A Peek into the Future of Dubai

by Justin Glow on

Today, the city of Dubai announced it has purchased the Queen Elizabeth 2, “one of the world’s most majestic cruise liners,” to convert into a luxury hotel. The QE2 will be completely renovated and parked at the world’s largest man-made island, Palm Jumeirah. The restoration process will stay true to the original design of the ship, and a museum will be built inside to educate visitors on the liner’s legacy.

What’s else in store for the booming city of Dubai? Here’s a quick rundown of current, future, and conceptual projects in the United Arab Emirates’s oasis in the desert.

We talked about it earlier today, but the outrageousness of the resort complex dubbed The Cloud makes it worthy of another mention. Nadim Karam, a Lebanese architect, presented this resort-in-the-sky concept at the International Design Forum in Dubai last month. The actual resort will resemble a cloud floating 300 meters in the air, with slanting support beams that look like sheets of rain. Take that, Sandals! [Stage: Concept]

Who needs Disneyworld when you’ve got Dubailand? Announced in 2003, this super-sized mega theme park (the builders prefer to think of it as a true city) will consist of six poorly named “worlds”: Attractions & Experience World, Retail and Entertainment World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Eco-Tourism World, Sports and Outdoor World, and Downtown, each containing a total of 26 “sub-worlds.” Downtown will feature the world’s largest shopping mall, called Mall of Dubai. Coffee lovers unite: the Mall of Dubai will eventually feature the world’s largest Starbucks. [Stage: Under Construction]

Bigger is better, and Dubai has its sites set on the sky with the Burj Dubai. When construction finishes in 2009, the Burj Dubai will most likely be the tallest “land-based structure” (which includes buildings and towers) in the world. Why most likely? “The projected final height of the Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition,” according to its Wikipedia entry. Makes sense — why announce an official height when you can just continue building if someone else announces a larger project? Clever. [Status: Under Construction]

Italian-Israeli architect, David Fisher, unveiled in April a 68-story “spinning tower” he hopes to see join the the Dubai skyline in the future. Unlike existing structures that have a single revolving floor (San Antonio’s Tower of the Americas comes to mind, among many others), “[e]ach floor would rotate independently, creating a constantly changing architectural form,” says the Wall Street Journal. This is by far the coolest concept building I’ve found, Dubai or not. It reminds me a bit of Jenga, only…you know…much cooler. [Status: Concept]

The Cloud: A Dubai Resort in the Sky

by Justin Glow on

The Cloud is just a concept right now, so don’t get your hopes up. Yet. But oh what a cool concept it is.

Nadim Karam, a Lebanese architect, presented this resort-in-the-sky concept at the International Design Forum in Dubai last month. The actual resort will resemble a cloud floating 300 meters in the air, with slanting support beams that look like sheets of rain. Check out more pictures after the jump. [via]

Getting to the Hotels at The Palm Jumeirah Requires Going Underwater

by Willy Volk on

While the glorious Palm Jumeirah — an island shaped like a huge palm tree — will house more than 20 hotels and other high-end facilities, getting people to the man-made island was a design challenge. Rather than build a road over the water — which would disrupt the look of the palm — engineers decided to build an underwater tunnel.

Connecting the tip of the island’s trunk to the crescent, the project is gargantuan in scope, involving 200,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete, and requiring the construction of dykes and a dam to keep the water out. The entire project is expected to be completed in May 2007.

While I’m impressed by the engineering involved in this project — and I have no doubt getting to the island just got a lot more fun — I’m guessing pumping out the seawater and dredging the area devastated the local environment.

[Via Luxist]

Dubai to Host World’s First Superhero Theme Park

by Neil Woodburn on

As if Dubai couldn’t get any wackier, it has just been announced that Marvel Comics will be opening a theme park in this crazy city.

We’ve posted a number of times about all the wild projects underway in Dubai; the city has become somewhat of a futuristic playground for design and style. And now there are going to be superheroes running around.

Marvel Entertainment has entered a $1 billion agreement with the UAE-based Al Ahli Group to build the world’s first superhero theme park.

Marvel is responsible for bringing the world such superstars as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. By 2011, these superheroes and many of their colleagues will be running amuck in the United Arab Emirates, slinging webs and fighting bad guys. Kapow!

Abu Dhabi to Get A Louvre, Two

by Willy Volk on

Everyone knows how beautiful the artwork inside Paris’ Louvre is. However, since not everyone can travel to Paris, wouldn’t it be cool if the Louvre could “franchise” itself so people the world over could enjoy the pieces? Guess what? Yesterday, France’s culture minister confirmed that he will approve the construction of a satellite museum in Abu Dhabi: a Louvre 2.

Experts have estimated the multi-faceted deal — which calls for the Louvre to lend its name, expertise, and some of its art to the branch in the United Arab Emirates — could be worth as much as $1 billion to France. While critics charge that France is trading its heritage for profit, the director of that country’s national museum service said France has an obligation to share its art treasures with the world.

Abu Dhabi is in the midst of creating a $27-billion “cultural district” on Saadiyat Island, hoping to attract prestigious art museums and turn the city into a tourist destination. So far, the only other group to sign on is the Guggenheim, which is in the midst of building a $400-million museum on Saadiyat.

[Photo: Bonita711]