The Burj Khalifa is set to get a bigger brother, as new information was released today about Dubai’s latest architectural wonder – The Tower, a new one billion dollar project by Emaar as part of the Dubai Creek Harbour project.
The new tower, which is set to be complete by 2020, will be a grand 100m taller than the Burj Khalifa, which stands at 830m to its tip, that would mean The Tower will be at least 928 metres.
At the top of The Tower, visitors will be able to view the city from a 360-degree viewing deck, with a VIP observation deck called The Pinnacle Room that will supposedly “recreate the splendour of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” If that wasn’t cool enough, the observation deck will also feature rotating balconies that extend outwards, rotating outside the structure of the tower.
Read: In Pics – The New Malls Opening Up In The UAE
Burj Khalifa and The Tower are both developed by Emaar, with Mohamed Alabbar, the Emaar Properties chairman saying construction will begin in July and should be complete in 2020 – it will be located near Ras Al Khor (as in near the flamingo sanctuary).
“The plaza will be much bigger than this [Downtown] plaza because of the sheer size of the tower and the cables,” explained Alabbar. “But what we will do with the plaza and how we beautify it and real estate around it will be quite a job.”
Read: 325-Metre Base Jumping Tower To Launch In Dubai
Aside from the giant new structure, the multi-billion dollar Dubai Creek Harbour development will also contain eight million square feet of retail space, as well as 39,000 residences, 22 hotels and another giant project called the Dubai Twin Towers, which, of course, are set to be the largest twin towers in the world.
To put into perspective how big Dubai Creek Harbour is actually going to be, we’re talking about an area twice the size of Downtown Dubai as you can see in the picture below.
Read: The Development Set To Transform Dubai World Trade Centre
With regards to the The Tower’s appearance, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai approved the design by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava back in February this year.
The design is said to have drawn inspiration from the lily, and will evoke the image of a minaret – a common feature and distinctive aspect of Islamic culture.
In the words of Sheikh Mohammed, the new tower will “be as great as the Burj Khalifa and Eiffel Tower”.
We can’t to see how this develops, and, of course we will keep you posted along the way.
– For more about Dubai fashion scene straight to your newsfeed, follow us on Facebook
