Dubai, United Arab Emirates is world renown for its innovative and impressive skyscrapers and development projects. In fact the construction boom has put Dubai on the international map and helped to transform its economy from one dependant on oil revenues to a thriving diversified economy based on retail and financial services, trade and tourism. One of the latest project developments to be announced is Anara Tower, a 125-story, 2,150 foot, turbine-shaped supertall skyscraper. This would place Anara Tower among the tallest buildings in the world, being only about 500 feet shorter than the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building. Anara Tower’s design is by the British-based firm, Atkins Design Studio. Construction is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Anara Tower’s design has been inspired by minarets, which are tall spires with onion-shaped crowns, which is a feature of Islamic mosques. The Anara Tower will feature a turbine or propeller-shaped structure at the top of the skyscraper, and in the center of the spokes will be a glass capsule that is actually a luxury restaurant over looking the Dubai coast. The goal of the project is to produce a distinct architectural form that will be instantly recognizable on the Dubai skyline.
Anara Tower will feature 300 one, two and three-bedroom luxury apartments, a 250-room hotel, 325,000 square feet devoted to commercial space, a world-class art gallery, restaurants, retail shops, and a wide array of other luxury amenities. The tower will also include an atrium in the center of the building and 4 sky gardens, which are located every 27 floors. The luxury apartments are slated to be among the most expensive in Dubai and will include exclusive elevators and swimming pools, as well as breathtaking views of Dubai’s majestic coastline. The luxury restaurant that sits atop the structure will provide panoramic views of Dubai and the coast.
The structure will also be designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. The LEED Green Building Rating System offers a checklist of performance criterion and provides a rating system for its certification, including such areas as water and energy efficiency, renewable energy, and materials and resources used during construction. Designers of the Anara Tower hope to achieve a silver rating at minimum by maximizing energy and water efficiency and implementing renewable energy power generators. Many are skeptical that the design firm will be able to pull this off, as it is very difficult to maximize energy and water efficiency in Dubai, and integrating energy efficient generators into skyscrapers can also be very challenging.
Construction on Anara Tower is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009. The onset of a global financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, falling oil prices, and a slowing real estate market in Dubai, make all new proposed construction projects uncertain at this point. However, Dubai property developers and investors are known for their ingenuity and pulling off what seem to be impossible feats. The Anara Tower would most definitely be a distinct landmark on Dubai’s already impressive skyline.