Austrian developer Kleindienst Group is planning to add a 1km-long "Raining Street" to its Heart of Europe district in Dubai’s World Islands archipelago.
Rainy Street will contain recreations of many of the continent’s attractions taken from cities such as Venice and St Petersburg. The idea is to spray artificial rain onto them, to give a taste of European weather and also to cool the area to a pleasant 27°C in Dubai’s torrid summer heat.
Altogether, the street will host 51 European festivals a year, and be located close to hotels, resorts, cafes and shops.
The project is based on the ideas of the 19th-century Austrian architect Camillo Sitte, who argued that all a city’s amenities should be within walking distance of each other.
Josef Kleindienst, Kleindienst Group’s chairman, said: "The technology ensures that as soon as the temperature goes above 27°C on the island, cold water in the form of rain will fall from the top of the buildings through concealed pipes."
Image courtesy of Kleindienst Group/Heart of Europe
