Around the World in 52 weeks: If you build it...

...they will come!

Why is Dubai the fastest growing city in the world? Because it has some cool stuff!! Where a few decades ago there were Bedouin camps and villages, there are now luxury hotels, water parks, malls with every store imaginable, and skyscrapers that are literally scraping the sky! The limits of architecture are being stretched and pulled in some very creative ways.

The Burj Khalifa- the tallest of the more than 520 buildings that make up the Dubai skyline. At 163 stories, and slightly more than 2,716 ft, it is by far the tallest skyscraper. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2010 at a cost of about $1.5 billion. The building has broken more than just the record for tallest skyscraper, it also boasts-

fastest elevator- up to 26 mph
highest nightclub- 144th floor
highest restaurant- 122nd floor

But, with temps in the 100° regularly, waterfront property is a premium that the rich are willing to pay for. So why not make more coastline? Right??

The Palm Islands- an artificial archipelago (group of islands) that were constructed in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai. They were constructed out of local rock and sand and now house luxury waterfront mansions, water parks, luxury hotels, marinas, and well, anything else that money can buy. Amazing. But check these next ones out...

The World Islands- now you can own your own country! Well, maybe not the real country but one of the many man-made islands that recreate a world map in the sea. Such an awesome idea but, unfortunately, the global financial crisis has caused demand to plummet, so, if you've got some cash saved up now might be a great time to buy your own chunk of the world- call your real estate agent!!

The Skyscraper Contest

We were so impressed with the architecture of Dubai that we decided to see how tall we could build a building. So we dug out our old jenga game and......