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[twobear]

holy shit it's ugly

 

[amrihua]

So they are building the worlds largest tower, out in the sea, on a man-made island, in a region with a fair amount of seismic activity?

Came here to say soil liquefaction. I know some regions of its southern neighbor Iran are seismically active. After some search apparently so is Azerbaijan.

 

[Kinyou]

Ok, now I kind of wish that they win the next Eurovision Sing Contest.

 

[luckyarcher]

Why is it designed to look like a dildo riding a space shuttle?

 

[iamaustrian]

oh great; only 50% of our citizens live in extrem poverty. Our capital Baku was nominated as the most polluted city on planet earth. Our politics is deeply corrupted and we are ranked behind Iraq and afghanistan in terms of press fredoom.

let's build some ugly super-expensive towers and lots of buildings noone needs!
oh wait, not enough place?
So let us also heap up some enormous islands to build all those buildings on because that worked so great in Dubai

 

[Red Liquorice]

The latter half of the 21st century is going to feature some spectacular ruins.

Under the sea.

 

[Nevasleep]

UPS seems to love Azerbaijan, so that's good enough for me.

 

[zero_suit]

2 billion is pretty cheap, all things considered.

It seems really cheap. Doesn't the One World Trade Tower cost close to $2 billion?

 

[Something Wicked]

Yeah... if I had dollar for every ridiculous construction project announced... The "artificial island" itself won't provide enough depth for a stable foundation for this thing.

Radio masts? Why would they count that?

Radio masts are usually not counted, but "spires" attached to the tower do. Then again, there are a bunch of metrics used to determine the height of buildings.

 

[Kosmo]

2 billion is pretty cheap, all things considered.

For sure - wasn't the Bellagio $1B in Las Vegas?

 

[Sickboy007]

I'm calling it:

This tower will never be built.

That's very likely.

 

[InertiaXr]

For sure - wasn't the Bellagio $1B in Las Vegas?

1.6 back in 1998, which would be well over 2 billion now.

 

[Navidson REC]

These pics pretty much look like Crackdown IRL.

This.

Those pictures are odd though...they don't make it look very tall. I guess it's the building's design and the other buildings and whatnot around it, but I'm having a hard time picturing how tall it actually is :/

Have to agree. Those first few pictures make it seem rather "normal" in size, while actually those other skyscrapers ought to end up being pretty damn high, too!

 

[GCX]

Eurovision is the only place I ever hear about Azerbaijan.

 

[Kjellson]

They got megalomania after they won Eurovision.

 

[SouthernDragon]

Interesting.

 

[AndyD]

Those towers look like lipstick.

Yep. Looks like a nice complex though.

 

[pestul]

It seems really cheap. Doesn't the One World Trade Tower cost close to $2 billion?

$2B goes a long way when you can use imported laborers who might not even end up getting paid..

 

[mavs]

It seems really cheap. Doesn't the One World Trade Tower cost close to $2 billion?

Cheap for the structure itself, but $2B on an island in the Caspian sea sure sticks out a lot more than $2B in Lower Manhattan.

 

[Carbonox]

LUCA!

Just lacks a Blitzball stadium and we're good to go.

 

[realalbedo]

I actually lived there for three months. like 12 years ago.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

—2 billion? No concern for salaries, I see. Sounds like Azerbaijan to me!

They look like looming smokestacks, which I think is fitting for Baku itself. Baka.

 

[FreeMufasa]

I actually lived there for three months. like 12 years ago.

Was just about to ask if anyone here's ever been to Azerbaijan. How was it?

 

[realalbedo]

Was just about to ask if anyone here's ever been to Azerbaijan. How was it?

To be fair, ive spent like 3 days in Baku, but it was nice place, also safe compared to Moscow I could walk at night there and not being killed or something!
Most of the time i lived in small mountain jewish village, wich is called Cuba haha

 

[18-Volt]

oh great; only 50% of our citizens live in extrem poverty. Our capital Baku was nominated as the most polluted city on planet earth. Our politics is deeply corrupted and we are ranked behind Iraq and afghanistan in terms of press fredoom.

"Don't blame me, I'm just my father's son"

Seriously, it still amazes me that Azerbaijan is a free country, not a part of Iran.

 

[Tanolen]

Only 2 billion? They should throw 4 billion at it and make it twice as tall!

 

[Phonomezer]

Azerbaijan has some amazing buildings planned for development, but they have a fetish for putting gaudy neon lights on everything.

 

[Carbonox]

Only 2 billion? They should throw 4 billion at it and make it twice as tall!

http://m.apnews.mobi/ap/db_6776/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=c54p3Vnm

So it's theirs?! Now the area will never be built!

 

[slider]

Azerbaijan is a beautiful country. And the people are incredibly friendly too; even in Baku. I reckon a significant chunk of the money set aside will end up in Aliyev's pocket. And if not his some of his cohorts.

EDIT: Yep, Transparency International had them at 143 in their 2011 list.

 

[amrihua]

oh great; only 50% of our citizens live in extrem poverty. Our capital Baku was nominated as the most polluted city on planet earth. Our politics is deeply corrupted and we are ranked behind Iraq and afghanistan in terms of press fredoom.

let's build some ugly super-expensive towers and lots of buildings noone needs!
oh wait, not enough place?
So let us also heap up some enormous islands to build all those buildings on because that worked so great in Dubai

Wont it create jobs and bring in businesses and tourism?

But you are right about Dubai, I've been there after the crash and a lot of skyscrapers sit vacant. If Dubai weren't bailed out by neighboring Abu Dhabi things would have been far worse.

 

[Kyoufu]

What happens if there is a strong earthquake?

 

[speculawyer]

Does having oil make your dick shrink?

 

[Bombadil]

Makes sense considering how insanely rich Azerbaijan is.



Wait, what?

Exaaactly.

 

[godnorazi]

first 2 thoughts in my head

 

[Blablurn]

oh great; only 50% of our citizens live in extrem poverty. Our capital Baku was nominated as the most polluted city on planet earth. Our politics is deeply corrupted and we are ranked behind Iraq and afghanistan in terms of press fredoom.

let's build some ugly super-expensive towers and lots of buildings noone needs!
oh wait, not enough place?
So let us also heap up some enormous islands to build all those buildings on because that worked so great in Dubai

at least u have the eurovision this year. in germany we have a show called "our star for baku" running right now. ur popular as never before!

 

[lacinius]

Didn't know that building in Chicago was named after Bruce. :\

 

[godnorazi]

also... do those constructor workers get paid some insane amount.. i know radio tower technicians make $$$ due to the amount of balls required

 

[Kabouter]

also... do those constructor workers get paid some insane amount.. i know radio tower technicians make $$$ due to the amount of balls required

http://downloads.unmultimedia.org/photo/medium/325/325801.jpg[img][/QUOTE]
While it's hard to say how things will be in Azerbaijan, I can't imagine there were very many people satisfied with their pay in the crazy Emirati construction projects.

[url]http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html[/url] < See under III.

[quote]Sahinal Monir, a slim 24-year-old from the deltas of Bangladesh. "To get you here, they tell you Dubai is heaven. Then you get here and realise it is hell," he says. Four years ago, an employment agent arrived in Sahinal's village in Southern Bangladesh. He told the men of the village that there was a place where they could earn 40,000 takka a month (£400) just for working nine-to-five on construction projects. It was a place where they would be given great accommodation, great food, and treated well. All they had to do was pay an up-front fee of 220,000 takka (£2,300) for the work visa &#8211; a fee they'd pay off in the first six months, easy. So Sahinal sold his family land, and took out a loan from the local lender, to head to this paradise.

As soon as he arrived at Dubai airport, his passport was taken from him by his construction company. He has not seen it since. He was told brusquely that from now on he would be working 14-hour days in the desert heat &#8211; where western tourists are advised not to stay outside for even five minutes in summer, when it hits 55 degrees &#8211; for 500 dirhams a month (£90), less than a quarter of the wage he was promised. If you don't like it, the company told him, go home. "But how can I go home? You have my passport, and I have no money for the ticket," he said. "Well, then you'd better get to work," they replied.[/quote]

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

In context, this is all built out into the Caspian Sea (and the whole complex, etc. will be closer to $100M)

 

[Zaptruder]

If they can actually pull off that build for 2 billion, it would be a fucking architectural revolution.

 

[outunderthestars]

also... do those constructor workers get paid some insane amount.. i know radio tower technicians make $$$ due to the amount of balls required

If it's anything like the Burj it will mostly be debt-bonded slave labor.

 

[Big-E]

If they can actually pull off that build for 2 billion, it would be a fucking architectural revolution.

Ya. How is this possible when this tower is like 3 times as wide as the Dubai one?

 

[Kola]

Meanwhile they are destroying huge parts of the old inner city and with that abandoning their architectural heritage, instead of maintaining it. Bit sad...

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Ya. How is this possible when this tower is like 3 times as wide as the Dubai one?

Too true. What is unbelievable about the building is how immensely big it is in all directions. It could be half as tall, but keep the width and it will still be like the biggest building ever.

 

[zomaha]

It doesn't seem that tall in the first few renders. But then the comparison against the Burj Khalifa makes it seem like a fucking alien mothership.

 

[Skilotonn]

It's getting ridiculous now with the competition.

 

[TAJ]

2 billion is pretty cheap, all things considered.

Not if you factor human misery into the equation.

 

[Dead Man]

It's not just the height, the sheer mass of that design is immense.

 

[i_am_ben]

aint gonna happen.

 

[Kibbles]

Tom Cruise laughs at this.

That's definitely The Agency tower. The architect plays too much Crackdown.