[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] A New York architecture firm has unveiled designs for a skyscraper that is out of this world. Deemed the ‘world’s tallest building ever’, Analemma Tower will be suspended from an orbiting asteroid 31,068 miles (50,000 km) above the Earth– and the only way to leave is by parachute."Hi, honey! I'm gonna be in town with the Gleasons at about 5:30."
"Okay. What time should I start dinner? How are you coming home?"
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that..."
The orbital path would swing the tower in a figure eight pattern between the northern and southern hemispheres each day, taking residents on a tour through different parts of the world - all in just a 24 hour orbital cycle.
Wow. That'll be nifty. I'm not sure about the idea of commuting by space shuttle. I'm kinda queasy with the idea of parachuting to the office from 31,000 miles, too.
The radical design was created by Clouds Architecture Office, which is also the mastermind behind proposals for a Mars house and a cloud city.
Is there in fact an asteroid in orbit at 50,000 kilometers? Didn't Bruce Willis blow that up or something?
The firm's latest design, Analemma Tower, will 'overturn the established skyscraper typology', as it builds from the sky down, instead of the ground up.
You've got to get "up" before you can build "down." If you go far enough "up" there is no "down." But if there is no "asteroid" then I guess that doesn't matter. If that's a good altitude for things to orbit, why bother with the asteroid? Is that where they're gonna put the septic system?
'Through the course of history humanity has been able to affect the environment on increasing scales,' explained the firm.
Through the course of history we've have pretty good grasp of "up," "down," and "asteroid," too. I'll admit "silly" has often been variations on multiple themes, few of them involving natural laws.
Analemma Tower will be suspended from an orbiting asteroid and hang down to the Earth.
It's gonna be high enough to "orbit" but it'll hang "down." The illustration shows cables, presumably thick ones.
It will travel in a figure eight pattern through the northern and southern hemispheres and pass over major cities such as Panama City, Havana, Atlanta and New York City.
"Lovely view from your balcony, Mrs. Schellhammer!"
"Yes! We call those places 'orbit over country!'"
The proposal calls for Analemma to first be constructed over Dubai, which has proven to be a specialist in tall building construction at one fifth the cost of New York City construction.
They're using Pak labor?
The massive skyscraper will be setup in sections and each with a designated purpose.
Where are they gonna be "setup?" Dubai? How're they gonna get 50,000 km up? By pulley?
Business will be conducted at the lower end of the towers and sleeping quarters will be positioned two-thirds of the way up the building.
Kinda like a train, only dangling.
Residents will also have access to a gardening area, a place for worship and in the bottom level will be sections for dining, shopping and entertainment.
Well, sure. They'll need a dining car. Probably a caboose, too.
The architects plan to take full advantage of the skyscraper's location and will place solar panels at the upper most levels to generate power from the sun.
Dangling from 31,000 miles they'll have lots of it available, as long as the asteroid doesn't get in the way.
And residents will enjoy fresh water from condensation of clouds and rainwater, which will be collected and purified.
How many clouds and how much rainwater are there at 31,000 miles? Isn't the air a little thin at that altitude? Of course, the cables could be really, really long. The pictures show the "skyscraper" top banging into Mount Everest, or maybe Hawaii, with a communications satellite located below the asteroid (probably not to scale). I don't know why they'd bother with solar power when perpetual motion could be had at a fraction of the cost using just about the same engineering principles.