Dubai Tower 111
Responding to the Urban Context
Dubai Tower 111 is conceived as a mixed-use development to be located in Downtown Dubai, the new urban centre for the city of Dubai. This development is adjacent to some of the city's most important landmarks including Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. Instead of trying to eclipse the neighbouring iconic structures, Dubai Tower 111 is an expression of architectural simplicity that complements the existing skyline and establishes its own identity within the development.
The main consideration for the design of Dubai Tower 111 is to maximise the view potential. Standing at 111 floors and rising above Downtown Dubai, the overall design is inspired by the geometry of the pistil of a regional desert flower. Dubai Tower 111 contains various programmatic elements including residential apartment, serviced apartment, hotel, sky deck and viewing deck, as well as shops and restaurants at the base. The compact shield-shaped footprint with multiple functions creates stacked communities within a tower. The tower is vertically stepped, and setbacks occur at each programme as it rises.
The building’s unconventional three-sided profile responds to different programmes: larger retail functions occupy the lower portion of the tower, where floor plates are large and deep. The two-storey lobby along with dining and bar are filled with daylight, offering unrivalled city views. The generously proportioned serviced apartments are located in the middle portion. At the top of the serviced apartments, the dramatic sky deck draws users high above the surrounding context, offering a panoramic view towards Downtown Dubai and back towards the Jumeirah Beach. The hotel and observation functions occupy the upper portion, which have shallower floor plates and allow for the best views. Furthermore, the circulation core is slightly shifted towards the southwest direction to create more space in the northeastern portion, providing unmatched views of key city landmarks. The circulation core not only acts as the main artery of the mixed-use tower, but also enables each programmatic component to operate almost independently to maximise efficiency.
The challenge of designing such a high-rise tower is to relate to both the urban scale and human scale. The exterior of Dubai Tower 111 is glazed and wrapped in an expanded aluminium screen which is more effective at reducing solar heat gain, much needed in the region’s severe weather conditions. Recalling the geometries of the desert flower and Islamic patterns, the façade is richly detailed and finely grained to shade the interiors and provide high-quality spaces that balance natural light and shade. The vertical fins serve as window mullions, and the expanded metal screen results in an interior space bathed in dappled light.
Dubai Tower 111 addresses the climatic issues particular to Dubai, brings liveability and diversifies quality of life within the tower. At an urban scale, Dubai Tower 111 is designed as a welcome addition to the Downtown Dubai skyline, whose programmatic spaces complement the existing wide array of amenities that the urban centre already has.
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