Arup has joined the consortium developing the Dutch Windwheel, a giant inhabitable wind turbine that is set to be a landmark of sustainability and innovation in Rotterdam.
The 174m-tall structure will be made up of two giant rings containing 28,000 square metres of residential space.
Some of the power for the structure will come from an "electrostatic wind energy converter", a framework of steel tubes that generate electricity with no moving mechanical parts.
Last year developers said the outer ring would contain 40 rotating cabins while the inner ring will house a restaurant, a "sky lobby", a 160-room hotel, 72 apartments and shops.
Arup said it will research how to translate into technical specifications the Windwheel’s ambitions for sustainablity, logistics and fire safety, energy, material and waste.
Arup signed its collaboration agreement along with innovation consortium partners Koninklijke BAM Groep, Deltares, Dura Vermeer, ECN, Eneco, Evides, Huawei, Mammoet, Siemens, SPIE, TNO and the Windwheel Corporation (in which BLOC, DoepelStrijkers and Meysters are represented).
Calling it a "game changer for sustainable development is an international advertisement for Dutch design & innovation", Arup said it is supporting the design team in the current phase through feasibility studies.
"New technologies and business models will be used to develop a building that will be capable of adjusting itself over time," Arup stated.
The company added: "Important factors include the highly differing lifetime of building elements and the ever growing potential for the building to generate energy. The goal is that by 2025, the building will generate more energy than it uses and will be flexible in its use."
Image: The 174m-tall structure will be made up of two giant rings containing 28,000 square metres of residential space (Windwheel Corporation)
