2 April 2005

DUBAI -- Right on cue, the six-storey building that once was the Dubai World Trade Centre Hotel imploded into an orderly pile of rubble leaving all other surrounding structures unscathed.

The carefully-timed, controlled explosions weakened the structure which fell upon itself. Protective metal fences and special cloth prevented debris from showering nearby structures.

In the aftermath, after the dust settled, the building was reduced to a pile of rubble. The car ramp leading up to the building and the Dubai World Trade Centre tower, was left intact.

The World Trade Centre Residence (WTCR) will come up on the site of the demolished 27-year-old building which housed the World Trade Centre Hotel. The 38-storey WTCR building, which will offer 349 apartments, is scheduled for completion by December 2007. The World Trade Centre Hotel was a 333-room Hilton hotel property from its opening in 1978 until December 2000.

UK-based Controlled Demolition Group managed the controlled detonation and demolition. Dubai Police cordoned off the area, evacuated surrounding buildings and closed Sheikh Zayed Road prior to the demolition.

Elaine Jones, Asteco's CEO, said: "The World Trade Centre Hotel building was a familiar landmark and it will be replaced by a new development perfectly in tune with the ambitions of Dubai. Today's demolition is symbolic of the emirate's rapid progress, and the World Trade Centre Residence will fully justify its billing as one of the most elegant and luxurious residential developments in downtown Dubai."

The building's "blow-down" was the culmination of three months of careful preparation which included stripping the property, removing block work, drilling to place charges and executing test blasts and rigorous safety tests.

Richard Green, Project Manager of Controlled Demolition Group, led a team of five demolition experts. A 12-year veteran of the company and a former military explosives expert with the British Army, Green also managed the demolition of the Chicago Beach Hotel in 1997, which stood on the site now occupied by The Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Less than 200 kilos of locally manufactured explosives, linked to 3,000 charges, were used in the World Trade Centre Hotel demolition. Clearing the site will take a further six to eight weeks before preliminary work on the new World Trade Centre Residence can begin.

By a staff reporter

© Khaleej Times 2005