Design Days Dubai
The only design fair in the Middle East and South Asia, Design Days Dubai is the most diverse design fair globally presenting galleries from six continents. On view March 18-21, R 20th Century will be presenting iconic works by Wendell Castle, Oscar Niemeyer and Joaquim Tenreiro, and new pieces by The Haas Brothers, kelly behun | STUDIO, David Wiseman, Thaddeus Wolfe, and Jeff Zimmerman. More information on the event after the break.
In Progress: Infinity Tower / SOM
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Structural And Plumbing Engineering: SOM
Site Area: 3,026.50 m2
Project Area: 111,484 m2
Building Height: 307m (73 stories)
Year: 2013
Photographs: Courtesy of SOM
O-14 / Reiser + Umemoto
Architects: Reiser + Umemoto
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Nelson Garrido
Axiom Town Headquarter Complex / MBAD Arquitectos + X Architects
The design for the Axiom Town Headquarter Complex by MBAD Arquitectos + X Architects aims to have good urban quality, a young and smart-casual feel, an outstanding look, and an innovative solution to all functional and operational objectives. In order to achieve these desired workspace qualities, the concept includes integrating the landscape with the building and blurring the edge between the interior and the exterior. The architectural edge becomes an active edge not only between the immediate interior and exterior of the building, but also between the interior and the created exterior space within the building while also forming the program spaces. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Underwater Hotel planned for Dubai
Dubai shipbuilder Drydocks World has signed on with Switzerland’s BIG InvestConsult, on behalf of partner Deep Ocean Technology (DOT), to become the sole construction contractor of the futuristic Water Discus Underwater Hotels in the Middle East. Tailored to the luxurious lifestyle, aspiring divers and marine life enthusiasts, the patent-protected concept by DOT is comprised of disc-shaped volumes that are both above and below the water’s surface, exploring the depths of the ocean while taking advantage of the warm climate.
Continue after the break for more on the Water Discus Underwater Hotels.
Vertical Village / GRAFT Architects
Designed by GRAFT Architects, Vertical Village is a residential, hotel and entertainment development in Dubai that harnesses the most powerful renewable energy source in the desert, the sun. Organized to reduce solar gain and maximize solar production, the buildings are massed as self-shading slabs at the north of the site on the east-west axis to reduce low-angle sun penetration. At the southern end of the site, a vast solar collector array optimally angles itself toward the sun and faces the main public strip as a potent gesture to the developments sustainable intent and minimum LEED Gold rated performance. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Uenergy Health Club / GAJ Architects
Architect: Godwin Austen Johnson
Location: DIFC, Dubai, UAE
Project year: 2011
Project Architect: Jonathan Ashmore
Partners in charge: Jason Burnside & Michael Dawson
Project size: 650 sqm
Client: uenergy by uconcept
Contractor: Highate Interiors
MEP consultants: Scott Wilson ME
Photo credits: GAJ
Dubai Graphic Encyclopedia Volumen 1 / Brusselssprout
Brusselssprout recently launched their new book, Dubai Graphic Encyclopedia Volumen 1. To consider compiling an encyclopedia (of any kind) in post-Wikipedia times is an exercise in emotional withdrawal. From a position of bewilderment and confusion, they choose to act by producing and employing another tool from the land of the naive and outdated, represented by encyclopedic work, devoid of all logic and meaning considering current cultural conditions and speed. What the first edition Dubai graphic and visual encyclopedia presents is a reality that acts as a counterpoint to all the excess of attempts to decipher and understand Dubai. Attempts that are mostly unable to uncover items that shed light on the question ‘What’s it all about’?
Skyscraper-mania in Asia and the Eternal Competition for the World’s Tallest Building
Recent years have seen an influx of skyscrapers completed, nearing construction, or proposed in Asia. Stimulated by an exponentially growing population and, therefore, thriving economy, Asia has contributed more soaring buildings to the world’s Supertall list than any other continents combined. With the completion of the world’s tallest building at 828 meters tall, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, comes the proposition of progressively more structures which aim to surpass the prior and ascend to the number one status.
More on skyscraper-mania in Asia after the break.
In Progress: Dubai Pearl / Schweger Associated Architects
Construction of Schweger Associated Architects‘ Dubai Pearl is continuing. The groundwork, foundations, basements and lower grounds floors of the four towers which form the central section of Phase 1 of the development is now complete. A total of 3.5 million man hours have so far been spent since work started on site and over 60,000 cubic meter of concrete has been poured on one of the largest construction projects still being developed in the UAE.
The Pavilion Synopsis / Studio M
Architects: Studio M
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Interior Design: Studio M
Project area: 12,000 sqf
Photographs: Sid Silva
Nobu Dubai / Rockwell Group
In Dubai, Rockwell Group has created an extension of the Nobu brand for the first Middle East location. The design is an evolution of many of the concepts developed for the flagship Nobu 57, such as the emphasis on craftsmanship, natural materials and storytelling. Large-scale computer generated woven panels surround the restaurant walls and ceiling, creating a fluid, curvilinear environment for dining. The textures and materials in this particular location were chosen to reflect the finely crafted cuisine and Nobu’s roots in the Japanese countryside, while also celebrating the Dubai beachfront context. David Rockwell, Founder and CEO of Rockwell Group, explained: “The context, landscape and history of this new restaurant brought about all sorts of new and exciting challenges. We had to think about its location not only in the Middle East, but also in Dubai as the epicenter of an ever-growing and flourishing environment for building, not to mention being more specifically in the larger-than-life Atlantis resort on Palm Jumeirah.”
Architect: Rockwell Group
Location: Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
Project Area: 11,500 sqf
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Courtesy of Rockwell Group
Layers of Dubai / Mekano
Karim Elnabawy, co founder of Mekano based in Alex, Egypt, has shared with us his design submission for the Land Art Generator Initiative. The design, located near the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary of Dubai looks at creating a layered energy system that creatively harnesses available resources as well as becoming an attraction to the landscape. Additional images and architects description after the break.
Sheik-Zayed-Library / Cheungvogl
International architecture practice Cheungvogl shared with us one of their latest projects, Sheik-Zayed-Library, located in Dubai. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Ray of Light Mosque / ZEST Architecture
Barcelona-based ZEST Architecture shared with us their proposal for the Dubai Mosque Competition organized by Via Traffic. The mosque, called Ray of Light, has a groundbreaking concept allowing equal access to the prayer room for men and women with a metaphysical separation by means of light. See more images and architect’s description after the break.
Mantle / Daniel Andersson & Christiane Flügel
A few days ago we featured the finalist project designed by Brusselssprout for the Mosque Category for Design as Reform Competition in Dubai. Now we present you a shortlisted project designed by Daniel Andersson (FIN) & Christiane Flügel (GER).
You can see more images, drawings and description after the break.
Brusselssprout’s proposal for Design as Reform Competition in Dubai
Brusselssprout’s design “Mosque is More” was selected as finalist for the Mosque Category for Design as Reform Competition in Dubai. You can see more images, a video and architect’s description after the break.
Magnolia Tower Dubai / SADAR + VUGA
SADAR + VUGA’s submission for the Deluxe Serviced Apartment Tower in Burj Dubai district was shaped by the ambition and inclination of the developer, Damac Properties, to erect a unique residential building in the rapidly developing area by the Burj Dubai tower. The building would be distinguished by its architectural design and image; at the same time, it would serve as a model of a functioning and energy-efficient residential building at the beginning of the 21st century.
More images and full architect’s description after the break.
Sky, a Dubai video
Filmed by Philip Bloom over 5 days and nights, this beautiful video gives us another view of the amazing city of Dubai.
Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai) opens: the tallest building in the world
With its final height kept as a secret until the last minute, we witnessed the incredible opening of the tallest building in the world.
The Burj Dubai, an engineering masterpiece designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), was finally renamed Burj Khalifa in honor to Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruling sheik of Abu Dhabi who helped Dubai during the financial crisis with over US $25 billion.
The 828m tall structure established quite a distance from the Taipei 101, which used to hold the title for the tallest building in the world with 509m, that’s almost an extra 320m… almost like putting another skyscraper on top of the Taipei 101. This will secure its title for at least a few years.
For more on how the tallest building in the world is structured, you can read this interview with Bill Baker, engineer at SOM.
