Architecture is an art that keeps astonishing us day by day. We have buildings in shapes that we never thought it possible to have years ago. In a bustling city famous for wowing visitors and residents alike, amazing architectural attractions can be found everywhere—every step you take, every mile you drive. The city has almost 190 skyscrapers, making it a proper future city. The jewel of the desert, a relatively “young” city, displays an intriguing juxtaposition of high skyscrapers and more traditional Islamic and Persian structures. In our article, we will take you on a trip to discover some of the coolest works of architecture in Dubai, ranging from both the world’s tallest tower and most luxurious hotel to some other structures that literally take your breath away. Get ready to be mesmerised by some magic planned and executed by the finest arty hands in the world.
Burj Khalifa
The award-winning Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building since 2009, is a landmark that every architect and architecture lover should see. It is truly an architectural wonder and one of the main attractions of Dubai. This was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and its architecture by Adrian Smith. The structure is about 830 metres tall and successfully fuses contemporary architectural technology with conventional Islamic architecture, giving it a structured strength while preserving its visual appeal.
Tower Cayan
The second-tallest high-rise structure with a 90-degree rotation in the entire globe is the Cayan Tower, also referred to as the Infinity Tower. The skyscraper, which was finished in 2013, is largely a residential structure. It is a skyscraper of 73 floors that was created by the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) firm.
Burj Al Arab
Designed like a ship’s sail, this is one of the tallest and most luxurious hotels in the world and one of the main architectural attractions in Dubai. And this luxury hotel is one of the world’s 7-star hotels. This luxurious hotel was designed by architect Tom Wright of WKK Architects and was completed in 1999. Imagine that this extraordinary structure also has an artificial island specifically for the hotel’s use.
The Islands of the Palms
These unique palm-tree-shaped islands are the world’s largest artificial islands. The Palm Islands are made up of three islands in total. Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Jumeirah, and Palm Deira. These islands are home to some of the world’s most opulent hotels, fantastic beachfront homes, and a variety of other entertainment and leisure activities. Construction on these islands began in 2001, but only one, the Palm Jumeirah, has been completed to date. Skydiving at the Palm Jumeirah with Skydive Dubai is one of the best ways to take in the sights of this architectural marvel.
Atlantis, The Palm Hotel and Resort
The Palm Jumeirah is more than just one of the emirate’s architectural highlights. To further add to its splendour, The Palm Jumeirah Island hosts this opulent hotel and resort, which epitomises the word “luxury” with its more than 1500 guest rooms, adventure theme parks, water parks, and tranquil white beaches. The architecture company Wimberly, Allison, Tong, and Goo created the hotel, which has become one of the primary draws of the Palm Islands since 2008.
Dubai Miracle Garden
It’s possible that this garden isn’t exactly an architectural marvel. Yet, it’s undoubtedly a sight to behold. The Dubai Miracle Garden is the world’s largest natural flower garden and takes up an area of approximately 72,000 square metres. Over 250 million different plant and flower species can be found in the garden. It is a really spectacular sight to see the Dubai Miracle Garden.
Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai is a 22,500 square metre indoor ski resort that is a part of the Mall of the Emirates. The resort, which was established in 2005, has a tonne of slides, play areas, and slopes. It also offers the additional equipment required for ski parks, such as boxes, rails, and kickers. The enclosures for the penguins at Ski Dubai are another distinctive feature that attracts tourists from around the globe.
World Islands
The 300 man-made islands, which were inspired by a globe map, are situated off the coast of Dubai. These islands stretch for more than 6 km in width and 9 km in length. The same Dutch companies who oversaw the construction of the Palm Jumeirah coordinated the construction of this project. It started in 2004 and is still in progress.
Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is the second-largest mall in the world. Over 54 million people visit this mall each year. It contains more than 1000 stores, an aquarium, an underwater zoo, and a kid-friendly interactive theme park.
Dubai Frame
The Dubai Frame is a glass, steel, aluminium, and reinforced concrete structure that is positioned to frame Dubai’s stunning architecture. Fernando Donis, an architect, won a design competition held by the Dubai government and created the project. It opened in 2018 and draws millions of tourists annually. The Dubai Frame bridges the gap between the old and new Dubai. It functions metaphorically as a portal through which you can see both the old and the new, modern city.
The Green Planet
This immersive indoor vertical rain forest, as the name implies, was created by architect Gavin McTavish. The building was modelled after an origami cube. More than 3000 exotic plant and animal species can be found there.
The Opus
The Opus, created by Zaha Hadid Architects, is set to open soon. The mixed-use structure features an unusual façade with an almost fanciful void in the middle. It will include a number of eateries, business buildings, and a posh hotel complex. The structure is becoming more and more popular with visitors because of its sparkling glass façade and the distinctively modern lines of Zaha Hadid Architects.
Dubai Museum of the Future
Last but not least, an architectural marvel, the Museum of Future Dubai architecture serves as an alternative to Dubai’s high-rise-dominated skyline. Its steel and glass asymmetric torus design was named one of the world’s most beautiful museums by National Geographic. With the hill, building, and void, three main components of this museum’s design, it represents Dubai’s vision for the future.
After we have taken you through this virtual visit to some of the most stunning architectural structures in Dubai, we leave it for you to tell us: which one have you visited before? Which one did you like the most? Are you planning to visit any of these landmarks soon? Which one and why did you choose it? Tell us about all! We cannot wait to hear from you.
