Madeira Airport, an Airport on Pillars

Madeira Airport, also known as Funchal Airport and Santa Catarina Airport, is an international airport located near Funchal, Madeira. The airport controls national and international air traffic of the island of Madeira.

The airport's runway with a length of 2781 meters, which 1000 meters of the runway is supported by 180 pillars, each pillar about 70 meters tall.

The airport was once infamous for its short runway which, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean, made it a tricky landing for even the most experienced of pilots. The original runway was only 1600 meters in length, but was extended by 200 meters 8 years after the TAP Air Portugal Flight 425 incident of 1977 and subsequently rebuilt in 2000, almost doubling the size of the runway, building it out over the ocean. Instead of using landfill, the extension was built on a series of 180 columns. Look at the cars parked below the runway.

For the enlargement of the new runway the Funchal Airport has won the Outstanding Structures Award, given by International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). The Outstanding Structures Award is considered to be the "Oscar" for engineering structures in Portugal.

Nail Watch...Unbelievable!

What's that on your thumb? Nail-art? Nope its showing time. Yes, anything that shows time is called a watch. Agreed, a watch is never seen on a thumb but times have changed thanks to Timex. Timex, in collaboration with Core77, held a global design competition called 2154: the future of time design. So what you are seeing here is the TX54 concept.

A little about this nail watch:

It is a disposable clock and calender that can be worn on the user's thumbnail.

The nail clock makes seeing in the dark as easy as pressing down on the end of your thumbnail.

Wonder how much this concept will sell. Its stylish no doubt, but with such sassy, classy and amazing wrist watches around, dunno if this will survive the competition. Surprisingly, this was the runner up!

Roti making through Engineering

Photos of Fantastic Dubai Projects

A look at photos of some of the most amazing, unbelievable & fantastic projects of dubai

0-14 Tower


Dubai World Central International Airport


Arabian Blade


Arch Bridge


Burj Dubai


Cloud


Dancing Tower


Davinci Rotating Tower


Dubai Mall


Dubai Marina


Dubai Pearl


Dubai Renaissance


Dubai Sport City


Dubai Towers


Dubai Water Front


Falcon City of Wonders


Golden Dome


Dubai Hydropolis


Mardinat Al Arab


Dubai Metro


Dubai Old Town


The Opus


Palm Island


Dubai Land Snow Dome


Sport Science World


The World

The Worlds Most Beautiful But Amazing Structures

Taj Mahal,Agra, India

According to legend, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan wanted to build the most beautiful mausoleum on earth to express his love for his favorite wife. Or, perhaps he was simply asserting his political power. The Taj Mahal may have been designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, an Indian architect of Persian descent. Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic elements combine in the great white marble tomb. The Taj Mahal is just one of many architectural wonders in a land of majestic tombs and erotic temples.

The Forbidden City, Beijing, China

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.

The Millenium Dome, London, England

The Millennium Dome, designed by Sir Richard Rogers, 1996?99. The Millennium Dome was one of the UK's most controversial public projects.The new millennium officially started in Greenwich, England on 1st January 2001; The World's biggest dome was built on the Meridian Line (The Prime Meridian of the World) in Greenwich to celebrate this historic event.

Burj-Al-Arab Hotel, Dubai

Considered one of the world's most luxurious hotels from the day it opened, The Burj Al Arab is a futuristic architectural marvel towering over the Gulf. Its design is stunning - the Burj Al Arab is shaped like a billowing spinnaker sail. Its height is staggering - the hotel measures 332 meters (1053 feet), making it one of the world's highest buildings.

The Burj Al Arab (means "The Arabian Tower" in Arabic) is built on a tiny man-made sea island, a mere football kick from the Dubai mainland. A short causeway links the hotel to the Dubai mainland. The skyscraping Burj Al Arab is firmly rooted. Its foundation pillars reach 40 meters (120 feet) underneath the seabed.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Famous for its impressive size, remarkable architecture and beautiful mosaics and frescoes, the massive ochre-coloured domed structure known as Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul's most popular attractions. It was commissioned as a cathedral in the 6th century and remained the most important church in Christianity for over 900 years. In the 15th century Mehmet II conquered the city and converted it into a mosque, adding the minarets and fountains. It functioned as such for the next 481 years until the founding of the secular Turkish Republic in 1934 when it was declared a museum. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest Byzantine buildings in the world, and the vast interior, with its huge soaring dome, is extraordinary. The interior contains different features from its time as a cathedral and then as a mosque, including incredible Byzantine mosaics, icons and marble columns, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and Islamic calligraphy inscriptions on the dome from the Ottoman period.

Dolphin Boat (Amazing)

Have you seen this new boat? This boat swims like a dolphin. The Seabreacher is the latest watercraft created from a California company called Innespace Productions.

Innespace (inventor of the seabreacher and dolphin boats) is recruiting teams to buy and operate their Seabreacher vessels to race at upcoming ARL events. Sponsored vessels will compete head-to-head in a specially designed course, where they will have to dive under, jump over, and smash through obstacles, gaining extra points for hitting aerial targets and performing freestyle tricks. With all the thrills of Monster Truck Racing and Acrobatic Air racing, this new freestyle watersport is sure to entertain.