How's the weather inside?

The main point of a building is to keep the weather (particularly water) out. But as we gain control over airflow, temperature, and moisture, we might be seeing more things like this:

This is a movie about a tornado generated inside the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart.  It gets an award from the Guinness Book of World Records at the end, for some the insanely specific record of World's Largest Artificial Tornado, so the end of the video is a couple of German car executives holding plaques (more here).

Robert Heinlein once wrote an odd little story called "Our Fair City", which involves using an intelligent-seeming urban vortex called Kitten as a weapon against political corruption. Not worth seeking out, if you're wondering--I have it in a collection called 6xH. That whirlwind gets decorated with streamers and balloons, an addition the Germans haven't seemed to have thought of. So, the first step is for that tornado to be a permanent feature, a natural consequence of the ventilation of the building.

As buildings get duller and larger, it might be possible to spiff them up with all manner of localized weather patterns: mist pouring down the stairs, glaciers in the upper hallways, lighting storms enlivening the cafeteria. And the eternal tornado in the lobby, the tutelary diety of the company, mascot of the soccer team, to whom employees come with requests for promotions, window space, and office supplies. Going home will seem a comedown from the meteorological mysticism of the workplace. Employers seeking ways to retain and motivate employees take note.

(via BLDGBLOG)