Build that thing
Dubai is an ambitious little SOB. They're in a bit of an "imagination bubble" at the moment, in which no big idea is too absurd not to be taken seriously. Last year somebody proposed – as a joke – building an entire miniature city suspended in the air, inside a glass bubble. The newspapers were filled with letters alternately gushing over the idea and decrying it as impractical. I'm not sure which response is stupider.
Here are some of the proposals that actually made it off the drawing board:
"The Palm"*
They built this island in the shape of a palm, right there near the Burj. Lots of expensive beachfront property – not a bad idea. Serena Williams can boat over to Sting's place in like, five minutes.
Everything's going great, except all the sand keeps washing out to sea, and the hammerhead sharks just won't seem to mind their own business. Overall elktown verdict: awesome.
* Photo credit: I don't care.
"The World"
This resort-to-be is still in the early stages of sand dumping. The photo is a rendering I found on a billboard. The idea is to build a little world map out of sand, just off the coast, near the Palm. You can buy whichever parts of the map you want. If they don't sell, I heard the sheikhs are going to distribute them to everybody using dice, a la the board game Risk. Then everybody builds hotels. Sort of Risk meets Monopoly**, I guess.
I heard that before his run of bad luck, culminating in his relocation to the spider hole, our pal Saddam had bought up large parts of "America." That'll teach us, Saddam!***
Overall elktown verdict: Too political. If I want to conquer the world, I'll play a computer game.
** I always like to be the thimble!
*** Hey Saddam, how did that work out for you, by the way?
"The EMAAR resort"
If you buy a penthouse at one of these places, you get a free BMW. I've always wanted a BMW.
Overall elktown verdict: Nice enough, I suppose.
"The Aviation Building"
Never one to make a point subtly when it can be pounded home with the emotional force of a shrieking horde of chimpanzees, the Emiratis designed their aviation training building in the shape of… a giant airplane!
ELKTOWN says: Fly away, little fella!!
Here are some of the proposals that actually made it off the drawing board:
"The Palm"*
They built this island in the shape of a palm, right there near the Burj. Lots of expensive beachfront property – not a bad idea. Serena Williams can boat over to Sting's place in like, five minutes.
Everything's going great, except all the sand keeps washing out to sea, and the hammerhead sharks just won't seem to mind their own business. Overall elktown verdict: awesome.
* Photo credit: I don't care.
"The World"
This resort-to-be is still in the early stages of sand dumping. The photo is a rendering I found on a billboard. The idea is to build a little world map out of sand, just off the coast, near the Palm. You can buy whichever parts of the map you want. If they don't sell, I heard the sheikhs are going to distribute them to everybody using dice, a la the board game Risk. Then everybody builds hotels. Sort of Risk meets Monopoly**, I guess.
I heard that before his run of bad luck, culminating in his relocation to the spider hole, our pal Saddam had bought up large parts of "America." That'll teach us, Saddam!***
Overall elktown verdict: Too political. If I want to conquer the world, I'll play a computer game.
** I always like to be the thimble!
*** Hey Saddam, how did that work out for you, by the way?
"The EMAAR resort"
If you buy a penthouse at one of these places, you get a free BMW. I've always wanted a BMW.
Overall elktown verdict: Nice enough, I suppose.
"The Aviation Building"
Never one to make a point subtly when it can be pounded home with the emotional force of a shrieking horde of chimpanzees, the Emiratis designed their aviation training building in the shape of… a giant airplane!
ELKTOWN says: Fly away, little fella!!
posted by Eric at 4:30 AM
3 Comments:
I like the Palm.
Me too. They're actually building three of them. Each one is palm-like in its own special way.
they don't really have hammerhead sharks that would bother those nice folks wading outside their room at the Burj, do they?
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