#150 l The Tower l DUBAI l 243m l 54fl

[RafflesCity]

The Tower
Dubai, UAE

HEIGHT: 243m/796 feet
FLOORS: 54 floors
COMPLETION: 2002
ARCHITECT: Khatib & Alami/ Norr Group Consultants

The long, slender form of the Tower represents one of the latest technological challenges in skyscraper construction.
Opened in April 2002, the 54-storey residential building rises 243 metres into the air over a tiny surface area of 900 square metres.
In a strategic position in Dubai, on the exclusive Sheykh Zayed Road not far from the Emirates Towers, The Tower was built using innovative technologies permitting achievement of great height on a limited base surface.
Architects Khatib & Alami, winners of a competition held by Union Properties in 1999, were assisted by Nasa Multiplex in developing a structural system which reduced work at the site to a minimum, speeding up construction and offering economic benefits for the project.
The construction has a composite structure, with a central core of reinforced concrete housing vertical links and facilities, and an external system constructed of steel tubes buried in cement and filled in with plates of glass.
The floors of post-stressed prefabricated concrete rest on steel plates anchored to the central core and external uprights of the building.
These technologies permitted the tower to be built at a speed of one storey every three days without excessive bulk at the base.
The building's outer facades are covered in glass and marked by slender steel pilaster strips which cross over on technical planes to form a pointed arch motif with an Arabian flavour.
An eight-level parking lot was built on the lot behind the building for Tower residents, who will also enjoy a health centre and swimming pool on the parking lot roof.
The two buildings are connected by a series of internal walkways and garden-lined pedestrian routes.
There are two entrances to The Tower on the ground floor, as well as management offices and a café.
The building's lower levels, from the second to the thirtieth floor, may be accessed directly from the parking lot. There are six three-bedroom apartments on each floor.
The upper levels, from the thirty-fourth to the forty-ninth floor, are accessed from Sheikh Zayed Road; there are twelve one-bedroom apartments on each floor.
The tower culminates in a pyramid-shaped aluminium and glass spire with walls like sails that enhance the lightness of its form.
The 372 apartments were designed to permit optimal distribution of space and finished with class for luxury and comfort.
Common areas and access routes are designed with great care and built with advanced high performance materials perfectly in keeping with the overall design of the building.
Corridors and elevators are finished with materials from the Le Pietre del Mulino collection of the Italian firm IRIS Ceramica. The architects selected Castello, Monterivo e Valeggio.
The delicate hues of earth tones and elegant old-fashioned look of Pietre del Mulino warm the atmosphere in these common spaces, high traffic areas requiring materials offering good resistance to wear and easy maintenance.

[Caledon1981]

nosiree . .dont like it one bit. . if it was silver like the rendering . . maybe. . but no. 6/10

[Bobdreamz]

anyways this resembles a minaret on a mosque...that's ok for mosques but does nothing for this building....5/10

[Ersh]

Pretty unique design...I didn't realize it was that tall (796 ft)...I've seen this one before and thought it was like a 500 footer. That building has be pretty massive then. 8/10

[ryanr]

its has a pretty odd design. But it is ok for me.
6.5

[Monkey]

Well, to my eyes it is more attractive than some of its neighbors, but somehow I'm not wild about the joint. 5.5.

[AG]

Very colourful, and nice roof, but the boxy shape isn't very good.

6/10

[TYW]

6/10
not very nice. I don't think it is suitable for a mosque minaret as well, too fat!

[SUNNI]

sleek and powerful! 9!

[DamienK]

Don't really like the proportions. 6.5/10 only.

[SteelCity32]

haha what an original name. I don't care for it though. 6/10

[cgrassham]

Too fat and I don't like the colour. Bad name too 5/10

[RafflesCity]

8/10

I like it! Very fanciful building and reminds me of Venice.

[luis4083]

7/10

[Pablo]

looks awesome this building,islamic building

it's ok but unfortunately, like many other buildings, the rendering looks far better than the finished product.

6.5/10

9.5/10.

6/10 Doent look good in the Duabi skyline, i like the color, what a simplictic name!

Yay! My 100th Post: Started Oct.10

[DrumCorpsAlum]

Not too shabby, but nothing too special. 7/10.

yuck

5.5/10