Nakheel Tower, another supertall skyscraper proposed by Nakheel Properties of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been designed to rival the tallest buildings in the world and to be the centerpiece and anchor for the Battuta Mall development at the intersection of Arabian Canal and Sheikh Zayed Road in a new downtown area of Dubai.
Nakheel Tower has had several previous incarnations. The original development (2003-2005) was called The Pinnacle and was a three-tower structure located in the Palm Jumeirah. It was an all-residential building designed by Pei Partnership Architects as a building with three towers being connected by sky bridges and featuring sky gardens and atriums, along with a swimming pool, health club and observation deck. In 2005 Nakheel changed the name of the project to Al Burj and moved the site to the Dubai Waterfront. The plans included the original form, but the height and number of sky bridges were increased and the tower was changed from an all-residential to a multi-use building, including offices and hotels. Ground was broken at Dubai Waterfront but Al Burj was never constructed. A new architectural firm, Woods Bagot, was called in and the name was changed once again, briefly to The Tall Tower and then to its current name Nakheel Tower in October 2008. The location was changed from the Dubai Tower to a parcel of land near Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lake Towers and will be at the center of the Nakheel Harbour and Tower development.
The Nakheel Tower is purported to be in the planning stage at 1 kilometer tall, which would make it the world’s tallest building. The building is conceived as 4 different towers that are connected together with an open atrium in the center. The crescent-shaped design has drawn on elements of Islamic design and has also been inspired by other sites like the Alhambra in Spain, the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt, and the Tangier Promenade in Tangier.
The multi-billion dollar development project of Nakheel Harbour and Tower development will consist of hotels, retail space and large areas of green space. The area is centrally located in the Emirate of Dubai at the intersection of the Arabian Canal and Skeikh Zayed Road and is nearby other Nakheel Properties projects like Jumeirah Palm, Jumeirah Islands, Ibu Battuta shopping mall and Discovery Gardens. The Nakheel Tower and Harbour development when it is complete will provide workspace for 45,000 workers and space for 55,000 residents in the center of New Dubai.
Construction on Nakheel Tower is on hold and scheduled to begin again around January 2010. The delay is due to the recent global financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and falling real estate and oil prices in both Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in general. Many construction projects in Dubai and The United Arab Emirates have been stalled or are on hold due to current economic conditions. The Nakheel Tower has seen several previous versions shelved and only time will tell if Nakheel Tower will ever become a reality.