Designed by Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei, and developed by Ithra Dubai, the latest addition to Dubai’s skyline is a mixed-use two towers project with a horizontal connection housing one of the world’s largest cantilevers. Currently, under construction, One Za'abeel Tower is scheduled for completion by 2021.
Located at a crossroads between the old and new city, the project is in close proximity to Dubai’s International Financial Centre, International airport, and the Gold Souks of Deira. The innovative design of One Za'abeel puts in place twin skyscrapers, rising over a total built-up area of 470,700 square meters. Tower A, standing at 300 meters tall, will host offices and a hotel, the world’s first vertical resort, whereas Tower B, standing at 235 meters tall, will be primarily oriented towards residential units.
The 3.39 billion AED development will include 37,000 square meters of office space, 263 residential units, 12,000 square meters of retail space, 497 hotel rooms and 77 high-speed lifts. Currently, at 35% complete, the project also incorporates 3 floors of high-end retail and leisure podium, and a horizontal structure, the Link, “suspended perpendicularly to both towers at a height of around 100 meters above ground”. The Link will hold a number of restaurants and bars, an observation deck, gym, spa, pool, banquet hall, and a rooftop terrace. Weighing at 9,000 tonnes when lifted and 13,000 tonnes when completed, the project hosts one of the world’s largest cantilevers.
Granted two prestigious awards in 2019, the Construction Innovation Awards for Best Innovative Project of the Year and Big Project ME’s Mixed-Use Project of the Year, One Za’abeel is aiming for a Gold LEED certification. In fact, the towers use “water-to-water heat pumps for centralized domestic hot water systems, [and] treated sewage effluent water for irrigation”. The energy-efficient design also focuses on façade systems and incorporates “the latest smart technologies to provide automation and energy optimization of office electrical, lighting, air conditioning, and ventilation systems”.
- Architecture and Design Firm: Nikken Sekkei
- Developer: Ithra Dubai
- Main contractor: ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC
