From Arabian-ornate to Arabic avant-garde the city that was once the butt of design jokes is now re-writing the script. Tom Urquhart reports from Dubai
There was a time, not so long ago, that the very mention of Dubai would make some architects and designers shake their heads and chuckle in a knowing, world-weary way.
That was in the days when big, bold and bling reigned supreme throughout the city’s new openings. All that glittered was gold, and if something did not glitter, it was not seen as worthy of a second glance. This was the era of extravagant chandeliers, expensive marbles, gilding and diamante encrustation – and if those were lacking, then you might as well cancel the pre-opening celebrations.
The city was rejoicing in its mineral wealth in the only way it knew how, by building brick, steel, concrete and glass behemoths that shouted to the world just how wealthy the Emirates had become, and just how ambitious they were in every field.
Many architectural entrepreneurs joined the party then. Others mumbled disapprovingly from the sidelines about lack of substance and sustainability, but, as with many things in this part of the world, where water really is more expensive than fuel, there is only so much observing you can do.
While construction and building has continued apace for the past couple of decades, there was a noticeable shift in focus a couple of years ago; a shift that was initiated in Dubai and then took hold across all the Emirates; a shift that saw some of the world’s most-respected firms open offices there, and then some of the biggest architects sign up to signature projects in the Emirates.
Dubai is attracting not just commercial mega-firms with the ability to build skyscrapers in keeping with a developer’s demands or an investor’s eagerness to make its mark; it is also luring the contemporary stars of architecture, the avant-garde leaders of the industry.
‘There has definitely been a change in originality here even in the couple of years I have been based in Dubai,’ says architect/project manager Chris Lehnen, who works for Kling Consult, an independent international consultancy for modern design and engineering specialising in towers such as One@Business Bay and Jumeirah Village South.
‘When we got here a lot of the buildings were overdone. They were over-decorated, they were kitsch. Now kitsch has not become cool it’s given way to contemporary. Now the designs are global, they reflect the diverse styles of the people and nationalities working here and they’re truly international. The big names are still coming, and we are now in a position that if you are not here then you will get left behind. From a design perspective there is nowhere like this anywhere else in the world at the moment,’ says Lehnen.
The big names are certainly leaving their mark. Norman Foster has revealed plans to build an eco-city in the Persian Gulf, Jean Nouvel is designing an opera house for Dubai and a branch of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, Zaha Hadid is building a skyscraper and a massive office complex, while other individuals such as Rem Koolhaas and firms such as Norway’s Snohetta, or the Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) are taking on a host of ambitious projects.
Until recently such ambition was regarded as pure fantasy – stories of islands the shape of Palms and the size of Paris, underwater hotels, revolving towers and the world’s tallest tower, were not taken seriously. Now, as the Palm Jumeirah starts work on one of its signature projects, the Atkins-designed Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower, and the SOM-designed Burj Dubai keeps heading for the sun, people have realised that not only are the visionary builders of Dubai and the other Emirates serious, they are also doing it in style.
As Tom Dyckoff wrote recently in The Times: ‘In this city of architectural oneupmanship the irony is that nothing ever shocks you. Until now. Dubai’s latest trend is truly bizarre: it is becoming tasteful.’
Elias Daniel, director and managing director of National Engineering Bureau (NEB), an international firm with strong local identities consisting of highly qualified and experienced architects and engineers, has been in the region for over 30 years and is not surprised by the sudden change in heart.
‘This city is a dream for architects today,’ he says. ‘It’s a blank canvas on which they can make their mark. If they have an idea, the budget is there, so there is a freedom to express themselves through their design, which is unique to this place. And because we are seeing architects from all over the world come here now, so the face of the city is being transformed with these amazing structural interpretations. Anything is possible here – we are turning the desert into a paradise.’
Therein lies one of the great challenges that Dubai faces in the future. The sustainability of buildings and their carbon footprint in a country where temperatures can rise to 50°C in the summer is an argument that provides Dubai’s design critics with ammunition.
Daniel hits back at the doubters: ‘I don’t know where people get some of these arguments,’ he says. ‘If you believed everything you heard then the Palm is sinking, buildings are falling down and only have a short lifespan – it’s all nonsense – I just wish people would stick with what they know best and let us do what we know best.
‘I’ve been designing and building here for almost three decades and nothing has ever fallen down, and today not only are the best codes of practice being implemented, but Dubai is taking the lead with Green projects and environmentally friendly buildings. These are the modern challenges that international architects thrive on.’
CO2 recovery technology, solar power, water recycling, green buildings and natural air conditioning systems are just some of the groundbreaking technologies that are being put into practice in Dubai. Gone are the days when the ‘build it and they will come’ tag was implemented, today its ‘build it responsibly and more will come’.
They are already. This year these topics and more were high on the agenda at the World Architectural Conference during Cityscape Dubai 2008, while the Cityscape Architectural Awards 2008 recognised excellence in architecture and design for the emerging regions for the first time. The congress itself attracted a stellar cast of international speakers at the forefront of modern architecture to discuss the latest innovations and trends in building design.
The show is now recognised as the world’s largest B2B real estate investment and development show, and is yet more evidence of just how important cities such as Dubai have become in influencing an entire industry.
‘Before, Dubai had to sell itself to the world, it had to prove to architects that what it was doing was considered and was going to make a difference,’ says Daniel. ‘Today it’s all different. I went to the first Cityscape six years ago and about a thousand people were there. Today everyone comes to Dubai. They have to, it’s the place that the industry comes to see and be seen.’
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