Three lamp-shaped towers make up the new Aladdin City that is being constructed in Dubai as part of an effort to boost the city’s profile ahead of the 2020 World Expo. I wonder what the genie thinks?
Dubai is becoming something of a legend itself with indoor skiing, the world’s largest tower, and a suite of artificial islands. But a new development project seeks to pay allegiance to an ancient folk story that is well-known around the globe – Aladdin from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
Instead of one lamp, however, the new complex will boast three: office space, parking buildings and luxury hotels will be incorporated into the three interconnected towers located within the commercial vessels port in the old area of Dubai – in Al Rigga, Dubai Creek.
“The symbolic content of the architectural form of the project buildings was inspired by the ancient legends from the 11th century, where vessels were sailed from Dubai Creek to the coast of East Africa, India and China,” Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality told Gulf News.
“It may have been here where the tales of Sindbad and Aladdin came from.”
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A completion date has yet to be announced, but the Dubai municipality is expecting to draw more tourism to Dubai and stimulate the emirate’s economy either in time for or ahead of the 2020 World Expo.
The municipality also said that they are trying to improve their land use in Dubai, though this project does pose several challenges given the location in which it is being built.
Lootah told the paper that authorities want visitors to the region to still have access to the wooden abra boats that travel across Dubai Creek, as well as the harbor, without causing disruptions at the project site. Plus, visitor safety near a construction zone should be of concern.
Nothing has been said about the project’s environmental impact, but we don’t have high hopes.
For starters, the complex will have a footprint of nearly 361,000 square feet in an already crowded part of the Dubai, and its visual profile is nothing short of kitschy. At least the towers won’t be too tall however. The tallest will have 34 floors, while the other two will have 26 and 25.
Also, rather than creating a pedestrian-friendly environment, the project will provide 900 parking spots – further entrenching the car’s role in the city.
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
