Statuesque, peculiar, and grand: A look at Dubai's architectural designs

When you see photos of how Dubai looked like 25 years ago and compare them to how the place is now, you’d be amazed at the huge difference. From being a desolate geographical location, Dubai now has made a noteworthy metamorphosis by constructing astonishing buildings and structures, including the tallest hotel worldwide.

Ambition turned into fruition. This is how an architect would describe the foundation of the existing structures in the city. It could be said that Dubai has set the benchmark on architectural designs and aspirations by forming these ambitious assemblies one pillar at a time.

First, there is the Burj al-Arab hotel. Dubai takes pride in this tour de force, as it holds an arguable repute for being the only seven-star hotel, and the tallest at that, in the world-over.

Image Source: inzumi.com

As if Burj al-Arab’s height was not enough, another titleholder in the tallest category is Burj Khalifa, a tower that’s 828 meters high, which has broken records such as tallest free-standing structure in the world, with the highest number of floors, and with an elevator that is said to have the longest travel distance in the world.


Dubai’s dream of transforming every bit of space into an art piece doesn’t end with its statuesque establishments. In fact, there are more to its lineup of future contemporary structures, such as:

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The Da Vinci Rotating Tower – The idea is for a loft to have a 360-degree view of Dubai through its green energy generated wind turbines and solar panels that would enable each floor to rotate.


The Cloud – Designed by Nadim Karam, the Cloud is described by The Guardian as " a poetic but preposterous scheme imagining a resort landscape of lakes, palaces, and floating gardens, raised 300 meters in the air on slanting columns."

The Opus - A commercial space made of two structures that formed a cube.

Image Source: hotelclub.com

The Hydropolis – As if to swerve from just owning splendid skyscrapers, Dubai will soon be having its underwater hotel, which would be the world’s first yet again. The Hydropolis Underwater Hotel would have 266 suites, situated 66 meters below the surface.


The Dubai Towers – A design that resembles candlelight, this four-piece structure is intended to be the centerpiece of The Lagoons, a real estate development covering 70 million square feet or seven artificial islands, which will hold various commercial and residential facilities like shopping malls, five-star hotels, offices, resorts, a museum, and the like.


Some critics call Dubai’s structures as impractical, and that the city preferred "style over substance." Although this might be, true that an architect would go berserk over the outlandish creations in the city, it only proves that Dubai’s pizzazz can never be repudiated.


William B. Lauder is an architect from New York. More articles on architecture and designs can be read on his blog.