Unique Structures To Be Build

• Author: Administrator
• Filed under: Amazing Stories
• Date: Jul 3,2008

These are probably the most exiting unique structures which are going to be build soon in world.

1. Aqua, USA

From a distance this skyscraper, to be completed in 2009 in Chicago, will seem quite traditional. It’ll only be when you get close and look up that you can appreciate the ripple/jelly effect created by variously sized balconies from top to bottom.

2. Chicago Spire, USA

 The phenomenal Chicago spire, when completed in 2010, will be the world’s tallest residential building and the tallest building of any kind in the western world. Seemingly modeled on the image of a giant drill poking through the ground, the 609m structure will dominate the Chicago skyline.

3. CCTV Headquarters, China

At a modest 234m the CCTV building isn’t going to stand out from a distance. However the design and shape is a crowd stopper to say the least and will be another incredible addition to Beijing’s skyline in time for the 2008 Olympics. The shape, described as a ‘z criss-cross’ results in a very high, seemingly unsupported corner at the front. Let’s hope there’s a glass floor up there.

4. Regatta Hotel, Dubai

Taking on a nautical theme, the developers say the 10 smaller towers represent sailing boats whilst the larger building is ‘the lighthouse’. It’s the lighthouse that steals the show for me, possibly the most incredible looking structure I’ve seen for a long time. If it ends up looking anything close to these pictures I’ll be impressed.

5. Residence Antilia, India

Construction has begun on residence Antilia despite opposition from those who see it as an ‘excessive’ design in a city where more than 65% of the population live in slums. Politics aside and after you recover from the initial shock of seeing a skyscraper that resembles an Ikea CD rack, the building actually looks like it may succeed as a stunning, unique, green piece of architecture.

6. Russia Tower, Russia

Topped with an observation deck over the city of Moscow, Russia tower will become the tallest building in europe when completed in 2012 and twice the height of the Eiffel tower. Construction has already started on this angular beast which was designed by foster & partners, also responsible for the gherkin and spaceport America, currently in development.

7. Penang Global City Centre, Malaysia

Following months of speculation and sturdy opposition, this humungous project is in the final stages of approval and apparently construction will start very soon. Even so, due to the size of the plan it will take at least 15 years to complete. Resembling a sci-fi city, the area will be crowned by 2 x 200m towers and completely transform the small island of penang.

8. Gazprom Headquarters, Russia

This gigantic, 300m tall glass flame of a building will house the gazprom headquarters in St. Petersburg, dwarfing all structures in its vicinity. It will apparently change colour up to 10 times per day depending on the position of the sun. The building has already been nicknamed ‘corn on the cob’ by unhappy locals.

9. Burj Dubai, Dubai

 This is the big one. When completed next year it will be the tallest man-made structure in the world and the tallest building by a long shot with a predicted height of 818m. note: currently the tallest building on earth, excluding an antenna, is Taipei 101 in Taiwan which stands at 509m. The photo below is the building’s current state: the skyscrapers below the Burj Dubai used to look tall.

The Most Beautiful Lighthouses In World

• Author: Administrator
• Filed under: Amazing Stories
• Date: Jun 21,2008

Here is the list of the most beautiful, amazing lighthouses. These are so beautiful that if you are watching them at night you could stay without a breath.

1. Enoshima Lighthouse, Japan

In 2003 the Enoshima lighthouse in Japan was renovated, the stunning results of which you can see in the photo above. The spiral staircase to the top is surrounded only by a steel frame which is lit in different colors that change throughout the night, making it pretty hard to ignore. it sits on Enoshima island, a tiny piece of land just off the coast of Japan.

2. Torre De Hercules, Spain

The Torre De Hercules (tower of Hercules) is the only roman lighthouse still in use and holds the title of ‘oldest active lighthouse in the world’. It was built by the Romans in the 11th century and renovated in 1791 by a team led by engineer Eustaquio Giannini. The 185ft lighthouse still stands today and looks as sturdy as ever.

3. Madang Lighthouse, Papua New Guinea

 this still active lighthouse, also known as the coastwatchers monument, was built in 1959 as a memorial to the coastwatchers during the 2nd world war. apparently intended to resemble a giant torch, the four-finned base makes it look more like a rocket. either way, it’s an incredible look. as for the light itself, the ‘flame’ encased lamp at the top can produce an impressive 1,000,000 candlepower beam.

4. yokohama marine tower, japan

at a height of 348ft, the yokohama marine tower was, prior to its ‘temporary closure’, the tallest lighthouse in the world and could be seen by ships 20 miles away. built in 1958 as part of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the opening of the port of yokohama, the lighthouse immediately became a landmark, many people not realising it was actually a lighthouse due to it’s unconventional lattice tower design.

5. pigeon point lighthouse, u.s.

pigeon point lighthouse is perched on the edge of a cliff in california and at 115ft is one of the tallest in the united states. each november the picturesque lighthouse is visited by photographers eager to capture the annual lighting of the lens, seen in the photo above, a spectacle which shows off an extremely powerful lens composed of 1008 hand-polished lenses and prisms which help in providing 500,000 candlepower illumination.

6. low lighthouse, u.k.

at only 9 metres tall, the stunning ‘low lighthouse’ in burnham-on-sea is one of the smallest you’ll find. it was built in 1832 and is still used as a navigation tool, providing a white flash every 7.5 seconds from the window at the front in addition to a red, white or blue light, the colour differing depending on which direction it’s viewed from.

7. kiz kulezi, turkey

the 2500 year old kiz kulesi (maiden’s tower) is one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world and sits on a tiny islet off the coast of istanbul. over the years the small piece of land on which it sits has been used as a burial chamber, customs area, quarantine area and more - these days the lighthouse is a hugely popular tourist destination with the body of the tower now housing a cafe.

8. cape hatteras light, u.s.

 around 1.25 million bricks were used to build the tallest lighthouse in america, a huge structure which lights up every 7 seconds to assist ships through the ‘graveyard of the atlantic’, the diamond shoals. on clear days it has been visible from 50 miles and just before the millenium was moved, in one piece, 2870ft inland to escape the eroding shore. photos of the mammoth operation can be seen here.

9. middle bay lighthouse, u.s.

built in 1885, the middle bay lighthouse in alabama is an example of a screwpile lighthouse - those which are screwed into piles which sit on sea or riverbeds. this hexagonal beauty was recently refurbished, improvements including a new slate roof and a solar-powered red light on top.

10. promthep cape lighthouse, thailand

one of the world’s newest lighthouses is this strange looking, gold topped example in thailand, built in 1996 to honour the reign of king bhumibol adulyadej. it can be found on the southern coast of phuket, a major tourist spot in thailand. i have no idea how much the construction cost but i’m guessing it wasn’t cheap.

11. sullivan’s island lighthouse, u.s.

this incredible modern lighthouse originally contained a lamp capable of producing a whopping 28,000,000 candlepower. however this apparently proved too dangerous and was replaced with one with a comparitively modest 1?000?000 candlepower maximum. compared to other lighthouses, this is practically space-age, facilities inside including air-conditioning and an elevator.

12. knarrarós lighthouse, iceland

in my opinion one of the most aesthetically brilliant lighthouses you’ll find, the stark white knarrarós lighthouse was built in 1938 and is the tallest building in southern iceland at 86ft. perched on top of a white base, the building is surrounded by grass, the colour contrast just adding to its mystical appearance. the light is still active and flashes for a 3 second period every 1/2 minute.

Making Of Eiffel Tower

• Author: Administrator
• Filed under: Amazing Stories
• Date: Jun 12,2008

The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Parisian landmark is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognized structures in the world and is named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel. Here you can see early pictures of Eiffel Tower.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the tower has been used for radio transmission. Until the 1950s, an occasionally modified set of antenna wires ran from the summit to anchors on the Avenue de Suffren and Champ de Mars. They were connected to long-wave transmitters in small bunkers; in 1909, a permanent underground radio centre was built near the south pillar and still exists today. On 20 November 1913 the Paris Observatory, using the Eiffel Tower as an antenna, exchanged sustained wireless signals with the United States Naval Observatory which used an antenna in Arlington, Virginia.

Leopard Seals

• Author: Administrator
• Filed under: Amazing Stories
• Date: Jun 6,2008

Leopard Seals are the second largest species of seals in the Antarctic. Near the top of the Antarctic food chain, Orcas are their only natural predator. Leopard seals can live to 26 years and more.

Large and muscular, bearing dark grey backs and light grey stomachs, their throats are whitish with the black spots which give the seals their name. Females are typically larger than the males, about 10 to 11.5 feet (3 to 3.5 meters) in length, weighing 800 to 880 pounds (370 to 400 kilograms). The bulls are generally about 9 feet (2.8 meters) long and 700 pounds (320 kilograms).

Although they’re true seals and swim with their hind limbs, they have powerful highly developed forelimbs similar to a sea lion, giving them a maneuverability similar to sea lions and fur seals.

Leopard seals are shallow water hunters, and don’t dive deep like other seals of the Antarctic Weddell seals, Ross seals and Elephant seals, which can dive to 1000 feet (300 meters) in search of squid. Leopard seals have unusually loose jaws that can open more than 160 degrees allowing them to bite larger prey. Their heads are more similar to a mammal-like ‘reptile’ than that of a mammal.

Their front teeth are razor sharp, while their molars lock together in a manner that allows them to sieve krill from the water. Their sense of eyesight and smell are very keen. Their streamlined bodies enable the seals to move swiftly through the water, making them a formidable predator.

 Paul Nicklen, reporting for National Geographic stated that he expected this 12 foot (4 meter) long female to flee with her catch of a live penguin chick, but dropped it on his camera instead. She opened her mouth and engulfed the camera and most of his head, and reacted with aggressive behavior towards him for 45 minutes, then relaxed and returned the next day in search of him.

Worlds Biggest Tree

• Author: Administrator
• Filed under: Amazing Stories
• Date: May 5,2008

This sequoia is not the highest in the world, it is the biggest by its volume. Take a look at photos and you will see how big it is.

This is General Sherman sequoia which is a 2300-2700 year old. It is located in Giant Forest of the Sequoia National Park, California. In 2002 it was pronounce as the biggest tree in the world, it has about 1487 cubic meters. General Grant tree was also one of the favorites in this competition, but it was defeated by this one. The General Sherman sequoia is also 275 feet high.This tree, the biggest one in the world, was named after general William Tecumesh Sherman, who was an American Civil War leader.

Check out the pictures of this outstanding sequoia, the biggest tree in the world.