Hold me, I feel like puking after watching this video from the top of the Burj Dubai, the tallest man-made point on Earth. The shaking? That’s because the tower’s wobbling. Vertigo, uggghhhhh. [YouTube via Skyscraper Forums via Mahoney's Playground]

As you would expect, the world’s tallest fountain is in Dubai. As you would expect, it’s next to the world’s tallest building. And as you would expect, it’s as over-the-top as everything else there.

The fountain sits by the Burj Dubai and reaches 150m up in the air. It was built for $US217 million by WET Design — the same company that created the one at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The 274m-long water-show uses 6600 lights, 50 coloured projectors and hundreds of servos, all computer-controlled and synchronised with music to offer the most sophisticated water entertainment since Zeus decided to impregnate Danaë. [Dark Roasted Blend]

Granted, the resemblance to Spaceship Earth might be unavoidable when the Technosphere is meant to represent the state of Earth’s ecosystem, now and in the future. But considering that everything in the building will be solar-powered with minimal waste due to water recycling, it’s definitely a few steps ahead of the real thing. [WAN]

With the walls constructed of dark, solar protected glass, the abundant plant life of this Villamoda Galleries design is clearly visible at the right angles and the neatly kept vertical gardens appear as if they’re part of the hotel’s very structure and are a stunning blend of nature and architecture. I just wish there were some vines to swing around from. [WAN]

Vertical Village Gallery

Designed as a residential, hotel and entertainment facility, the Vertical Village is absolutely blanketed in solar panels. In fact, the building is expected to earn a LEED Gold certification when it is completed. That distinction is difficult enough for a homeowner to obtain, much less a gigantic commercial structure. Each building is oriented to reduce the heat from sun exposure — quite the contrary to a massive bed of solar collectors on the south side of the building that automatically adjusts to the sun’s position for maximum efficiency. The village also features a solar roof that helps to transport energy and break the solar field up into more manageable segments.

It’s not enough to have all of the really cool buildings on the planet — now they want a monopoly on the sun. Damn you Dubai. [Graftlab via Ecofriend via Inhabitat]

Yep, pretty big. [Kottke]

Things in Dubai get dirty pretty fast with the sand from the desert. But how the heck do you clean the 818-metre Burj Dubai? What about a SWAT team rappelling down its surface with high pressure water guns.

After the futuristic Dubai, here is the real Dubai as seen in high-speed from its new metro, inaugurated on September 9. Impressive, in a New York and Miami get drunk and have a bastard child kind of way. [Thanks Gerald]

Ah Dubai, you and your glittery airports and your insane skyscrapers and your Death Star islands. If you don’t fall into the desert first, this is how you may look in the future.

For some reason, some production company thought it would be nice to promote themselves using an annoying fake trailer depicting a futuristic version of Dubai. I don’t care. I just like the coruscantbladerunnery of it all. I wish they included the one kilometre-high Nakheel Tower, though. [Dubai Metro via Dvice]