Friday, Jan 19, 2007
Dubai: Dubai's rapidly-emerging skyline will one day compete with the most architecturally renowned cities of the world, according to prominent architect Hazel Wong.
Cities including New York, London, Shanghai and Chicago are regarded by many as setting architectural standards across the world, as well as being the base for countless architectural firms.
But Chinese-born Wong, who helped design Dubai's Emirates Towers and is regional director of Dubai-based architectural firm RMJM, said the architectural spotlight is shifting to Dubai, where designs such as the Burj Dubai and the Dancing Towers are turning heads.
"Dubai has elevated itself to be the prime focus of global architecture and is attracting a lot of internationally-renowned names," Wong told reporters during a ground-breaking ceremony for the West Wharf residential tower in Dubai's "New Manhattan" Business Bay.
"The pace of development is what separates itself from other cities. Projects get conceived, built and occupied extremely rapidly, which is very satisfying from an architects' point of view."
The UAE is attracting some of the biggest names in world architecture. Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid, the first woman to receive the distinguished Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, was chosen to design the Dancing Towers development at Business Bay, which was unveiled at New York's prestigious Guggenheim Museum.
"The towers will not only create a distinctive landmark at Business Bay, but also symbolise a new phase in Dubai's architectural standards," an enthusiastic Hasham Al Dabal, CEO of Business Bay developers Dubai Properties, said during the project launch.
Buildings such as London's gerkin-shaped Swiss Re tower are considered to have pushed the boundaries of modern architecture. But much like any London project, and those in other historical cities around the world, designs have to pass a lengthy and stringent approval process.
"In Europe, Canada and North America generally, there are a lot of considerations and historical precedents which are laid down," said Wong.
"Projects have to go through countless motions to get passed, especially when you are doing something which is out of the norm - in Dubai you have more freedom to go beyond the norm."
Some of the developments launched in the UAE recently have certainly gone well beyond the norm. Projects which have raised eyebrows include a fully rotating tower, a city of partially-rotating towers, a development shaped like the UAE flag, not to mention three palm-shaped islands.
One innovative project - the human-shaped Burj Al Arabi - hit controversy when it emerged that developers AAA Group had not secured design approval from Limitless, owners of the Jumeirah Village Master Plan, where the building was set to go up.
Wong declined to comment on the architectural relevance of these designs, but said there is room in Dubai's skyline for "more creativity" and "more sophisticated designs".
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
