This turbine-shaped skyscraper in Dubai is designed to rotate with the wind!

Forget rotating restaurants, Turkish architect Hayri Atak’s entire skyscraper is designed to physically rotate with the wind! Designed to adorn the Dubai skyline, the Squall Tower is absolutely hypnotic to look at and may remind a few of Al Pacino’s casino building in Ocean’s Thirteen. It comes with three individual ribbon-shaped segments that helically twist around a central axis, with multiple branches connecting them all together.

The cross-section of each ribbon is designed to be streamlined, allowing it to effectively rotate with minimal drag. The entire building will complete a single rotation once every 48 hours (it isn’t going to spin like a top, obviously) and will do so at a fixed speed, with or without wind. This will give each of its occupants a complete 360° view of Dubai, alternating between ocean and city-facing views. Lastly, a helipad on the top of the building will allow patrons and visitors access from the top while rotating entrances on the base will provide ingress to each of the building’s 3 helical towers. There’s no word on when the construction for the Squall Tower will begin, although the building’s design has been unveiled on Hayri Atak’s website and social media.

Designer: Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio

Think outside the “block” with these magnetic, origami-inspired building toy

On Yanko, we’ve covered various products and concepts that have, in some way, expanded upon the design of conventional building blocks. Out of all the products I’ve seen so far, the Clixo magnetic building set presents the most dramatic change to this classic idea, by disregarding the need for block-shaped pieces entirely.

Instead of sticking to the tried-and-true design of geometric shapes, the Clixo pieces are thin and flexible, almost like a sheet of origami paper. Some of the pieces mimic the shape of a fidget spinner, with four leg-like structures with circular, magnetic connectors. What are the advantages of this design? Firstly, it allows a Clixo to do what a lego can’t: fold inward and attach to its own legs. Secondly, it allows you to build anywhere (literally). Conventional building blocks must be stacked on a flat surface, otherwise, they’ll topple over. Clixo pieces aren’t limited by that constraint. You can build a new creation on your lap, wrap them around your wrist like a bracelet, or even stick them on your fridge like magnets.

In addition to its sleek, flexible design, the Clixo pieces are very satisfying to play with. The magnets click together in a way that’s just as satisfying as snapping two legos together. You don’t have to be a budding architect or builder. If you or your child have idle hands, the Clixo’s will keep them very busy. In that respect, Clixo has the potential to become the modern-day lego set. It gives builders a new way to play, encouraging them to imagine new 3D builds that weren’t possible with standard blocks.

Buy now: Sets starting at $29.99

 

‘Kerbal Space Program’ gets an interstellar flight sequel

It's been four years since Kerbal Space Program (KSP) -- the spacecraft building and flight simulation game -- officially launched. While Elon Musk once called the title "awesome" and joked that SpaceX used KSP for testing software, it was due for a...