the world’s largest building (proposed in Moscow - slated to dwarf the Pentagon).

Once again, we’ve learned of a building that is slated to make the competition cry tears of inadequacy . . .

The Daily Mail reported today that Saudi Prince al-Walid bin Talal, one of the richest men on Earth, has unveiled plans to build a tower that will be 1 mile tall (5,280 feet) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - dubbed the Mile-High Tower.

Photo Courtesy of The Daily Mail

This building, expected to cost £5billion ($10 billion US), if completed, will be more than twice as tall as any planned or completed skyscraper on Earth . . . talk about ambitious!

“Experts say the technical challenges are enormous. Much of the lifting will be carried out by helicopters, which will also be used as commuter transport for builders. The tower will have to be capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures, with its top baking in the desert sun by day but dropping to well below freezing at night. To resist the strong winds prevalent in the area and stop it swaying, giving its occupants a form of high-rise seasickness, it will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper. “

Dramamine, anyone?

The Concept

In looking into the concept a bit more, I discovered some insight from SkyScraperPage.com: “Exploring urban issues facing 21st century, The Mile High Tower offers a fresh perspective on an idea that has been debated by architects for a century”1 mile =1600 M . Exploding land values, growing populations and expanding economies are placing extraordinary burdens on many culturally rich, but land deprived Asian regions. In response to these pressures we have proposed a vertical city. In conceiving the tower as a vertical city, the design team has integrated technological, architectural and urban planning strategies into a single structure that breathes with urban complexity. The scale of the building and the scope of the program force the reevaluation of current skyscraper precedents for form, purpose, infrastructure, transportation, structure, and sustainability.”

Pay close attention to the rendering below. To the right of the tower stands a scale size Petronas Towers, one of the current leaders in tall construction . . . Petronas is dwarfed by the Saudi model!

Artist rendering below:

Mile-High Tower compared to other skyscrapers in the Middle-East:

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Tags: Architecture, dubai, Jeddah, Mile-High Tower, Prince al-Walid bin Talal, saudi arabia, skyscraper, tallest, tallest building, tower

We went surfing through Digg to find the most popular real estate stories from the last year. Here are the 14 coolest real estate stories that we could find among the masses of submissions:

1. The next real estate boom
   ” Picture the scene: it’s 2025, and you and your family are living in a beautiful, leafy-green village that seems more 19th century than 21st, even though it has only been in existence for ten years and is just 20 miles from a major American city.”
2. Photos of 100 Rooms, each 100 Square Feet in Size in Hong Kong Public Housing
   This photo-montage of 100 tiny apartment rooms was a very popular topic.
3. Super Tree Houses
   Check out the coolest tree houses you’ll ever see!
4. The 7 Coolest Web 2.0 Real Estate Sites
   We picked the 7 coolest real estate web 2.0 sites back in April. Low and behold, this was to become one popular post.
5. Craigslist to charge fees for real estate listings
   This strategy, which has taken place in selected cities, must have brought a ton of cash to the Craigslist crew and Craig Newmark.
6. The End for 6% Realtors?
   With the advent of new companies like Redfin and great new technologies, will full price real estate agents kick the bucket?
7. For the first time in the U.S., asking price for a house tops $100 million
   Donald Trump’s $125 million Palm Beach home broke the $100 million barrier for the first time in US history. Ironically, the price was soon thereafter Trumped!
8. The Greenest Office in America
   Adobe has turned its headquarters into a towering example of environmentalism - and is saving millions of dollars in the process.
9. 3 Million Bees Removed From Kitchen Of Couple’s Apartment
   A south Florida couple was happy to not be sharing their home with millions of bees. Jesus Molina said he and his girlfriend were ready to buzz off after a swarm of bees invaded the kitchen wall of their Miami Beach apartment. (video)
10. Dubai Dominates Global Architecture with Tallest Building and More
    Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been at the forefront of global architecture and is in the process of building the world’s tallest building, amongst other things.
11. Green Buildings are all the rage in New York City
    “They are not yet as ubiquitous as the Toyota Prius, the hybrid car popular among the ecologically minded, but “green” apartment buildings have begun popping up around Manhattan.”
12. The World’s Smallest Apartment
    Imagine living in the world’s smallest apartment. . . this thing is tiny! (photo)
13. 15 Common Renter’s Rights
    “You don’t have to be expert in landlord-tenant law to protect yourself. Just brush up on your rights — and read your lease before signing the dotted line.”
14. Tenant Leaves Behind 70,000 Beer Cans
    Imagine walking in on your apartment after your tenant moves out and finding 70,000 cans! (photo)

Tags: apartment, biggerpockets, building, cool, craigslist, digg, Donald, dubai, estate, future, green, landlord, popular, real, redfin, stories, tallest, Trump