That in the Middle East they like large buildings and XXL skyscraper It is something that at this point sounds almost obvious. There stands the tallest tower in the world, the Burj Khalifa, more than 800 meters high, as well as a good handful of buildings that exceed 300 m. And there is also projected The Line, the metropolis promoted by the Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman that elevates the concept of mega-construction to its quintessence: a city built from scratch and in the shape of a corridor that will reach 170 kilometers long, 500 m high and 200 m wide.
They are not his only displays of engineering skill.
In the financial heart of Dubai, an equally impressive architectural complex has been taking shape for a few years and which, along the lines of the Burj Khalifa or The Line, aspires to sneak into the city in its own right. the guinness book of records. The project is known as One Za’abeel and is basically a mega-construction made up of three blocks: two towers —One Za’abeel The Residences and One Za’abbel Tower— joined by a huge cantilever baptized The Link.
An icon dedicated to luxury
The largest of the skyscrapers will be for commercial use and will reach 304 meters in height. Inside it will house offices and a resort. Its “little” sister, located right next to it, will serve as a 57-story residential tower spread over 241 m. Everything, of course, integrated into a complex located in the heart of the Dubai Trade Center and in which luxury will predominate.
“We are shaping a mixed use icon that will contribute to the landscape of Dubai. From concept to design and implementation, thought has been given to ensuring that the residential, commercial, hotel and leisure components are integrated for an unparalleled luxurious experience”, underlines Raad Al Jarrah, the development director of the developer Ithra Dubai.
If the dimensions of its skyscrapers were not surprising in themselves —although they are well below the 800 m of the Burj Khalifa, they far exceed the Cepsa or PwC towers in Madrid—, the really striking thing about One Za’abeel will be its cantilever structure. It is with her that he hopes to write her name in the Guinness Book of Records. The reason: its length.
The block, baptized as The Link, will be just what its name indicates: a link, a 226-meter-long infrastructure that will cross the two towers at around 100 meters high. With such dimensions, its promoters claim, The Link “is destined to break the record for ‘Longest Cantilever Building'”. As a reference and although they are not comparable, the world record for the largest ceiling with this configuration is held by the roof of the Busan Cinema Center, in South Korea, with a height much smaller than that of The Link: 85 meters.
Beyond its height or length, The Link will also stand out for its content. Its creators project it as a privileged viewpoint, a “panoramic podium” that will incorporate a 360-degree observation deck with views of Dubai, restaurants and luxurious lounges. When the project was presented, more than five years ago and with a design prepared by the Japanese architecture studio Nikken Sekkei, it was pointed out that its offer would be completed with a spa, swimming pool and roof terrace.
One of the great challenges of One Za’abeel consisted of raising the enormous structure of The Link, which required those responsible to face one of the “heaviest lifting operations in the region”. The bulk of the work was completed in September 2020, when operators contracted by Ithra Dubai lifted a section 192 meters long and weighing approximately 8,500 tons at 100 meters high. The operation lasted 12 days. The second section, weighing 900 tons and completing the 226 m length of the platform, was fixed in place a month later.
Since then, the work has continued to progress with the aim of inaugurating the complex throughout this year. One of the main milestones was reached just a few days ago, in December, when the glass cladding of its three towers, the two skyscrapers and The Link was completed.
Once One Za’abeel opens, it will add a new vertical resort, with homes, luxurious hotel suites and restaurants to the already wide offer in Dubai. That and of course a new record.
Images: Itha Dubai and One Za’abeel
