The new Santiago Calatrava-designed observation tower, which will be the centrepiece of Emaar Properties' Dubai Creek project, has been welcomed by architects.
The tower’s design was approved by Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday, following an international design competition featuring six consultancy firms.
The winning design by the Spanish-Swiss architect provides a modern twist on Islamic architecture, and was described by Sheikh Mohammed as an “architectural wonder that will be as great as Burj Khalifa and the Eiffel Tower”, according to the state news agency Wam.
The height of the tower has not been specified but in drawings provided by Emaar it looms high over neighbouring towers.
Emaar said a name for the tower has not yet been chosen. Its chairman Mohamed Alabbar said the new tower would prove to be a cultural and tourist landmark, adding that construction would begin within the next few months.
The tower is to be linked to a central island district within the Dubai Creek Harbour district, which is being developed by Emaar and Dubai Holding.
The pair signed a joint venture to develop Dubai Creek Harbour in October 2013, stating that it would be a master-planned city over 6 million square metres – three times the size of Emaar’s Downtown Dubai district.
Last month, Emaar Properties also said that it had started work on Dubai Creek Residences – a network of six residential towers of 30 to 40 storeys being built on the same island district.
The construction contract was awarded to Al Basti & Muktha and the towers are scheduled for completion in 2018.
P Martin Dufresne, design principal and partner at U+A Architect, said that in choosing a design from a “signature” architect such as Mr Calatrava, Dubai is taking a different approach than it did when developing Burj Khalifa. “I think it’s quite brilliant that they are coming in with a Calatrava. He is a class A architect [responsible] for monumental projects – things that are always pushing the limits of engineering.”
Mr Dufresne drew similarities between the appointment of Mr Calatrava to build this tower and Bilbao’s appointment of Frank Gehry to build its Guggenheim museum, which gained the city international attention when it opened in 1997.
“Of course, Dubai doesn’t need that, but it adds to the sophistication that the city is trying to reach in terms of its architecture. So I think it’s a really good choice.”
Paul Priest, a director and head of Mena studios for the architecture firm Benoy, said that he felt the Calatrava-designed tower “will be an excellent addition to Dubai’s skyline”.
Mr Priest said: “Well-designed buildings become signatures of the city.”
He added that it would play an important role in the development of the wider Dubai Creek area.“Towers, by their nature are the iconography of wider developments and, as such, generators of investment and catalysts for change.
“It must be more than an icon and become a destination. How this is executed is yet to be seen, but promises to become another brilliant facet to the city of Dubai.”
Yahya Jan, a design director and vice president of Norr Group, said that this would be Dubai’s first purely observational tower, but that other cities like Toronto were well-known for them.
“I think it’s a great location for an observation tower. It’s in a natural, heritage setting. At the same time, it looks both down the creek to the heart of traditional Dubai and out towards the new Dubai – the Burj Khalifa, Downtown and beyond.”
mfahy@thenational.ae
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The years Ramadan fell in May
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What is dialysis?
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It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
