Dubai is known for its incredible vision and ingenious architectural feats, so it’s no surprise that the city is home to some amazing buildings and structures. Whether you’re a fan of awe-inspiring design, or just looking for a fantastic backdrop for your holiday snaps, these Dubai landmarks are all worth a visit.
Traditional Architecture
While Dubai’s glittering skyline is known the world over, the city has showcased innovation in architecture for centuries now. If you venture to the neighbourhoods of Old Dubai, you’ll be able to spot numerous buildings that evoke a picture of the city’s humble beginnings as a fishing village.
• Key architectural innovations:
- To cope with hotter temperatures, earlier streets in the likes of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood are very narrow, with buildings separated by small alleys (or ‘Sikka’) – which help create wind tunnels that cool down streets and provide shade.
- Wind towers (or ‘Barajeel’) are the world’s oldest form of air conditioning, and another way early settlers in Dubai cooled their houses. In pre-electricity days in Dubai, these were built on top of houses and buildings and were open on all four sides – taking in warm air and directing cooler winds to flow down into the home.
• Countering the warm climate even played a role in the materials used to build homes and other structures – along with the clever use of resources readily available.
- Palm leaves and fronds were used by Bedouins to create airy summer huts (or ‘Bait Areesh’) – and the thatched roofs were often watered slightly to cool the overall temperature of houses when it became too warm.
- In the early 1900s, houses were built with coral, sand, gypsum and sometimes limestome – these have very low thermal conductivity, and together with mud and clay helped keep the houses (called ‘Bait Murjan’) cool.
- Another development in the 20th Century was the creation of more elaborate houses with wide open courtyards (called ‘Majlis’), as well as zig-zagging entrances to houses to provide privacy.
• Where you can see these:
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood: Witness a slice of traditional life in Old Dubai when you visit this district located along the Dubai Creek.
-Gain a greater appreciation of Dubai’s culture and customs at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU), located in a beautifully restored wind tower house. Sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch, or dinner and take a seat on Bedouin-style carpets and pillows and enjoy a selection of traditional dishes while your local host answers questions about life in the emirate.
-Stay at XVA Art Hotel, a restored courtyard house that meshes contemporary art, culture and traditional hospitality – together resulting in a creative space for poets, artists and visitors alike.
-Dubai Museum is housed in the Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest existing building in the city, and features galleries that recreate historic local houses, mosques, souks, date farms, desert and marine life.
- Al Shindagha District: At the mouth of the creek, you will see a number of older buildings in the Al Shindagha district – notably the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, who ruled Dubai from 1912 to 1958, and is grandfather to the current Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum. - Hatta: Straddling the border of Oman and Dubai, Hatta Heritage Village is not only a cultural haven but also a fantastic free day out. Nestled in the heart of the Hajar Mountains about 100kms from the main city, Hatta Heritage Village offers unique insights into traditional mountain life in the UAE, dating back 3,000 years.
Tradition-Inspired Modern Architecture
Dubai continues to blend its rich heritage into its architecture today, with key cultural motifs notable in numerous buildings around the city.
- Burj Al Arab: The iconic sail-shaped silhouette of the world’s most luxurious hotel has made it a beacon of modern Dubai. Built on a triangular man-made island reclaimed from the sea, the hotel and its billowing sail-like structure rise 321 metres above the sea, offering panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. Literally translating to ‘The Arabian Tower’, it was built over a five-year period: two to create the island and three to build the hotel. Architect Tom Wright of Atkins took on the challenge of creating this groundbreaking superstructure which announced Dubai’s magnificent vision of the future when it opened in 1999.
- Palm Jumeirah: The world’s largest man-made island is no mean feat, especially as it forever transformed the map of Dubai. Viewed from above, the island pays homage to the region’s ubiquitous palm tree – built from reclaimed land mass and a series of artificial archipelagos. Comprising of a two-kilometre-long trunk, a crown made up of 17 fronds and a surrounding crescent, Palm Jumeirah is home to some of Dubai’s most luxurious resorts, including Atlantis, The Palm Dubai and Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. Nakheel Properties brought to life the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE, and today the Palm Jumeirah spans five square kilometres, adding 78 kilometres to Dubai’s coastline.
- (Opening soon) Mohammed Bin Rashid Library: Touted to be the largest cultural centre in the MENA region, the Mohammed bin Rashid Library covers 66,000 square meters, and has been designed to resemble an open book placed on a ‘rehl ” (a traditional book rest for the Quran). Set to open in 2020, the library is expected to hold over 4.5 million volumes, 1 million audio books and 2 million e-books, making it the world’s largest electronic collection and the biggest library in the Arab world.
Modern Architecture
Dubai boasts a plethora of high towers and innovative structures, making it sometimes easy to overlook truly unique works of architecture. Below are some that deserve a look (or two!):
- Dubai World Trade Centre – Dubai first high-rise building, the Dubai World Trade Centre has played a pivotal role in the growth of international trade for the Middle East, ever since its inauguration by Queen Elizabeth in 1979. The 39-storey landmark may be dwarfed today in comparison to other towers on Sheikh Zayed Road, but it remains the largest purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions as well as an epicenter for business tourism in the region. It was designed by British architect John Harris and it’s also the building you see on the back of the AED 100 bank note.
- Burj Khalifa – The world’s tallest tower needs little introduction – at over 828m tall with 162 floors, it’s an unmissable feature of the city’s skyline. The tower was designed by American architect Adrian Smith at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to resemble the Hymenocallis or Spider Lily – a regional desert flower. Excavation began in January 2004 and six years later, the Burj Khalifa opened in January 2010. Burj Khalifa’s lighting perfectly complements the character of the building as a simple and elegant structure. The façade is hit by a series of stroboscopes, which can be individually programmed to chase up the tower or sparkle at random.
- Etihad Museum: The 2.5 hectare Etihad Museum tells the story of the founding of the United Arab Emirates, and is fittingly located next to Union House, where the signing of the treaty establishing the UAE took place in 1971. Designed by Canadian architects Moriyama and Teshima, the unique curved white roof of the museum was inspired by the shape of the UAE constitution. It’s also adorned with seven columns, which symbolize the pens used to sign the agreement.
- (Opening soon) Coca-Cola Arena: Also known as Dubai Arena, this is Dubai’s largest indoor arena for music, sports and entertainment events that is set to open in June 2019. The arena is situated in City Walk and boasts 360-degree indoor bowl seating, and a capacity of 17,000. With a total 3,870 square metres of floor space, the 86m x 45m arena bowl floor can be scaled with a fully retractable seating system, depending on the event and audience capacity.
- (Upcoming project) Expo 2020 Sustainability Pavilion: Called ‘Terra’, the Sustainability Pavilion is one of three at Expo 2020, presenting the opportunity to deliver an aspirational message about the natural world, ecology and technology to a global audience. The petal-shaped district draws inspiration from natural processes like photosynthesis, capturing energy from sunlight and fresh water from humid air.
- (Upcoming project) Museum of The Future: A unique initiative by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Museum of the Future explores the future of science, technology and innovation. Designed by Shaun Killa and set to open in 2020, it is already one of the world’s most complex buildings – in the shape of a torus, with the round shape representing the earth and the sky, while the empty space in the middle represents the unknown. Window designs in the form of Arabic calligraphy based on HH Sheikh Mohammed’s quotes are mapped onto the
curved skin of the building. - (Upcoming project) Dubai Creek Tower: Set to be the 21st century’s new global icon, Dubai Creek Tower is expected to soar up from the heart of Dubai Creek Harbour into the clouds – quite literally, as it is expected to be taller than the Burj Khalifa. Designed by renowned neofuturistic Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, this gravity-defying structure is inspired by the lily flower and traditional Arabian minarets.
