Ever get tired of looking at the same boring view from your office window? Compare this to the constantly-changing vista available from the Space Needle in Seattle.
Now, imagine bringing the spinning, soaring vistas of the Space Needle to the massive skyscrapers of New York City, and other large cities.
This can be achieved by building skyscrapers on rotating pedestals powered by large solar panels adorning the sides of the building. As far as getting to work on time while the building is spinning... well, there's something to be said for survival of the fittest, no?-- 21 Quest, May 26 2006 rotating tower scotland http://www.rampants...gow/glw_science.htmit's been built - it works ! Manhattan is next! [xenzag, May 27 2006] its a bit smoother than this in realtime... http://www.camvista...nd/london/bale.php3 [po, May 27 2006] Just dont forget to grease the bearings every month.-- jhomrighaus, May 26 2006 would the buildings still by squared off? you know, with corners?-- tcarson, May 27 2006 take care while jumping on through the main entrance and find a way to overcome the disability access rules.
having said that, I will have to find out how wheelchairs access the London Eye.-- po, May 27 2006 I don't understand the solar panels. How will you look out onto the non-boring view if your own building is covered with them? Better to turn buildings with teams of oxen.-- ldischler, May 27 2006 "having said that, I will have to find out how wheelchairs access the London Eye." They stop the wheel to get wheelchair users onto the eye. It surprised me how easy it was to stop the wheel dead. I guess it's fairly heavy and has more friction than I anticipated.-- st3f, May 27 2006 I was in London for a week and never saw it turning. All those wheelchairs, I suppose.-- ldischler, May 27 2006 Idi, it does turn very slowly.
thanks, st3f.-- po, May 27 2006 Idi, the solar panels would cover the roof and the spaces between the windows.
po, as for disability access, there could be an outrigger-type boom swinging out with a net on the end to snatch the disabled right off the sidewalk and into the building. I realize it might be a little rough, I did mention survival of the fittest, didn't I?
If that doesn't work, simply slow the building's spin at the touch of a button, kinda like those automatic doors with a big shiny button outside.-- 21 Quest, May 27 2006 Why do people throw in solar panels for these grandly useless ideas? Is that supposed to justify something?
Solar panels are presently not worth the cost of installation and maintenance, if mains power is available. Photovoltaics are used for spacecraft, cabins out in the woods, or highly portable devices. They aren't yet practical for powering part of a building, especially one that is already buying electricity at low rates, which many large consumers can do.
As for the handicapped, provide access through or near the axis, via an underground tunnel.-- baconbrain, May 27 2006 The idea of using solar panels for grandly useless ideas is a way for the market to encourage innovation through monetary reward. The more people find different ways and demand product use, the more companies can afford to take risk in developing new and cheaper technoloigies. So, yea [21 quest]! Keep 'em coming. Through people like you the world will at last be able to afford better and cheaper solar power. I had no idea you were so green. You tree hugging dirt worshipper, you.-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, May 27 2006 piza?-- jellydoughnut, May 27 2006 Jelly, it's a play on words based on the famous Leaning Tower of Piza. Piza is a city in Italy, I think, and is the home of a tower built long ago on infirm ground so the weight of the tower is displacing the ground and sinking on one side, causing the whole tower to "lean" to one side.-- 21 Quest, May 28 2006 So the towers lean AND turn. I like that better, as long as you ditch the solar cells and employ teams of a thousand oxen for the turning. Ah, the spectacle! (BTW, the Italians prefer it spelled Pisa.)-- ldischler, May 28 2006 I just thought this had something to do with Pizza. Since this is a reference to the leaning tower of Pisa we'd best do something about the spelling in the idea title. [admin: Idea title changed Piza -> Pisa]-- st3f, May 29 2006 In case you're interested, the rotating deck of the Space Needle only needs something like 1 horsepower to power it.
For the disabled, it doesn't spin that fast. Seriously, it's not going to send them flying out due to centripical forces.
And the whole building shouldn't turn, just the floors inside. Otherwise, bathrooms and elevators would be a hassle without a non-moving central core.-- Abusementpark, Jan 07 2007 random, halfbakery