Designs unveiled for giant Rotterdam wind turbine you could live inside
The 174-metre-high structure has been framed by an outer rotating ring and an inner static ring
A project by Architecture studio Doepel Strijkers
#Design
A team of Dutch companies has unveiled a proposal for a huge circular wind turbine that doubles as an apartment block and hotel, and also includes a rollercoaster.
img.0The Dutch turbine
Billed as "the most innovative windmill in the world", the Dutch Windwheel is intended as a landmark attraction for Rotterdam's waterside. Architecture studio DoepelStrijkers designed the structure and is promoting it with the help of partners Meyster's and BLOC. The designers imagine the 174-metre-high structure as being framed by two rings – a rotating outer ring made up of 40 rollercoaster cabins, and a static inner ring containing flats, a hotel and a restaurant.
img.1The wind turbine by night
The wind turbine is at the centre but, according to the designers, it won't disturb residents or guests trying to sleep – because it won't make any noise. Unlike traditional turbines that generate energy through the movement of wind-propelled sails, the Dutch Windwheel will require no mechanically moving parts, and will instead use a combination of wind and water to create electricity.
img.2View from inside
This technology is named EWICON, which stands for electrostatic wind energy convertor, and was developed by TU Delft researchers Johan Smit and Dhiradj Djairam. It generates power using an electric field made up of thin metal tubes and nozzles that spray out water droplets. The wind causes the droplets to move towards the positive electrodes, increasing their potential energy – the energy that an object has due to its position – and allowing it be harnessed.
img.3Sustainability diagram
img.4Programme
img.5Access and parking
Image courtesy Dezeen