The Dubai Media Office has released six computer-generated images of Dubai Steps, a 100-meter-high structure with 500 steps that this United Arab Emirate city is hoping will become its next iconic landmark.
The 25-story Dubai Steps was one of six projects that municipal officials announced last April. However, details about the steps since then have been scant. No construction date has been set, and officials have not made public the name of the architect or the cost of this project.
Even its location hasn’t been nailed down yet, although Gulf News and other media outlets report that possible locations include the area next to Union Square in Deira (which in recent years has been losing its importance as a commercial center), Dubai Creek, and Dubai Marina.
Time Out Dubai reports that in a story shared by Dubai Media Office from Arabic website emaratalyoum.com, the city’s Assistant Director General for Engineering and Planning at Dubai Municipality revealed it would take no more than a year to construct the 500-step tower.
Khaleej Times adds that Dubai Steps would serve as a continuation of other vertical projects like Dubai Frame, which is nearing completion in Zabeel Park.
The 100-meter-tall structure would be a continuation of Dubai's multiple vertical construction projects. Image: Dubai Media Office
The Dubai Steps would include rest stops every 100 steps for tourists on their ascent to the top. Image: Dubai Media Office.
Dubai Steps would facilitate tourism and sports, say local officials. The structure would include five dedicated rest and event areas (every 100 steps) for visitors who are making the long walk to the top platform.
Predictably, the Dubai Steps project is already getting some ribbing, including one comparison to the “Escalator to Nowhere” on “The Simpsons.”
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Modern office design accentuates skyline views
Intercontinental|Exchange, a Chicago-based financial firm, hired design/engineering firm Epstein to create a modern, new 31st-floor headquarters.
| Oct 13, 2010
HQ renovations aim for modern look
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects’ renovations to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s New York City headquarters will feature a reworked reception lobby with back-painted glass, silk-screened logos, and a video wall.
| Oct 12, 2010
Guardian Building, Detroit, Mich.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.
| Oct 8, 2010
Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold
Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.
| Sep 21, 2010
New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses
A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
New data shows low construction prices may soon be coming to an end
New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.
