A Culture of the Biggest and the Best

After my last post about the view from atop the world’s tallest building, I feel it is only appropriate to spend some time discussing and highlighting this structure and others in Dubai that are born out of a desire to be the biggest and the best in everything. Many of you will have heard of and likely seen images of these buildings and spaces, but since they are quite impressive and a big part of visiting Dubai, I figured I would give my take on each.

Burj Khalifa
Any discussion of the biggest structures in Dubai has to begin here, the most prominent building on the Dubai skyline. Standing 828 m tall and comprising 160 floors, the Burj is the tallest building in the world as well as the tallest man-made structure and tallest free-standing structure. While the view from the bottom is impressive and dizzying, to really put the Burj in perspective, drive out into the desert, away from Dubai (it really doesn’t take that long to get outside the city driving inland) and then turn around a look back. Appearing more than twice the height of any of its neighbors, the Burj stands alone as a spire reaching to the heavens and recalling images of the mythical Tower of Babel.

Move closer, perhaps to the exit of the Dubai Mall Metro Station, and while the height remains impressive, without the metric of the surrounding buildings and with the stepped design of the floor plans, your mind can be fooled into thinking it is not as tall as it originally seemed. Even so, your camera may not be able from here to capture the full height of the structure. Move closer still, and you undoubtedly will need several frames to capture the full height. Stand at the base, and you must let your head slowly roll backward until you are looking directly up to the heavens to take in the full height of the massive building. Even from the bridge leading from the Dubai Mall to Souk al Bahar one must scan upward to see the top of this steel and glass behemoth.

Many may find this height dizzying or the overall appearance and height unfathomable. I’ve been told the structure looks unstable or that it must extend so deep in the ground just to stand up straight. Actually, if you head inside to “At the Top,” and then pause on the way out to watch the video monitors talking about the tower, you find that it is really both an architectural symbol of Dubai’s rise and a marvel of modern engineering. Extensive wind tunnel testing helped ensure that the stepped and asymmetric design of the tower would not allow vortices from the wind to build up in such a manner to cause resonance. Instead, the vortices are created and shed at different frequencies along the tower thereby stabilizing it more than many buildings where these vortices cause oscillation in heavy winds. Furthermore, the stepped design acts as a set of buttresses such that the weight of the central, tallest portion of the tower is dispersed over a much larger base allowing the pressure on each pile in the ground to be the same as that of a 30-40 storey building. Pretty smart design if you ask me.

Yet despite these interesting, innovative building features, what impresses me most about the tower is it’s façade which to me allows the tower to take on different personalities throughout the day and even as the weather changes. Seen in bright sun, the coating of the Burj’s glass reflects a bright silver as if a shining beacon of Dubai’s world prominence. The tower here is regal, proud, and a powerful symbol. As the day fades, the silver adopts a bluish tinge that softens its appearance until at sunset, it glows a bright orange in the last rays of the day.

At night, with no light to reflect, the exterior becomes a muted gray, blending with the night and accented by lights. Though retaining its symbolic nature, the tower now does not dominate in the same manner as in the day instead almost giving visual preference to the lively seen around the fountain and restaurants glimmering below.

Though while in Dubai this time the weather was quite clear, in summer it can be very humid and foggy at night. Images for sale in any art gallery will offer glimpses of the Burj’s spire peaking above the fog in the morning sunlight, the only indicator that the city lies below the white blanket. On humid, hazy nights, sitting at the foot of the Burj recalls images of an evil sci-fi lair (at least in my opinion) as this deadly spire attains a dark, foreboding nature. Comparing the regal, upstanding daytime sight of the building with this image, I am reminded of the alternate personalities of many superhero villains who by day are upstanding corporate leaders and by night evil geniuses plotting against society.

The final image of the Burj that will forever be embedded in my mind is festive and celebratory. On New Year’s Eve, the tower was illuminated from base to tip by spectacular fireworks accenting the height of the structure while ringing in 2011 with a bang. As the center of Dubai’s New Year’s celebrations, it certainly impresses.

I suppose there isn’t much more I can or would like to add about this tower. It truly is an impressive sight, an engineering marvel, and an attractor for tourists the world over. Simply for its dizzying height, attractive façade, and changing appearance, it is worth seeing in your life if you can. With the Middle East (including Dubai) racing to outdo the Burj in height, it may not be a record-holder for more than a few years, but as a beautiful building and the centerpiece of New Dubai, it will always retain a regal, beautiful quality worthy of time and attention. We will see if the new breed of supertalls inspired by the Burj will live up to the architectural splendor and engineering achievements of this tower and if so, it will certainly be enriching to the Middle East and the world.

The Dubai Mall
Moving down from the spire of Burj Khalifa, another record holder awaits attention. Sprawling at the foot of the world’s tallest building is the world’s largest mall (measured by total floor area). With over 1200 shops and restaurants to please every interest and budget, the Dubai Mall is an interesting and disorienting center of consumerism and socializing. Seen from above, the full extent of the mall becomes apparent in a way that is hard for the mind to grasp when wandering its broad, curving interior paths.

Perhaps designed to hide the true length of the path you are walking and instead draw your attention to the shops ahead, the constantly gently curving walks are lined with attractive store fronts and dotted with chairs, tables, and cafes to provide respite and sustenance to weary shoppers lost in their quest for bargains and branded goods. Featuring a three storey aquarium and underwater zoo, a large ice rink, a three storey waterfall, multiple impressive atria for temporary exhibits and stores, and an outdoor patio overlooking a fountain larger than the Bellagio in Vegas, the mall tries in every aspect to outdo its smaller cousins.

Simply walking around this behemoth can be disorienting, especially without a map in hand. The first time I entered over the summer on an overnight stay with the HMC Kenya team, I recall that we had trouble finding an exit! Once you get your bearings it’s not so bad, but I doubt you’ll ever be able to master what stores exist there and which don’t. Some even have multiple outlets—Grand Stores Digital has two locations and Starbucks has at least 3 while Costa Coffee and Kozi Café feature 2 each. What amazes me most is that you can spend an entire day in the mall and not even get to half of it if you don’t try. I had to make a point to traverse the entirety of it one night because otherwise I never would have seen the waterfall or the ice rink. I suppose if you love to shop though, this is the place for you as you can find anything here. It’s even great for families—drop off the kids at Kidzania or Sega Republic (two indoor small theme parks) and then spend the rest of the day free from nagging while you browse at your leisure.

Mall of the Emirates
If you have never visited Dubai, you may not be aware of how much shopping is a part of the culture and exactly what the importance malls and megastores have in Dubai’s lifestyle. From the laborers who spend days off browsing at Carrefour and the shops in Bur Dubai to the Emiratis and wealthy expats who stroll the malls on Thursday and Friday nights, shopping is engrained in Dubai’s lifestyle. What’s more is that with each new mall that pops up, new wonders are exhibited within in an attempt to outdo the previous competitor. The first themed mall in Dubai, Mercato Mall, started this trend with its indoor Venetian avenue. Yet it wasn’t long until the Mall of the Emirates, the largest mall in the Gulf region at the time of opening, made the Mercato look tame.

Strolling the walks of the Mall of the Emirates evokes outdoor shopping plazas of Europe and Arabia through a mix of wrought iron guard rails branching from fake stone pillars illuminated by turn of the century style iron lamps and lavish sandstone and wood storefronts that upgrade the souks of yore. The central feature of the mall (geographically that is) is a large iron and glass arched ceiling evocative of England's Great Exhibition spanning a large atrium of marble, stone, and finely painted detail.

While areas branching from this space do not retain the lavish details, the high-quality, clean spaces are still comfortable and allow shopping in style. Moving past the movie theater, Borders, and the Virgin electronics megastore, you are met with a wall of glass enclosing the mall’s most prominent feature, and a first for the UAE—a ski slope. Yes, inside the mall sits the famous Ski Dubai, an artificial ecosystem of snow and ice kept at a chilly -4 C even when the temperature outside is 40-50 C. Here you can sip a warm drink and watch skiers whizz down the slopes or children playing in the snow at the base. Though Mall of the Emirates may have lost its title as the UAE’s biggest mall thanks to the Dubai Mall, it will for the foreseeable future retain the distinction of being Dubai’s haven for snowboarders and ski bunnies.

Though lacking the size of the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates makes up for it in grandeur and decoration. Though not all of the passages are as lavish as the Arabian or French courts, the marble and smart choices of lighting, paneling, and even storefronts make it a more adult, relaxed, and elegant shopping experience.

Ibn Battuta Mall
Eventually I’ll leave off with the malls, but as I said before, malls are a big part of Dubai (both in space and life). And the newest addition to Dubai’s themed malls is no exception. As the name suggests, this mall is themed around the life of one man, the illustrious Ibn Battuta, who throughout his life became the preeminent Muslim scholar of his day and managed to travel through Tunisia (his home), Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, India, China, and other locales in his quest for knowledge. This mall allows you to relive the journeys of Battuta through themed “courts” for each of the countries in which the traveler spent significant time. At one end of the mall you experience his home—Tunisia Court—where a ceiling mural reminiscent of Vegas’ The Venetian hotel simulates an African afternoon. Meanwhile, stall-like shops create diagonal aisles in a large open space with palm trees and fake oil torches.

From this country, walk through a curved connector and you find yourself in Egypt where displays on Battuta’s life await along with murals of Egyptian style, more fake torches and palm trees, and sand stone facades. From here you move through well-themed Arabian, Andalusian, Indian, and Chinese sections where storefronts in each are patterned on traditional shopping areas, an elephant awaits in India, a junk boat in China, and gloriously styled and painted vaulted domes in traditional styles in each nation’s court.

The result of all of this is an atmosphere that seems inspired by Disney’s EPCOT or hotels like the Venetian. The styles provide a pleasant shopping atmosphere which, while fake, can with a little imagination feel like you are actually back in the countries themselves. Having arrived from China, when I saw the China court, I smiled at the details of the woodwork, joints, and pillars as copying the classical styles of the Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City. Only the veneer and bright colors belie the recent construction of these models—other than that, the details were remarkably well-done.

Despite its interesting interior and pleasant atmosphere, Ibn Battuta is not as popular as its competitors up Sheikh Zayed Road. This is largely, in my opinion, because it is very poorly located at the end of the existing Metro line and in an area where there is little surrounding housing to provide a customer base. Perhaps conceived in a time when the Jebel Ali, Nakheel Harbor, and Dubai Waterfront projects were still to be completed, without these developments, the mall is unfortunately positioned too far for many to bother visiting more than for the occasional 3-D IMAX movie. If you’re in Dubai though, and have some spare time, I’d suggest checking it out if only for the novelty of the spaces inside and a half hour to learn about the greatest Muslim scholar.

Burj Al Arab
For many people, the sound of “Dubai” instantly calls to mind the iconic image of this tower perched beautifully on the ocean out from the Jumeira Beach. With its graceful sail-like shape and clean blue windows that shimmer in the sun alternating with bright white paneling, the Burj al Arab is a Dubai landmark. For many, catching a sight of this hotel from the Metro or the street is an exciting moment. Many times I saw foreigners catch a glimpse for the first time and rush to the train window, camera in hand, to document the moment for posterity.

And if you want to talk best, this perhaps is it. Branded as the world’s first 7 star hotel (even though official ratings can only go up to 5), this hotel supposedly is just about as posh and luxurious as you can get. I wish I could report firsthand on the interior beauty, but unfortunately that would require paying at least $100 for afternoon tea—the cheapest fare at its several restaurants. Unless you book for a meal or stay overnight, entry is barred. However if you can not only afford the exorbitant prices (with a New Year’s Eve package of nearly 8000 AED or over $2,000 for dinner and the fireworks, I can only imagine what the room prices are) but are lucky enough to be a VVIP (very very important person—as Lonely Planet states, “VIP just isn’t good enough [for the Burj al Arab]) then expect fireworks on your entrance. If anyone reading has been inside, I’d love to hear if it lives up to the 7 star label and if it truly is the best hotel in the city.

Even from the outside, the building is stunning at both day and night. The white paneling against the blue ocean and sky is a beautiful reminder of sailboats, beaches, and the fun of the coastal life. The reflective glazing on the windows causes them to appear in different shades as you scan from the bottom to the top of the structure. The entire appearance is mesmerizing, and somehow soothing while also leaving you wondering how the building doesn’t blow away down the coast in the wind (hint: I hear it’s counterbalanced with a giant pendulum inside). For those who can take a look at the Burj from the sea, something to notice that will forever change your perception of the hotel (if you’re like me) is that the seaward side houses the biggest cross in the middle east. The main “mast” of the building’s “sail” combined with the horizontal crosspiece appears as a large Christian symbol in this Muslim nation, but luckily for Dubai it is not the side that most people see.

At night, the building lights up in a multicolored show that transforms the bright white of the landward façade into an alternating rainbow of colors accented by bulbs running up the curving supports on the sides. Though I prefer the classy white, when viewed from the nearby Madinat Jumeirah souk and hotel, I must admit that the nighttime version is quite impressive and beautiful in its own right.

This is, along with Burj Khalifa, a sight not to miss in Dubai and one that you will surely want to stare at and photograph over and over. If you’re willing to pay to go inside as well, hopefully the décor is worth the money!

The Palm Jumeirah
One of the most well-known features of Dubai is the city’s penchant, at the suggestion of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum, for creating luxury living on land built off of the coast. Seen by some as the ultimate sign of ostentation for a city checkered with luxury hotels on every corner, this practice is best represented in the Palm Jumeira. Out of what once was ocean, this manmade island now dominates views from the Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence as it fans out from its 3 km stem. Apartments and villas stretch down the fronds while the stem is capped by the mystical Atlantis on the Palm, a hotel worthy of the Vegas strip that combines mock ruins of the fabled city with a large aquarium, water park, and luxury accommodation to transport guests into their own fantasy vacation.

Unlike the Burj al Arab, visitors are welcomed here into the retail zone but to view the aquarium as a non-resident costs about $25 (100 AED) and you can go no further than the café restaurants outside the aquarium and the water park. Even to walk down next to the aquarium past a few small viewing panels requires 25 AED (unless you have a reservation, or say you do, at Kaleidoscope, the buffet restaurant at the other end). However this small area is enough to give you a sense of the hotel. The shopping arcade reminded me a bit of the Wynn in Las Vegas in its attention to detail though the theming was much more aquatic in nature (sculpted dolphin lights and seaweed and clam shell murals) than the elegant Wynn. Overall, if you catch a cab or hop the monorail to the end whether you go to the water park and aquarium or not (the water park has slides through the aquarium tanks) it’s an interesting peek at one of the city’s icons and an interesting view back at the Dubai shoreline.

The Palm is certainly a part of the city’s quest for the best luxury accommodation, but even this isn’t enough for Dubai. Not long after the Palm Jumeira was finished, Nakheel, the developer, began work on The World, a cluster of islands forming an abstract representation of a world map. In future plans, this was to be expanded to The Universe, with cosmos surrounding the flat Earth map. Though the islands for The World were completed, no development has begun on them due to the financial crisis, and plans for The Universe are indefinitely on hold. Similarly, not content with just one palm tree island, construction began on the Palm Deira, a massive replica of the Palm Jumeira near the older portion of Dubai with yet another, the Palm Jebel Ali, scheduled for development. Deira’s island is still under construction, though work seems to be progressing slowly, while the Jebel Ali version is, like The Universe, currently a victim of reality as Dubai struggles to grow into the massive development created before 2008.

Well, there you have an introduction to some of Dubai’s attempts to outdo other Middle Eastern and world cities to become a luxury hub for travelers and businesses. I could have continued this list with such developments as the Emirates Terminal in the Dubai airport or the new airport near Jebel Ali under construction (which is to be one of the largest, if not the largest, in the Middle East and maybe the world), the lavish Emirates Towers, or the now on hold Dubailand mega theme park complex, but instead I’ll let you research those on your own if interested. All I can say is that this city continues to amaze with its pattern of trying to outdo both itself and everyone else which results in a phenomenally interesting place to visit and wander open-mouthed among these marvels.