Photo caption: A view from the top of the virtual Burj Dubai. Kids as young as 16 are part of a movement to render buildings in Google Earth.
A fellow blogger,
David George-Cosh,
wrote a very interesting story in our weekend magazine about a grassroots movement to create a digital version of the growing skylines of cities across the UAE.
The digital architects use photos to build the 3D replicas. David writes:
"Dozens of enthusiasts have designed more than 100 three-dimensional replicas of famous UAE structures - from the Burj Al Arab to flats on the Corniche. As construction workers hurriedly build the ambitious skylines of the region brick by brick, a small but growing group of digital architects are rebuilding the same structures byte by byte. Some are even being paid to rebuild cities online."
A lot of Dubai's buildings, like the Index, the Burj Dubai,the Burj Al Arab and the Mall of the Emirates are on there. In Abu Dhabi, there are just a handful, including the Adia building and the Hilton Baynunah on the corniche.
You can check it out if you download Google Earth and tick off "3D Buildings" on the bottom left in a list of options. You can also see Wikipedia links, photos and terrain on the maps.
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