First piece in Dubai twin tower 'link' is ready
Entire connecting structure of 230 metres to be lifted by March at One Za'abeel towers
Dubai: The first of six pieces/slides that will eventually form the “link” between Dubai’s next two super-towers - the One Za’abeel — is ready on site.
Now, the plan is to have all six “slides” ready by March next, at which time they will be lifted 100 metres and slotted to connect the two buildings.
This link will extend to about 230 metres, and once the entire project is complete, will feature a Michelin-starred restaurant in side, a swimming pool on top, and a lot more attractions.
All this, while future visitors can look down on the hustle and bustle of the Shaikh Zayed Road, the Dubai Frame, World Trade Centre, Zabeel Park, and a lot more besides.
The six slides will be assembled at the podium level and then lifted.
The One Za’abeel towers are scheduled to be complete by September 2021, according to a top official at Ithra Dubai, which is owned by Investment Corporation of Dubai.
Right now, the project has gone past 20 levels. Once all the features are added to the link — swimming pool, restaurant, et al — it’s total weight would reach a staggering 13,000 tonnes.
Without those, it would still be a hefty 9,000 tonnes, and that, according to a top official, is an “engineering feat globally”.
More complexity
But making an already intricate project all the more so will be a cantilever, which will be the extended portion of the link that will not feature any support.
“We plan to make the cantilever the longest such in the world,” said Issam Galadari, CEO.
“It will be there between the 23th to 25the floors,” he said, adding that the length of the cantilever portion will be revealed later.
The taller of the two towers will rise to 306 metres, and feature offices, a hotel and serviced apartments across its 67 storeys. Ithra has already contracted the upscale hotel brand, One & Only, to operate the hospitality portion. This will be an “urban resort”, according to the CEO.
All residences
The second tower, at 54 storeys, will only have residences, to be given on lease.
“That’s the plan for now… whether these could be transformed into freehold status is for the future to say,” said Galadari. “And we will take up leasing only closer to completion — when people can actually get to see where they want to move into.”
One Za’abeel will be one of the next-generation of Dubai’s skyscrapers, which also include the Palm360 (featuring the Raffles hotel) on the Palm, The Tower at Creek Harbour, the Burj Jumeira, etc.
There are also those planned by some private developers, though the timing could vary depending on the market situation.
“At the One Za’abeel, the intention is to create an icon,” said Galadari. “Yes, it’s a challenging project because of the link, but that’s also what will make it unique.
“The link has to be placed after reaching the 30 plus levels, because that’s the standard norm.”