Have you ever visited the tropics and walked in the sandy beaches on a hot day? Undoubtedly you probably would have had your feet scorched and found the sand too hot to lie on. Don’t worry; if you plan a visit to Dubai in early 2010 and can afford a stay at the Palazzo Versace Hotel, you and other filthy rich people can enjoy the world’s first refrigerated beach.
The beach adjacent to the ultra-luxury hotel will be the first in the world to include cooling pipes below the sand to regulate temperatures during the hot 40-50C weather. Dubai is synonymous with elaborate architecture and extravagant spending so being the home to an air conditioned outdoor beach is not unusual.
The environmental concerns surrounding such a project are said to be considered by developers. Versace has gone on record and said that this beach will be sustainable – how they plan on achieving this is not clear. According to the president of Palazzo Versace, this hotel is catered to “top people” and these clients want luxury that translates to cool sand.
The schematic plans of the cooling beach sounds very similar to an actual refrigerator. Heat-absorbing pipes will be used to draw out the heat from the sand while giant wind blowers will keep guests nice and cool. Computer controlled thermostats will be used to handle the regulation while a cooled swimming pool is also scheduled to be built. Dubai is also home to such extraordinary architectural achievements as the Burj Dubai, and the Ski Dubai; a 22,500-square meters indoor ski slope.
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So it's just going to cool it down to a non foot burning temperature right? Anything below that seems like a huge waste of energy, but that may not be true depending on how they plan to cool it.
Either way, it's overtly extravagant.
Since desert night is cold, they could use salt to store the cold and release it in the day.
Heatpipes going into the cooler water would be a better idea. using real refridgeration is just a waste of energy.
WOW! EPIC FAIL. Isn't the entire point of going to the beech is to be in the sun light/heat?
Lifestyles of the rich and shameless.
I don't see the problem, they can even save energy with it by just passing water in the pipes and use the warm water afterwards in saunas and other facilities that require warm water.
It's a tropic area, not a desert.
Actually Tindytim, Dubai is in a desert area... And the point isn't to cool people off, you guys are missing it- it's just to keep your feet from burning.
I have a really cheap and effective way to cool the sand... it's a concept I heard about, it's called "SHADE"... It's a great and magical concept.. you take an palm tree or a... get this... "umbrella" and sit under it (thats right, you sit under it)... then after about 20 minutes, through a process that no scientist has ever been able to figure out... the ground and everything ender it cools. CRAZY!
very unlikely refrigerated or using refrigerant, sand is too hot for a refrigerant.
like what others said above, pipes with water inside under the sand will suffice.
the problem, is how to cool it. make huge, deep enough swimming pools with roofs, that will absorb heat on those pipes from the sand during the day. by night time, the swimming pools will be warm enough to allow swimming.
ULTRA Ridiculous!
Sheeeesh..! or you could come to New Zealand and enjoy our lovely beaches which are already at the *perfect* temperature.. for free!
now that's playa.
@kamkal
haha, perfect.
How do you sun tan under an umbrella?
It kinda worries me, seeing people here that don't find this extremely retarded and fucked up...