Dubai is building another masterpiece structure shaped like a pyramid and like the pyramids of the Mayans and Egyptians, this new structure in Dubai is a giant : it will cover 2.3 square kilometers (0.88 square miles).

The structure called Ziggurat will house nearly one million people and will be self-sustainable with all natural-energy sources. It is named after the temple towers of the ancient Mesopotamian valley, a terraced pyramid structure with successively receding stories.

The main purpose of the Ziggurat is to ensure a better quality of life with almost zero-carbon emissions ; the structure will be powered by solar, wind and natural sources and capable of running completely off the grid, according to Timelinks, Dubai-based environmental design firm who is in charge of the project.

Also, there will be no cars thanks to the complex transportation system that runs both horizontally and vertically. Biometrics would provide security with facial recognition technology.

Timelinks has already patented the design and technology incorporated into the project and has applied to the European Union for a grant for technical projects. The intriguing mixed use concept will be unveiled at Cityscape Dubai which takes place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 6-9 October 2008

Just before the week end, I wanted to show you guys one of my dream apartment :

Located on the 73rd floor of a Manhattan building, the apartment is a pied-a-terre overlooking Central Park designed by E Benqué for a private client in 2006.

The interior design is primarily structured by different relations to the view and the urban landscape.

The furniture elements can be moved around on the window frames and allow to sit right against the floor to ceiling windows and experiment the thrill of altitude.

The design principle throughout the apartment is to imagine the reflections of the objects in the windows. Everything is designed and chosen according to the image it will create, day or night, mixed with lights of the city.

The Saudi government is planning four new cities, in its bid to diversify the economy and increase employment opportunities, has encouraged growth in the non-oil industrial sector.

The mega project was revealed in 2005 by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia. As designed, the cities will have a total of four times the geographic area of Hong Kong, three times the population of Dubai, and an economic output equal to Singapore’s.

The coastal King Abdullah Economy City (abbreviated as KAEC; pronounced CAKE – Arabic: مدينة الملك عبدالله اللإقتصادية‎) is designed to house two million in an area twice the size of Hong Kong.

Entirely funded by domestic and foreign private investors, this is the only one of the four planned cities that is currently under construction.
With a total development area of 173 km² (66.8 sq mi), the city is located along the coast of the Red Sea, around 100 km north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of the kingdom.

The city will be the largest transportation and logistics hub in the Middle East and will be approximately an hour away from the holy Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina by car and an hour away of the 12 Middle Eastern capital cities by plane.

The city will be divided into six main components: Industrial Zone, Sea Port, Residential Areas, Sea Resort, Educational Zone, and a Central Business District (Find out more details on Wikipedia).

The total cost of the city is $26.6 billion. The first stage of the city is planned to be completed in 2010, while the whole city is going to be fully completed by 2020.

The city will help diversify the oil-based economy of the kingdom by bringing direct foreign and domestic investments. Based on initial forecasts, the project and its several components will create up to 500,000 employment opportunities for the youthful population of the country, where 60% of the population is under 15. (Source CNN)

Dear visitors, here is the tinny studio that LUXUO plans to buy to set up its international headquarters (it is important to be surrounded by luxury to get inspired ^_^) .

The Bader House is the ultimate in modern design and Hollywood glam. Located in the hills in West Hollywood and perched above the Sunset Strip, this house has just two bedrooms but has all sorts of features designed to tempt.

The Wealth Bulletin (a Dow Jones site) has come up with a list of the 10 most expensive streets in the world. The survey revealed that the prices for the top homes in the best locations appear to have decoupled from the gloom and doom being felt in the wider property market.

If you want to live in the best accommodation in these streets you will need to be a billionaire, or not far behind !

Avenue Princess Grace in Monaco has been named at the top with a price tag of $190,000 per square metre. It is followed by Hong Kong’s Severn Road with a price of $121,000 per square metre (sq mt) at second and New York City’s Fifth Avenue at third place ($80,000 per sq mt).

Here is the complete list, with some sample property prices as tallied by Wealth Bulletin:

Emmar Malls Group will inaugurate its mall – Dubai Mall- on 30 October 2008. The group claims that it will the largest mall in the region.

The Mall will cover 12 million sq ft of space, and is an integral part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development.

It will feature1,200 retail outlets, two anchor department stores and more than 120 food and beverage outlets. Adjoining is The Address, Dubai Mall, a 5 star premium hotel with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.