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EMIRATES
TOWERS
DUBAI | 1995-2000
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Located in the financial centre of Dubai, the
Emirates Towers are one of the most distinc-
tive pairs of skyscrapers in the world. Each 52
storeys high, the office and hotel towers rise to
1,181 feet and 1,001 feet respectively and until
the construction of the Burj Khalifa, were the
tallest buildings in Dubai.
The winning entry in an international design
competition, NORRs concept was a direct
response to the clients brief. Sheikh Moham-
med Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Min-
ister of UAE and owner of the project, asked
that the project frame the view of the existing
World Trade Center tower, a landmark built by
his late father.
Clad in silver aluminum panels and silver
and copper reflective glass, the uniquely con-
temporary form of these towers has become a
symbol of modern Dubai. The towers rise from
a three-storey terraced podium, which houses
a boutique retail mall, restaurants and cafes.
Flanking each tower are low-rise curvilinear
parking structures, reminiscent of the shifting
sand dunes of the surrounding desert.
The construction of the project was particu-
larly challenging due to a client-mandated time
period of just 52 months for design and con-
struction. In order to meet this need, NORRs
architectural design team in Dubai worked
collaboratively with architects and engineers
in Canada, UK, and Australia to deliver a coor-
dinated design that met this schedule.
The Emirates Towers, completed some 10
years ago, are still one of the most admired
features of the Dubai skyline.
EMIRATES TOWERS
LOCATION DUBAI, UAE
FLOOR AREA 227,600 sm
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