It's been a while since we've taken a look at the weird and wonderful canvas that is Dubai's skyline of the future, and this proposal from James Law Cybertecture would slot neatly in among radical designs like the Almeisan Tower and the spiraling ZPO. Shaped like a giant disco ball, the Technosphere is conceived as a self-sustaining model of the Earth in miniature incorporating a range of active and passive systems to meet these goals.

The carbon-neutral Technosphere would house office and residential space as well as a hotel and public areas that enable it to function as a tourist attraction. Water would be recycled within the building and solar power used to supplement energy needs. Carefully positioned sky gardens provide passive solar shielding and help keep the air fresh.

The building is proposed as the hub of Dubai's Technopark city development, an economic center which focuses on environmentally critical sectors such as water resource management and alternative energy development. It will house 60,000 permanent residents and employ over 133,000 people.

Via Inhabitat via World Architecture News.