Ahmedabad to have a steel Qutub Minar & it will rotate

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is all set to gift a modern-day landmark to the city in form of a moving tower. The civic body has decided to erect a 25.2 metre-tall stainless steel tower with six blocks, each of which will rotate at 15 degree. The contract for this Rs5.25 crore project has already been given, but the location to house the exquisite tower is yet to be finalised. 

The blocks will be constructed in a way so that they can move freely on a rotational axis to change the shape of the tower according to the different angles of rotation of each block.

The tower will have six structural blocks with stainless steel cladding and will use thrust bearings to transmit loads and robotic movements between adjacent blocks. The tower will also change colours with the help of exclusive software.

The civic body is looking for a huge space for the tower to accommodate a large number of people wanting to enjoy the experience in the city's moving Qutub Minar.

The Kankaria Lake Front is too busy a place and has been attracting a good number of people anyway, so the civic body is exploring the possibilities of setting up this modern-day landmark in areas such as Sabarmati River Front and Science City, said a source in the AMC.

City-based National Institute of Design (NID) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, have worked on the details of this project and had submitted a feasibility report to the civic body. The civic body has allotted the contract for the project to Oriental Manufacturers.

The design of the tower bears an influence of the world-famous Qutub Minar, Ashok Stambh (pillar) and some of India's ancient temples, but it still has a uniqueness of its own.
Asit Vora, chairman of the AMC's standing committee, said that the municipal commissioner has been asked to shortlist places where this moving tower can come up.
"The final decision will be taken once the municipal commissioner is back from his leave," he said.

The project will take around six to eight months for completion from the date of commencement. Since the design of the tower is unique and one of its kind in the city, it is expected to attract a large number of tourists to the city.