A new project proposed for Rotterdam will harness wind to create energy. The Dutch Windwheel will be a wind energy converter that also houses apartments, a hotel, and a roller coaster. According to Gizmag, the windmill was designed to serve not only as an energy icon, but also as a tourist attraction and residential building.
The Dutch Windwheel is a 571-foot structure has two wings. The larger outer ring will house 40 pods on rails that move around the ring and provide views of the city and surrounding port. The inner ring will house 72 apartments, a 160-room hotel on seven floors, a panoramic restaurant, and a viewing gallery.
Using a technology developed at Delft Technical University, the windmill generates energy by harnessing the movement of charged water droplets in the wind. Since there are no parts of the attraction that move, it's essentially silent and easier to maintain than traditional wind turbines. Additionally, the Dutch Windwheel uses photovoltaic thermal hybrid panels to contribute to the generation of electricity.
The project is being planned and developed by the Dutch Windwheel Corporation, a consortium of Rotterdam-based companies: BLOC , DoepelStrijkers, and Meysters. The group says the windwheel could draw around 1.5 million visitors per year.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Virtual Reality | Dec 12, 2022
Supplementing workplace connections through digital knowledge networks
Zachary Wassenberg of Burns & McDonnell breaks down three applications for digital knowledge networks: training, libraries, and instructions.
Industrial Facilities | Nov 16, 2022
Industrial building sector construction, while healthy, might also be flattening
For all the hoopla about the ecommerce boom and “last mile” order fulfillment driving demand for more warehouse and manufacturing space, construction of industrial buildings actually declined over the past five years, albeit marginally by 2.1% to $27.3 billion in 2022, according to estimates by IBIS World. Still, construction in this sector remains buzzy.
Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2022
Top 110 Industrial Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Clayco, Arco Construction, Ryan Companies, and STO Building Group top the ranking of the nation's largest industrial facility sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2022
Top 90 Industrial Sector Engineering + EA Firms for 2022
Jacobs, Integrated Project Services, Burns & McDonnell, and Kimley-Horn head the ranking of the nation's largest industrial facility sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2022
Top 95 Industrial Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Ware Malcomb, Stantec, Haskell, and Macgregor Associates Architects top the ranking of the nation's largest industrial facility sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022
CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 200 Contractors for 2022
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 80 Engineering Firms for 2022
Kimley-Horn, Tetra Tech, Langan, and NV5 head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
