Dubai: The city’s new iconic landmark, Dubai Frame, will be ready for visitors in one month’s time, a senior official told Gulf News on Wednesday.
The tower’s height can be compared to that of a 50-storey building, and although the bridge’s capacity and cover charge has not been revealed as yet, officials involved in the construction of the project have assured that the probability of it reaching full capacity remains unlikely — so as to ensure the comfort of tourists and visitors alike.
Since construction started at the end of 2013, the Dh160 million project is now close to completion “as the most difficult part has now finished”, said Moawya Abdul Rahman, head of structural engineering unit at Dubai Municipality,
The Dubai Frame project consists of two 150 metre towers 9 3 metres wide, connected with a 100 square metre bridge where ample room will be available for visitors to take snapshots of the city’s panoramic view. A cafe will also be available at the top.
Speaking to Gulf News, Abdul Rahman explained that after the sky bridge was erected last week, contractors are in the process of cladding the towers, which is expected to be off white.
“The bridge was initially set to be completely made out of glass but, after careful consideration, it was decided to install a 25 square metre glass panel in the middle of it instead. Some people may be afraid to look down, and we wanted to make this iconic building an enjoyable experience for all,” he said.
The project is located near the Star Gate games and rides area of Zabeel Park and, according to municipal documents, the tower’s mass was recorded at a staggering 23,453 tonnes. The site for the landmark tourist and leisure attraction was chosen after extensive surveys of what location would offer the best views of new Dubai and old Dubai through the frame.
“We are now in the final phase of the project of cladding the building, and an external cladding cleaning mechanism will be incorporated in the design by consultants. We are right on track and the project has been running smoothly and as planned. In the next few weeks, the panoramic lift will be fixed and the museum will also be set up,” said Abdul Rahman.
The last phase in Dubai Frame’s construction includes panelling the photovoltaic tiles to produce solar energy, where the glass elevator will offer unobstructed views as visitors travel up and down the sides of the frame.
At the top, visitors will have a bird’s-eye view of Old Dubai as they look towards Al Karama, Umm Hurair, Bur Dubai and Deira, and as they turn around, will see the high-rise towers and development projects of New Dubai in stark contrast.
Once opened to the public, visitors will have access to the museum located on the ground floor, which is set to showcase artefacts representing new and old Dubai, and will be equipped with multimedia presentations narrating the progress of Dubai’s rapid transformation from a small fishing and trading town by the sea to a modern metropolis.
The project is expected to attract 2 million visitors a year andm according to previous reports, Mohammad Mashroom, director for the municipality’s project management department, said that the frame will join the long list of internationally recognised landmarks, such as the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa and the seven-star hotel Burj Al Arab.
