Cethosia biblis, the red lacewing
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Bluewaters Island, Dubai
This is BIG!
The world’s tallest observation wheel, at a height of 250m (820ft). It makes the London Eye look like the small wheel on a Penny Farthing.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai
For me the Sydney Opera House is one of the 20th century icons of modern architecture, then I would also include the Burj Al Arab as another architectural icon. I can’t think of another building that comes as close to being so unique and any traveller worth his salt would recognise the distinctive profile instantly much like the SOH.
I was lucky enough to visit it first time round and have drinks in Al Muntaha (the bit at the top) but sadly not this time round… plus it’s bloody expensive!
Here’s the anorak bit…
The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Developed and managed by Jumeirah, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island that is 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a dhow. It has a helipad near the roof, at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.
Site
The beachfront area where Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land, 280 m (920 ft) offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The former hotel was demolished during the construction of the Burj Al Arab.[14] The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans, on the site.
History
Design and construction
The Burj Al Arab was designed by the British multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright of WKA. He came up with the iconic design and signature translucent fiberglass facade that serves as a shield from the desert sun during the day and as a screen for illumination at night.[15] The design was managed by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory, and construction managed by David Kirby also of WS Atkins. The Burj Al Arab's interior is by British-Chinese designer Khuan Chew. Construction of the island began in 1994 and involved up to 2,000 construction workers during peak construction. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium.
The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts, now renamed Concor and Al Habtoor Engineering. The interior designs were led and created by Khuan Chew and John Coralan of KCA international and delivered by UAE based Depa Group.
The building opened on 1 December 1999.
The hotel's helipad was designed by Irish architect Rebecca Gernon. The helipad is at the building's 28th floor, and the helipad been used as a car race track, a boxing ring, has hosted a tennis match, and the jumping off point for the highest kite surfing jump in history.
Features
Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-metre-long (130 ft) concrete piles into the sand by drilling method.
Engineers created a ground surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, while it took fewer than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 cu yd) of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel, one of which are for the skeletal structural frames.
Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall.
Given the height of the building, the Burj Al Arab is the world's fifth tallest hotel after Gevora Hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur and Rose and Rayhaan by Rotana. But if buildings with mixed use were stripped off the list, the Burj Al Arab would be the world's third tallest hotel. The structure of the Rose Rayhaan, also in Dubai, is 333 metres (1,093 ft) tall, 12 m (39 ft) taller than the Burj Al Arab, which is 321 metres (1,053 ft) tall.[22]The Burj Al Arab’s helipad, located 210 meters above ground, has been the site of several high-profile events, including a tennis match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, and stunts by Red Bull athletes.
Rooms and suites
The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. The hotel has 199 exclusive suites each allocated eight dedicated staff members and a 24-hour butler service. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 m2 (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m2 (8,400 sq ft). The Royal Suite, billed at US$24,000 per night, is listed at number 12 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.
Restaurants
There are six restaurants in the hotel, including:
Al Muntaha ("The Ultimate"), is located 200 m (660 ft) above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 m (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator.[citation needed]
Al Mahara ("Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 990,000 L (260,000 US gal) of water. The wall of the tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 cm (7.1 in) thick.
Grasmere Lake, Grasmere, Lake District
I had to look it up… is it a water, a lake, a tarn or just a name. Apparently it is simply known as Grasmere although other references call it Grasmere Lake with the River Rothay feeding into Rydal Water. Anyway, that’s not important.
This was our last stop of the day. I’d mentioned in a previous upload that we had already lost Mark in the Wood and Pete and Mike were happily playing Drone Wars with each other for the best aerial views which left me to shoot at ground zero.
I think we all ended up taking this viewpoint in the end and I’m probably the last to post my take on the composition, besides not posted a square image since Steetley Pier.
The Packet House, Bridgewater Canal, Worsley
The previous day had been misty, but the snow had hung around, which is most unusual for these parts. So, I thought I would chance my arm and pay a second visit the next day. It was crisp out, but the low-lying sun brought moments of light and warmth to the camera.
Having said that, there are a limited number of shots you can take, especially from the iron footbridge. The evergreen bushes on the right always block a clear view and the overhanging trees forces the viewpoint as well. Just as well I packed my zoom.
River Rothay, Grasmere, Lake District
We’d lost Mark somewhere in the woods and Pete and Mike were preoccupied with not crashing their drones into one another, which left me pondering what to shoot at ground zero. There were plenty of people walking the Rothay circuit on the other side of the lake – a walk I’ve done many times myself with friends. The stillness of the water reflected the green of the field behind the pathway giving this natural vignette to the symmetry of the image.
Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton Bay, Northumberland
Not a lot I can say about these, except you take your life (and equipment) in yours hands or rather legs if you attempt to navigate through them. Far to slippy for me and my wellies. I even didn’t like angling my tripod and camera over the edge of the large rock ledge to shoot down but it’s produced something different from the location.
Roker Pier, Sunderland, Northumberland
Our third location of the first day and a bit of a one trick pony. Needless to say, we all took plenty on images of this pier and it does benefit from a long exposure. It’s all in the crop as well!
The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches.
The Vatnajökull icecap glows behind the mountains in East Iceland. Sunlight filters through the clouds for an eerie glow.
