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International
Timekeeper
The world's biggest sundial is coming up on a Dubai building
It's increasingly becoming difficult for the rest of the
world to beat Dubai in avant garde architecture. The world's
biggest sundial is coming atop a building in the emirate.
The 35 storey Timeplace Tower with the 158m and 40m sundial
is the only structure to offer 180 degrees view of one of
the world's most prestigious addresses - the Dubai-Marina
and allowing the time to be seen from miles away. It is clearly
built to inspire. Time Place's attention to detail and freehold
property status will make this landmark complex a highly soughtafter
living space. The complex also contains seven villas with
highly distinct designs. Sparkling fountains and jacuzzis
add to the stylish sophistication that defines Time Place.
The development offers exclusive shopping, fine dining and
sophisticated leisure pursuits alongside uninterrupted waterside
promenades, sparkling fountains, luxuriant parks and state-of-the-art
boating facilities. The project will be completed early this
year.
Slip of a rival
A new skyscraper, to challenge the Eiffel Tower, will come
up in the French capital
Trust even the buildings of gay Paree to ooze sensuousness.
A new green skyscraper designed by 2005 Pritzker Prize winning
American architect Thom Mayne will anchor a redevelopment
of the La Defense business district west of Paris. Mayne's
submission has been chosen over nine other proposals, including
those from Lord Foster, Rem Koolhaas, and Jacques Herzog.
Nicolai Ourossoff of The New York Times calls the design "a
work of sparkling originality that wrestles thoughtfully with
the urban conflicts of the city's postwar years." At
984 feet, the tower, called Phare (Lighthouse), will be the
tallest in Paris (though 24 meters shorter than the Eiffel
Tower. It is reported the building will include wind turbines
on its roof, which will generate energy for heating and cooling
the structure for five months out of the year. Mayne's design
also includes a moveable double hung curtain wall, which will
allow sunlight to penetrate into the building's core but significantly
cut down the heat, which that sunlight produces. The tower,
which will contain over 130000 m2 of office space, will be
the tallest tower in a cluster that aims to re-establish the
district as a centre of world finance and business following
stiff competition from other European cities, including Barcelona
and London. Mayne who has likened the Phare Tower to layered
dress or a woman's slip where the 'skin becomes primary, the
body secondary,' has said: "The sensuousness of Paris
found its way into the project." Unibail, which owns
the largest stake in the La Defense development, will build
the 1.4 million square foot tower at a cost of $800 million
Euro ($1.05 billion). The project is to be completed by 2012.
SteelFab at Sharjah
The third edition of SteelFab will be held at the Expo Centre
in Sharjah from January 29-31, 2007. It will feature over
280 brands and companies from 34 countries. Among the exhibitors
at the show will be over 60 machinery brands for steel forming
and fabrication work and more than 85 brands of welding &
cutting systems. SteelFab is considered to be the Middle East's
only trade platform for manufacturers and distributors of
machine tools, welding machinery, consumables and other items
related to the steel working business, and organizations and
companies involved in the steel fabrication industry. The
2007 edition of the event will witness the largest display
of Steel, Fasteners, Accessories, Surface Preparation, Machinery
and Tools, Welding and Cutting, Finishing and Testing equipment,
and Coatings and Anti-Corrosion material, in the region. The
third edition of SteelFab is being supported by UCIMU - the
Italian Machine Tools, Robots, and Automation Manufacturer's
Association, and MIB - the Association of Turkish Machinery
Manufacturers. A major attraction of the show will be the
product presentations and technical seminars on the sidelines.
SteelFab is an initiative of Expo Centre Sharjah with the
support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry "SteelFab
in 2007 will see an increase in the number of brands, direct
participants as well as the national pavilions that will be
featured. The rapid expansion of the SteelFab exhibition is
a reflection of the unprecedented growth that the Middle East
Steel industry is currently experiencing," Saif Al Midfa,
Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah said.
QUOTE HANGER
Even big brands can't pay the current rentals
Deepak Parekh,
Chairman, HDFC
If industry wants to acquire land the government should act
as an umpire and set broad guidelines to ensure that the transaction
is transparent.
Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State for Commerce
As a businessman and as a human being I am not comfortable
with Hero (Honda) getting into cars. I have no idea what they
are talking about when they say four wheelers.
Masahiro Takedagawa,
COO, Honda Motor Company
Though there is greater coordination among regulators across
geographies, there is not enough conceding ground.
M Damodaran, Chairman, SEBI
I am looking at the empowerment of India and Gujarat has
to lead by example
Narendra Modi, Chief minister of Gujarat
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