A building boom in the emirate has led to a whole
host of chart breakers, in categories including highest apartment,
biggest mall, and one of the world's most unique resorts
Hydropolis Joachim Hauser
This hotel, the world's first underwater luxury
resort, brings new meaning to the "ocean-view room." Situated 66
feet below the surface of the Persian Gulf, Hydropolis will feature
220 guest suites. Reinforced by concrete and steel, its Plexiglas
walls and bubble-shaped dome ceilings offer sights of fish and other
sea creatures. It's scheduled to open in late 2007.
The Palm Islands Al Nakheel
Properties
The three artificial islands that make up the Palm
(comprising the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali, and the Palm
Deira) are the world's biggest man-made islands. Each was built from
a staggering 1 billion cubic meters of dredged sand and stone, taken
from Dubai's sea bed and configured into individual islands and
surrounding breakwaters. The complex will house a variety of tourist
attractions, ranging from spas and diving sites to apartments and
theaters. The entire complex is designed to collectively resemble a
date palm tree when seen from the sky.
The World Al Nakheel
Properties
Ever wish the world was smaller? This group of
more than 250 man-made islands was designed to resemble the entire
world when seen from the air. The islands, which range from 250,000
to 900,000 square feet, can be bought by individual developers or
private owners -- starting at $6.85 million.
The only way to get between each island is by boat...or yacht, given
the clientele. A notable engineering feat: The project incorporates
two protective breakwaters to protect the islands from waves,
consisting of one submerged reef (the outer breakwater) and an
above-water structure (the inner breakwater).
Sports City
Dubailand LLC
A standout section of the sprawling,
3-billion-square-foot theme-park-like development known as Dubailand,
Sports City will offer visitors a staggering variety of athletic
venues, from elegant, gigantic stadia to state-of-the-art
participatory parks for skateboarding, indoor rock climbing, and
other activities. Not to mention facilities for polo, car racing,
golf, and extreme sports. The stadia are designed by German
architects von Gerkan, Marg & Partners, the firm behind the graceful
2004 update of Berlin's 1936 Olympic stadium.v
Dubai Mall DP Architects
Thirty-five million people are expected to visit
the Dubai Mall, developed by Emaar Properties, during 2006, its
inaugural year. There's plenty to do, since, at more than 5 million
square feet, it's the biggest mall in the world. It will house 15
sub-malls, a skating rink, an aquarium, and the planet's biggest
gold souk (market).
Ski Dubai F + A Architects
When one thinks of a vacation in Dubai, the first
images that might to come to mind are sun and sand. Now add snow.
Two feet of snow, topped with a daily layer of fresh powder, to be
exact -- thanks to the system of 23 blast coolers and snow guns
inside Ski Dubai. It might be 135 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors, but
inside the 32,290 square-foot, $275 million structure, visitors ski
and snowboard. The heavily insulated facility also includes the
world's largest indoor snow park, offering 9,842 square feet for
sledding or bobsledding.
UAE Spaceport Space Adventures
With an estimated price tag of at least $265
million, the world's first spaceport is strategically located to
serve both residents and visitors to Dubai. The UAE spaceport
actually falls inside the border of a nearby emirate, Ras Al-Khaimah,
but it's a quick drive from Dubai, and the developer, America's
Space Adventures, is clearly targeting Dubai tourists and residents.
While there's no official opening date or final design set, early
renderings indicate that the spaceport will feature a triangular
runway/launchpad and domed passenger terminals.
The Burj Dubai will be the world's tallest
building when it opens in 2009. Its shape is inspired by the
indigenous desert flowers that often appear as decorative patterns
in Islamic architecture, but it also has an engineering purpose: The
swirl shape ensures that the mass of the structure lessens as it
reaches the top, making the structure steadier. A mixed-use building
developed by Dubai's Emaar Properties, the Burj Dubai will house
shops, offices, residences, and entertainment venues.
One Central Park Norman Foster and Partners
Adding to the superlatives rising on the Dubai
skyline is One Central Park, a mixed-use building that will feature
the world's highest apartment. A sense of loftiness is communicated
in the building's design, which places the residential section of
the structure above buttressed "fins" that separate the public
spaces from the private ones.
The building is also eco-friendly, as it's oriented to reduce solar
gain. Taking into consideration the fact that skyscrapers tend to be
inefficient in terms of energy consumption, Foster & Partners gave
the building a central core that absorbs heat and a sunshade system,
to reduce cooling costs. Dealing with temperature is a key design
challenge within a hot desert environment.
