|~||~||~|As we all know, size doesn’t matter.
I am of course talking about the size of towers under construction or planned in the region.
The buzzword in architectural circles these days is ‘iconic’ and as long as a building is iconic, then everyone is happy.
But we all know that when it comes to two particular towers in Dubai, size most certainly does matter — even if the developers of both are at pains to suggest otherwise.
A Nakheel manager was eager to point out this week that the height of the recently announced Al Burj was of no real importance.
But is there much point in building the second tallest building in the world?
And if the height of the structure is unimportant, why hasn’t the developer told us how tall it will be?
Similarly, Emaar is keeping the final height of the Burj Dubai a secret.
Although we can tell anyone who is interested that the final height of the concrete section of the building is at level 154 or thereabouts. So perhaps it is not so closely guarded anymore.
Despite their protestations to the contrary, we all know that Emaar and Nakheel have a case of what Freud would have described as ‘tower envy’. Don’t be fooled by the apparent nonchalance.
In the race to build the tallest tower in the world, Nakheel might appear to have the advantage, in that the Burj Dubai will be nearing completion by the time the Al Burj is starting construction.
But rival Emaar has an ace up its sleeve in the form of a steel section at the pinnacle of the structure, which will be able to be raised or lowered as required.
Meanwhile, as Emaar and Nakheel peer into their periscopes at each other’s towers, the Kuwaitis are planning to eclipse both with a kilometre-tall monster. So who knows who will have the most ‘iconic’ building?
The good thing about all of this speculation and intrigue is the positive impact it has had on the rest of the region.
The appetite for iconic buildings is spreading fast across the GCC, with several 70 storey-plus structures about to be announced in Doha, Kuwait City and even the low-rise city of Riyadh.
It seems that countries throughout the Gulf are realising just what a super-tall erection can do for the vitality of even the most lackluster of property markets.
Sean Cronin
Editor||**||
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