The country which is home to the tallest building in the world also offers heritage sites along with futuristic buildings. UAE is one of the leading countries in infrastructure and tourism. Some of the upcoming influential and breath-taking projects in the UAE are as follows:
- The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences
The second Atlantis hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah is set to open in the second half of this year. It will be home to thirteen restaurants which include six from celebrity chefs, as many as ninety swimming pools, three aquariums, and the world’s largest jellyfish tank.
2. ME by Melia
The ME by Melia is a five-star hotel and remains the only hotel in the world to be fully designed from the exterior as well as interior by the late architect Zaha Hadid. It is located in the opus in the Burj Khalifa district of Dubai. Furthermore, the hotel is a nineteen storey building with ninety-three rooms, fifteen restaurants, and bars. Also, it will feature the signature flowing lines and curves of the Iraqi architect.
3. Ain Dubai
The world’s tallest observation wheel is all set to open before the beginning of Expo 2020. Ain Dubai is more than 250 metres in height and stands over the Bluewaters Island. It is over 80 metres taller than the current high roller of Las Vegas. It is made of about nine thousand tonnes of steel, which is 25% more than iron used to build the Eiffel Tower.
4. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry will be home to permanent collections, exhibitions, educational programs as well as visiting collections and borrowed pieces, this will be another architectural marvel on the shores of Saadiyat Island. It will consist of 13,000 square metres of the area dedicated to galleries on four levels which will be connected through bridges made of glass. The building will be an iconic eleven cone-like structure along with the exhibition area.
5. Zayed National Museum
Situated on Saadiyat Island, designed by Ar. Norman Foster, Zayed National Museum is a monument and memorial to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding president of the UAE. The galleries in the museum are placed within a mound, whose abstract form is inspired by the topography of the Emirates. The five lightweight steel structures are constructed to be aerodynamically sound to act as solar thermal towers. The monumental interiors balance the lightweight steel structures as pod-shaped galleries are suspended over a top-lit central lobby.
6. Mohammed Bin Rashid Library
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is based on the concept that traditional nomadic travellers of this area used to carry their books with them, especially, The Quran. Hence, the shape of the building is that of an open book. The seven storey structure, located on the edge of Dubai Creek, covers almost 66,000 square metres of area.
7. The museum of Future
The design represents the human understanding of the future as of today and the next 5-10 years. Also, the void in the design represents things that we did not know yet, also it represents a place for people who seek the unknown and will continue to innovate. The Museum of Future consists of three parts- the green Hill (earth- solidity, permanence, and rootedness in place, time and history), the building (mankind and all its strength), and the void (innovation). The 78-metre high structure is a low carbon civic building. The Arabic calligraphy which is remarkably seen from the building are the quotes by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. The calligraphy is done in such a manner that the window designs are carved through it.
8. Burj Jumeirah
The brand new super skyscraper has borrowed its concept from the harmonious ripples of the country’s dunes, the desert as well as the flowing oasis. The centrepiece will be 550 metres high with multiple observation decks, along with a 360-degree view of Dubai’s landscape. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2023. The geometry of exterior bracing strengthens the tower against lateral forces and the building forms help in aerodynamically mitigating the wind loads.
9. Dubai Creek Tower
Set to make a new world record of the tallest building on planet Earth, Dubai Creek Tower is going to defeat Burj Khalifa by 828 metres. The iconic structure, designed by Ar. Santiago Calatrava will be a combination of modern, sustainable design along with the touch of rich heritage and culture of the United Arab Emirates. Several observation decks are a part of an elongated, oval-shaped bud at the top of the structure. The Tower will also hold balconies that will rotate outside the facade of the structure.
10. Heart of Sharjah
Heart of Sharjah is said to be the largest historical preservation and restoration project in the region. It is planned for over fifteen years and hence is expected to complete by the year 2025. The project will consist of diverse features like commercial, residential, and cultural establishments. It also aims to be a trade destination as well as a tourist hub. Therefore, features like a boutique hotel, restaurants, shops, art galleries, contemporary as well as traditional markets, archaeological sites, museums, play areas, and commercial offices will be designed in the renovated ancient houses of the area. So, we can say that this will be a unique experience for the tourist to witness the heritage side of the country along with the iconic modern structures.
11. Zombie Apocalypse Park
A giant zombie-themed entertainment area is set to open in 2020. It will be situated in the night market of Deira Island. It will hold a virtual reality cinema, escape games, and live shows which will be powered by glow in the dark technology. The market including 5,300 shops, restaurants, and cafes will stretch 1.9 km along the waterfront.
12. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park
Once completed, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be the largest single-site solar park in the world, which will be based on an independent power producer, IPP, and the model. The planned capacity by 2030 is planned to be 5,000 MW.
13. Jewel of the Creek
Jewel of the Creek is a 1 million square metres mixed-use development in the port of the Saeed area of Deira. It is set to become a new urban centre with the upcoming residential, commercial, hospitality, and recreational use establishments. Also, the urban centre will offer a large number of unique features like the inner creek with promenade, man-made island with car-free ground, longest swimming pool in Dubai, etc.
14. Expo 2020
The 1,082-acre expo site is situated next to the new Al Maktoum International Airport. The designs comprise three pavilions which stand for opportunity, sustainability, and mobility. All three pavilions are connected by the central Plaza, Al Wasl, meaning, ‘the connection’. The planning is inspired by the traditional Arabic ‘souk’. Hence, the larger pavilions are placed at the perimeter while the smaller exhibits are clustered towards the centre.
15. Al Qana National Aquarium
Al Qana National Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the Middle East, spanning more than 7,000 square metres. Also, it will be home to 33,000 marine creatures. The project’s main aim is to highlight the importance of conservation throughout the themed zones. Despite the pandemic, the construction is 90% complete and is set to open in late 2020.
