15 Iconic Buildings in Dubai

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15 Iconic Buildings in Dubai

Dubai is the epitome of civilization. Most of Dubai’s architecture mostly features skyscrapers and utilizes modern architectural styles. It represents magnificence and exquisiteness by the size and quality of structures that utilize glass and steel. The buildings are also very futuristic in nature. This is expected since Dubai has many great architectural firms.

While these buildings are breathtaking to look at, they are also very functional in nature. They span across hotels, to mosques and malls/commercial centers. The goal of the designers was to have construction that serve the city by lifting the architectural face while utilizing space for other purposes. Listed below are the top 15 iconic buildings in Dubai. Enjoy!

1. Burj Khalifa

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Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper in Dubai whose construction began in 2004 and ended in 2009. It is widely known as the tallest building in the world. It stands at a height of 829.8 m. Before its inauguration, it was called the Burj Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa was constructed using the Neo-futurism architectural style. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architectural firm led by Adrian Smith. Its best feature is the Dubai Fountain which is illuminated by 6,600 lights. Burj Khalifa is simply spectacular.

2. Cayan Tower

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The Cayan Tower is a 306 meters tall skyscraper that has a twisting design. This was achieved by rotating each floor by 1.2 degrees. The tower like Burj Khalifa, was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architectural firm utilizing the modern architectural style.

In 2013, it was the world’s tallest building with a 90 degrees twist. However, the Shanghai tower topped it in 2015. The apartments in the tower have wooden floors and Chinese synthetic marble counter tops.

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3. The Dubai Frame

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The Dubai Frame is the largest frame in the world with a height of 150.24 m and a 95.53 m width. It is an observatory, museum and monument located in Zabeel Park.

From the building, one can get a view of Dubai’s oldest part of the city from one side and the new and modern part from another side. Its construction was designed by Fernando Donis at the Hyder Consulting architectural firm. Its construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2018.

4. Marina 101

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This is a skyscraper located in Dubai Marina district. It stands at 425m high and was developed by Sheffield Holdings Limited. Marina 101 was constructed using the postmodern and high-tech architecture by the National Engineering Bureau.

The interior design was done by Design Work Portfolio. While its construction began in 2006, the same was completed in 2017. Marina 101 ranks at number 33 among the tallest buildings in the world.

5. The Dubai Mall

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This is one of the world’s largest shopping mall located in Dubai. It the second largest mall in the world after Iran Mall. It was developed and is owned by Emaar Properties. The mall was designed by DP Architects.

It has 4 floors with a total retail floor area of 502,000 square meters. The mall has the Dubai Aquarium and the Underwater Zoo inside it. This also remains one of the malls major attractions. It has also featured on documentaries. Very many people visit the mall annually.

6. Jumeirah Mosque

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Jumeirah Mosque as the name elucidates is a mosque located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its construction began in 1976 utilizing the traditional Fatimid style that originated from Syria and Egypt.

The architect who designed the building is architect Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It is the most photographed mosque in Dubai. While the mosque serves Muslims, both Muslims and Muslims can visit the mosque.

7. Dubai Opera

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This is a performing arts center located within The Opera District in Dubai. The 2000-seat opera hosts a myriad of performances and events which include exhibitions, conferences, ballet, concerts and theatre.

It was constructed using the Postmodern and the Deconstructivism architectural styles. Dubai Opera was developed by Emaar Properties. It is the destination for anyone who adores performing arts.

8. Al Yaqoub Tower

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Al Yaqoub Tower is skyscraper located on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. It is 328m tall with 69 floors. The tower which serves as a hotel was designed by Engineer Adnan Saffarini.

The design was inspired by Elizabeth Tower in London. Al Yaqoub Tower is the private property of Daro Saifuddin Yaquob. Its construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2013.

9. Paramount Tower Hotel & Residences

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This is a mixed hotel and residential skyscraper located in Downtown, Dubai. Its construction was started in 2016 and completed in 2021.

The hotel takes up floors 15 to 25. The rooms are inspired by Hollywood Studios. On the other hand, residentials take up floors 26 to 63. They have top notch amenities and services.

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10. Museum of The Future

Photo by Shefiq Abdulla. Wikimedia Commons.

The Museum of the Future is a space that was constructed for the exhibition of innovative ideologies and products. The goal of this museum is to promote technological innovations in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. The museum has held several exhibitions with different themes over the years.

It was designed by Killa Design architecture studio. The museum is simply majestic having been built is a very interesting shape. A torus-shaped shell sits on top of the building making it very unique. The museum has Arabic calligraphy quotes engraved on the wall. This was done by artist Matar Bin Lahej.

11. Burj Al Arab

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Burj Al Arab is one of Dubai’s most iconic hotel. It is a luxury hotel located in Dubai managed by the Jumeirah hotel group. The shape of this building is designed is designed to resemble the sail of a ship.

While the hotel is situated on the island, it is accessible to the land via a private curving bridge. It also has a helipad near the roof for ease of access. It was designed by Tom Wright of WKK Architects.

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12. Atlantis, The Palm

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Atlantis, The Palm is a five-star hotel and luxury resort located in Dubai. This was the first hotel to be constructed and opened on Palm. Palm is the largest manmade island in the world. It is situated in Dubai.

Opened in 2008, the hotel is a joint venture between Kerner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World. The hotel also has underwater rooms. The design of the building was done by Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo (WATG) architectural firm.

13. Gevora Hotel

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Gevora Hotel is located along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. It has been in the Guinness World Records as the tallest hotel building. Gevora hotel stands at 356m. It has 528 rooms which span over 75 floors.

It also has a restaurant, a pool and a parking garage. It was designed by Gulf Engineering & Consultants.  The hotel is a five-star hotel and remains the tallest hotel in Dubai. From some rooms on top of the hotel one can get exquisite views of the city.

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14. Etihad Museum

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Etihad Museum in Dubai collects, preserves and displays art connected with the essence United Arab Heritage culture. It was designed by Moriyama and Teshima Architects.

The museum stands on the very place where the signing Constitution of the United Arab Emirates and the raising of the UAE flag took place in December 1971. The unique roof of the museum was inspired by the shape of the constitution. It has several columns which symbolize the pens that were used to sign the agreement.

15. National Bank of Dubai

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This is a bank owned by the Dubai Government. It stands at the height of 125m and was built during the mid-90s. The bank has a unique design that features gold coated glass and gray granite.

It is shaped like a curved dhow. The illusion the building gives is that of a sailboat with a mast in water. The bank’s lobby coated with blue-green glass represents water. The bank is located along a waterfront. All these features combined gives a perfect architectural piece.