Japans Nikken Sekkei unveils worlds longest cantilever in Dubai

UAE - Nikken Sekkei, Japan-based architectural, engineering, and urban design firm, on Thursday unveiled plans to lift the world’s longest cantilever, The Link, on One Za’abeel, an iconic mixed-use development in Dubai, UAE.

The Link will be hoisted into place in early 2020, according to a press release.

The cantilever, which will measure 230 metres in length and weigh over 8,000 tonnes, will connect the towers of One Za’abeel, the Japanese company noted.

“Designing the world’s longest occupied building cantilever was an ambitious challenge in itself, however, designing an offset cantilever between two towers, 100 metres above a busy highway, was a challenge of ingenuity and imagination that we thrived on,” Nikken’s Executive Officer, Principal responsible for MENA, CIS, India, Australia and Europe regions Fadi Jabri said.

The active highway will be closed to traffic during the construction phase, the release indicated.

In addition to the structure, One Za’abeel, which is being developed by Nikken and Ithra Dubai, features a residential tower, high-end five-star hotel, commercial tower, and retail destination - The Gallery.