By now, we’ve become pretty accustomed to the amazing architecture and absurdly expensive luxury hotels and development projects in Dubai. But now they’re talking about keeping the sand artificially cool so that bathers can take in the sun without getting scorched.

It’s part of Palazzo Versace’s marketing gimmick, the newest Dubai Hotel in the making.

The beach is part of the $609 million investment, which includes a 12-story luxury hotel and residence complex. It’s been designed by the Milan-based fashion house, and according to the development crew the hotel should be ready for 2010.

As far as the beach, they’re considering using heat-deflecting materials and creative landscaping that would provide shade. If not, they may just direct the AC exhaust from the hotel to the beach. It is just another audacious over-the-top project, which most have grown accustomed to seeing in Dubai, city of the ultra-rich.

“Everything being developed in Dubai is over the top,” observed Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the International Hurricane Research Center & Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami. But he added that the notion of cooling beach sand through “piped-in AC is ridiculous.” He said natural approaches such as spraying water from the sea or planting trees would be better if hot sand “is really that big of a problem.”

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