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
| Dec 17, 2014
11 predictions for high-rise construction in 2015
In its annual forecast, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat predicts that 2015 will be the "Year of the Woodscraper," and that New York’s troubled B2 modular high-rise project will get back on track.
| Dec 16, 2014
'Wedding dress' tower to be tallest in Africa
The $1 billion tower will have 114 stories, alluding to the 114 chapters of the Koran.
| Dec 16, 2014
Architect Eli Attia sues Google over tall building technology
Attia and tech company Max Sound Corp. have brought a lawsuit against Google because of Flux, a Google X-developed startup launched in 2014. Flux creates software to design environmentally-friendly buildings in a cost-effective way.
| Dec 12, 2014
SOM names winner of One World Trade Center photo contest
Gerry Padden's winning photo offers a striking juxtaposition of the Brooklyn Bridge with the sparkling One World Trade Center tower.
| Dec 4, 2014
10 tallest buildings to be completed in 2015
This year has seen the completion of many signature tall buildings, including the One World Trade Center. CNN reports that 2015 promises to be another busy year for skyscraper construction across the globe.
High-rise Construction | Dec 1, 2014
ThyssenKrupp develops world’s first rope-free elevator system
ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally.
| Nov 29, 2014
20 tallest towers that were never completed
Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The CTBUH Research team offers a roundup of the top 20 stalled skyscrapers across the globe.
| Nov 24, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed crystalline tower breaks ground in southwestern China
Fitted with an LED façade, the 468-meter Greenland Tower Chengdu will act as a light sculpture for the city of Chengdu.
| Nov 24, 2014
OMA morphs Miami condo tower development plan
Initially, the design included six slim towers to be set on the Miami shoreline, but the cylinders have been nudged into pairs to form three larger towers.
| Nov 11, 2014
Renzo Piano's third building at London Bridge Quarter approved, will be built adjacent to the Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been granted planning approval for its residential building at London Bridge Quarter—a 26-story apartment tower dubbed Feilden House.