Dubai architecture: new buildings in the united arab emirates

the future of dubai’s waterfront

Duabi or Dubai city is located on the northern tip of the united arab emeritus on the persian gulf. it has been ruled
by the al maktoum dynasty since 1833 and has existed in its modern state since 1971. the current ruler is
mohammed bin rashid al maktoum, who is also the prime minister and vice president of the united arab emirates.
the rather small city has a population of 1.6 million people and a 37 billion USD economy based largely on trade,
manufacturing and financial services. contrary to popular belief petrol and natural gas only make up a small
percentage of revenues.the city has gained world-wide attention in the past few years because of its booming economy and ambitious
architectural projects. with a focus on business and tourism, the city is ramping up construction on an
unprecedented level. in fact, dubai is said to be home to 15% to 25% of the world’s 125,000 construction cranes.
don’t think that the architectural expansion is over, because a slew of new project are on the table and in
the works as we speak.

here is only a small portion of the buildings that are being proposed, constructed or developed in dubai
and its surrounding region.

the ‘burj dubai’ is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in dubai. when completed in 2009
it will be the tallest man made structure in the world. it was designed by adrian smith who worked
with the building’s architecture and engineering firm skidmore, owings and merrill until 2006.
as of march 1, 2008 the building measured 611.3m tall. on september 12, 2007, it passed toronto’s
cn tower to become the world’s tallest freestanding structure.

‘opus’ is another dubai building designed by british architect zaha hadid. the 235 million GBP
development was designed for the business bay for omniyat properties. it stands at 20 stories located
next to the towering burj dubai. hadid’s concept was to have the building open onto the city,
framing the views. it is currently underdevelopment and is planned to be completed by 2010.

‘dubai towers’ is the centerpiece for the large ‘lagoons’ development. the buildings and the
development were all conceived of by TVS. the four towers range in size from 54 to 97 floors
and were inspired by the flames and movement of candlelight.

rmjm architects have designed this building for abu dhabi convention centre. the structure features an
organically shaped office tower, which blends seamlessly into the horizontal convention space below.

architect david fisher is the designer of the ‘da vinci rotating tower’, one of the most innovative an
unique buildings to be built in dubai. the 250 meter tower will allow each floor to rotate freely allowing
the building to shift its shape. in between each floor horizontal wind turbines will allow the building to
produce energy.

‘dubai renaissance’ was designed by architects rem koolhaas and fernando donis of OMA for the
business bay development competition. their entry lost to hadid’s dancing towers.

‘0-14 tower’ was designed by resier and umemoto and rur architecture pc along with dubai developer,
shahab lutfi. the building was designed for dubai’s business bay and features 22 floors covered in
a double skin facade that’s outermost skin is constructed from 40c, thick perforated concrete.
the one meter space between the skins creates a chimney effect, cooling the building.

‘the cloud’ is a speculative design for a resort city elevated 300 metres in the air above dubai
and supported on slanting legs resembling rain. it is designed by nadim karam of lebanese architect
atelier hapsitus. it is a horizontal presence on an elevated platform, an antithesis to the sum of
skyscrapers spreading over the entire region.

‘dubai hub one’ is a design proposal for a cultural hub, serving the UAE. designed by studio nova, the
space has been created to work in much the same way as a shopping mall, except for the
consumption of culture instead of goods. its forms have been generated using algorithms and special
programing scripts creating a dense structure of spaces.

zaha hadid’ dancing towers are planned to be located in dubai’s business bay development
area. the plan consists of three buildings which rise up from the ground bending and
intertwining with each other to create fluid animation of the forms.

the ‘eta hotel’ is a 68-room boutique hotel complete with restaurant, bar and roof top pool
located in a high density commercial neighborhood in dubai. the structure was designed by
sanjay puri & mimish shah, an indian firm.

‘duabi pearl’ was originally conceived by the omnix grop in 2002 but has since been taken over by
a consortium of investors led by the al fahim group. the 3 billion USD project overlooks the pal jumeriah
and covers 1.4 million square metres of the dubai media and technology free zone.

‘dubai grand pyramid’ obviously derives its form from the egyptian pyramids, with a modern twist.
this pyramid will be a multi-use space and will be flanked by two smaller pyramids housing the
developer falconcity’s offices and commercial space for a theme park.

‘the ‘arabian blade’ is a mixed-use tower designed by claudio catalano. the building
was inspired by plant forms and combines several volumes into one unit. it will
contain residences, a hotel and commercial space.

dbi design created this 5 tower project dubbed ‘the ethiad towers’. the project is located on a the
waterfront in abu dhabi, near the business district. the 5 towers range in size from 55 to 77 stories.

‘dubai promenade’ is another project developed by nakheel. located in between dubai marina and palm
jumeirah, this wheel shaped five star hotel is built on a man-made peninsula. it will be accompanied by
a series of sister towers that will create 2,000 residential units.

‘the al sharq tower’ will be the tallest building on dubai’s sheikh zayed road when
it will be completed. measuring 360 meters tall, the tower will contain 268 luxury
apartments. the building features eight interconnected cylinders which covered in
a spiraling filigree. skidmore, owings and merrill designed the structure which is
currently under construction.

‘the oval tower’ is located in the business bay area and features 19 floors of office
space and a luxury deck with a gym. divided into the tower and the podium,
the project also holds retail space. it is designed by atkins architects.

architect andrew bromberg designed this 120 floor building while at aedas
architects. measuring 516 meters, the ‘pentominium’ is a residential only building
which will be one of the highest towers n dubai’s marian, when it is complete.
the slender building is covered in glass with a series of tiered balconies on
one side.

‘the emaar towers’ are located at the entry point to the burj dubi development, right across from
the burj dubai tower. the towers are 42 and 34 stories each and will mostly house offices.
an articulated skin covers the buildings and recalls the layers of traditional islamic architecture.

inspired by the ‘Q1′, the world’s tallest residential tower, the ‘D1 tower’ is designed
by sunland architects. it combines middle eastern tradition with modern
technology. it measures 284 meter tall with 80 stories, located on dubai creek
cultural and artistic district.

atkins architects also designed ‘the lighthouse’ a new tower located in the middle
of dubai’s financial center. the 400 meter tall office tower which hopes to set a new
standard for sustainability among dubai’s towers. it plans to reduce its total energy
consumption by 65% and its water consumption by up to 40%.

sorough real estate is planning a grouping of large buildings in abu dhabi for their ‘gate development’.
the complex will house a number of unique structures including the 83 story, 379 meter tall ’sky tower’.
when complete, it will be the 15th tallest residential tower in the world.

located in the emirate of ras al khaimah, ‘jebel al jais mountain resort’ is a tourist resort designed by
rem koolhaas of OMA architects. the project features an inhabited dam, bridge and vertical village
built right into the cliff.

‘ocean heights’ is another tower located at dubai marina. it measures 310 meters
tall and contains 82 floors. each side is twisted to maximize the views over the
water when the building is completed this year.

‘tiara united’ is a pair of office tower located near the financial district in dubai.
its multi-coloured facade features branch like structural components.
the two buildings are joined at the base with a glass atrium.

situated on dubai’s sheikh zayed road across from the burj dubai are
‘the lam tara towers’. the two towers are 60 and 70 stories, measuring a total
height of 360 meters. while currently under construction, the towers are planned
to be complete by 2010.

‘golden dome’ - 455m high, 2.2 million sqm, 500,000 sqm commercial areas and 3,000 apartments -
it will be one of the higher building of the world

’synergy’ is another building designed by india’s sanjay puri for dubai’s business bay area. the 20-story
building was designed to appear like a stack of cubes that were fluidly merged. one side overlooks
the promenade in front while the other side faces a lake. the facade is punctured by a decorative motif
derived from islamic art.

this death-star like sphere is a design proposal for the RAK convention and exhibition centre in the
new city development, ras al khaimah. it was designed by rem koolhaas and reiner de graaf of
OMA architects. the building is made of glass and steel constructed in a giant sphere and located
beside a long and low exhibition space next to it.

currently awaiting completion, this art deco inspired building will house a hotel and residences.
‘the burj dubai lake hotel’ stands at 306 meters next to the duabi mall and the burj dubai lake.

also near completion is ‘the bay gate’, a 40-floor tower in dubai’s business bay
area. its windows appear to fade away at the sides while the base is wrapped in
a multi-floor glass atrium.

named the ‘G tower’, this building was designed by YOO, a design company owned by
philippe stark and john hitchcox. its geometric and grid-like exterior is set to be complete
this summer. it is located in the city of arabia, just outside dubai.

madrid’s a-cero architects led by joaquin torres has designed a new tower for the
city of dubai. ‘the wave tower’ is a high-rise proposed to be installed on the city’s
waterfront, the first skyscraper to do so. the tall tower, which appears to float in
the sea, is connected to land by a gently curved bridge which mimics the waves of
the gulf sea. the building is under development and will be in the madiant al arab
district. it will stand at 370 meters and have 92 floors wrapped in a double skin
glass facade.

‘the pixel tower’ by light architecture is on the palm jebel ali overlooking the lagoon and bay.
the building’s twisted core gives it a light and flexible appearance. the 45 degree twist allows the
uppermost apartments to have optimal views, despite the buildings footprint.

‘the REEM media building’ is also designed by light architecture and is located in abu dhabi. it was
designed to reflect traditional arab architecture, focusing around the patio and pool. the facade features
an immense 34 by 9 meter projection screen which can be seen from the city’s coastline. the building
is also able to be dismantled and reconstructed on another site.

real estate mogul donald trump is also part of the architectural plans of dunai,
along with nakheel hotels he plans to build a 255 meter ‘trump hotel’ on a
man-made island in dubai. with 60 stories, the 5 star hotel will also house some
luxury apartments. the building has been designed by atkins architects.

jean nouvel submitted this proposal for the dubai opera house. the futuristic building is meant to
differentiate itself from ‘the vulgar hotels and office buildings’ of dubai. its design resembles a cliff face
or a waterfall and is capped with a giant dome featuring a semi-permeable skin.

conceived of as a gateway to the city of dubai, norway’s snohetta architects designed this cobra like
building complex. the project was commisioned by sheik saud and rakeen of ras al-khaimah.
the design is meant to create an icon to serve as an entry point to the city. covering over 300,000
square meters of land, the building will house a congress center, exhibition space, shopping center
and 3 hotels.

‘the providence tower’ is currently under construction and expected to be
complete in 2010. it features 57 floors and is located in dubai’s financial district.

‘the infinity tower’ is designed by skidmore owings and merrill and is located directly on dubai’s
waterfront. when complete it will be the world’s tallest tower to feature a 90-degree twist. it will be used
for luxury apartments and services, with all sides of the building featuring optimal views. the building’s
interior structure will feature a a concrete column, shaped like a helix. each floor has a slight
1.2 degree twist to compose the full 90 degrees.

ajman is a small island territory 20 km outside of duabi, which is also the united arab emirates smallest
state. a large master plan is under way to transform the city’s waterfront. existing elements will be
added onto and a series of new buildings will also be constructed. the whole plan cover 26 hectares
of land area.

in addition to the proposed opera house in dubai, jean nouvel is also currently working on the design
for the louvre abu dhabi. the museum’s new location will be located on saadiyat island
(the happiness island) right next to the new branch of the guggenheim museum. nouvel’s louvre
features a giant sun shade which hangs ominously over the island. it is planned to be completed
by 2012 at a cost of 83 million euros.

as mentioned, saadiyat island will also be home to new york’s guggenheim museum designed by
frank o. gehry. the new branch will provide 30,000 square meters of space in typical gehry fashion.
a series of interconnected forms will make up the buildings structure on the island.

‘the almas tower’ or diamond tower is a 360 meter skyscraper currently under
construction in dubai’s jumeirah lake owners development, where it will be the
tallest structure. it will have 74 floors mostly commercial space with a few service
floors. it was designed by atkins architects for nakheel properties and will be
completed this year.

the 255 meter ’stellar tower’ was designed by london-based architects, make. it was commissioned to
honour the late sheikh zayed bin sultan al nahyan. located on ittihad square, the building features
a geometric, dress shaped exterior which will house offices, a hotel and commercial space.

due for completion later this year, this 43 story office tower was designed by jean nouvel. the building
is located in doha, qatar. the exterior is made from glass covered in a metal skin that is designed
based on a traditional islamic pattern.

the design for abu dhabi’s performing arts centre was conceived of by zaha hadid. the building
is meant to house music, theatre and dance, located on saadiyat island along with the new louvre
and guggenheim museum’s. the island was intended to be a ‘beacon for cultural experience and
exchange’ by abu dhabi’s ruler, sheikh khalifa bin zayed al nahyan.

‘the burj al alam’ or world tower is a 108 story, 501 meter high skyscraper currently
being constructed in dubai’s business bay area. designed by nihon architects,
the building’s form is based on the form of a flower. when complete it will be
among the tallest building in the world. the top of the building will be finished with
a 6 story turkish bath and sky garden, when construction is completed in 2010.

‘tameer towers’ was proposed as a sustainable skyscraper, designed by gensler architects.
the development will include six 72 story towers with a diamond shaped base. set to be complete in
2011, the towers will be shaded by a series of landscaped terraces. inside, apartments, hotels,
shops and office will fill p the space.

royal haskoning architects were invited by nakeel development to create
a masterplan design for pal jebel ali, off the coast of dubai. their winning design
includes sports facilities, housing, retail and office space. the design also features
an iconic bridge connecting to the main towers.

‘the apeiron hotel’ will be a 7-star hotel built on an island off of dubai. the arched 185 meter tall hotel
will cost 500 million USD. it will have 350 luxury suites that will only be accessible by yacht and
helicopter. designed by sybarite uk, the hotel features its own lagoon, beaches, cinemas and at gallery.

hydropolis is a company who produces underwater resorts in places all over the world,
including dubai. its 220 suites will sit 66 feet below the persian gulf. cost issues and concerns over
the project’s environmental impact have halted the project which was originally expected to be
completed this year.

tvs architects were commissioned by dubai properties to design ‘vision tower’,
a 51 story office building in the business bay district. the tower features a canted
and bent glass facade to light its 650,00 square feet of office space.

rem koolhaas’s OMA architects collaborated with porsche design to create the ‘porsche towers’ in dubai’s
business bay. the two building complex features a cylindrical tower and a hallow slab which is glassed in the
center. the project is currently under construction.

‘the empire tower’ is located in the heart of dubai. it uses an array of splayed
vertical layers which are unified at the bottom and rise up into the sky with gentle
curves. it measures 230 meters overlooking the sea and nearby parks.

‘the palm tower’ is as its name implies, inspired by the trunk of a palm tree.
it is located in the center of jumeirah village. it measures 150 meters tall holding
offices, retail space and gardens. designed by sybarite uk, it contains
60,000 square meters of interior space.

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