Futuro no Dubai

ilha dos ricos, da fantasia...

duabi or dubai city is located on the northern tip of the united arab emeritus on the persian gulf. it has been ruledby the al maktoum dynasty since 1833 and has existed in its modern state since 1971. the current ruler is mohammed bin rashid al maktoum, who is also the prime minister and vice president of the united arab emirates. the rather small city has a population of 1.6 million people and a 37 billion USD economy based largely on trade, manufacturing and financial services. contrary to popular belief petrol and natural gas only make up a small percentage of revenues.
the city has gained world-wide attention in the past few years because of its booming economy and ambitious architectural projects. with a focus on business and tourism, the city is ramping up construction on an unprecedented level. in fact, dubai is said to be home to 15% to 25% of the world's 125,000 construction cranes. don't think that the architectural expansion is over, because a slew of new project are on the table and in the works as we speak.
here is only a small portion of the buildings that are being proposed, constructed or developed in dubai and its surrounding region.

architect david fisher is the designer of the 'da vinci rotating tower', one of the most innovative an unique buildings to be built in dubai. the 250 meter tower will allow each floor to rotate freely allowing the building to shift its shape. in between each floor horizontal wind turbines will allow the building to produce energy.

'the 'arabian blade' is a mixed-use tower designed by claudio catalano. the building was inspired by plant forms and combines several volumes into one unit. it will contain residences, a hotel and commercial space.

'duabi pearl' was originally conceived by the omnix grop in 2002 but has since been taken over by a consortium of investors led by the al fahim group. the 3 billion USD project overlooks the pal jumeriah and covers 1.4 million square metres of the dubai media and technology free zone.

'dubai renaissance' was designed by architects rem koolhaas and fernando donis of OMA for the business bay development competition. their entry lost to hadid's dancing towers.

'opus' is another dubai building designed by british architect zaha hadid. the 235 million GBP development was designed for the business bay for omniyat properties. it stands at 20 stories located next to the towering burj dubai. hadid's concept was to have the building open onto the city, framing the views. it is currently underdevelopment and is planned to be completed by 2010.

zaha hadid' dancing towers are planned to be located in dubai's business bay development area. the plan consists of three buildings which rise up from the ground bending and intertwining with each other to create fluid animation of the forms.

'the cloud' is a speculative design for a resort city elevated 300 metres in the air above dubai and supported on slanting legs resembling rain. it is designed by nadim karam of lebanese architect atelier hapsitus. it is a horizontal presence on an elevated platform, an antithesis to the sum of skyscrapers spreading over the entire region.

e agora?

grandes arquitectos, sem dúvida, mas isto mais parece a feira popular com obras de engenharia fantásticas e designs diferentes.