18 August, 2006

Where has the originality gone?

Another mute tower on SZR is making its way. This time, it's the Big Ben (or "Dubai's Big Ben") that is going to stand tall next to the Union Tower building.

I don't have a direct link, thanks to Emirates Today's paranoid style. So now, you don't only watch the Big Ben, but you can live in it too! Here are excerpts:

Developers behind the plan to build a replica of London’s Big Ben in Dubai have had to review their plans at the advice of Dubai Municipality officials, who asked that the new building be amended to match its Sheikh Zayed Road neighbours.

The 72-storey Yaqoub Tower is currently being built along the city’s major artery and is scheduled for construction in November 2008.

“Not sure, but we know that the issue of the clock and its mechanism are not yet settled."

The lowest six floors of the building will house offices with the upper storeys consisting of 289 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom flats and duplexes.The building will have two swimming pools on the mid level and on the rooftop. A 13-storey parking area for 597 cars has also been planned.

10 comments:

Krishna said...

If it works for Las Vegas, I guess it will work for Dubai. After all they are building only residential/office towers, not historial monuments.

Anonymous said...

krishna, a historical momument you can live in. That is the difference.

Brn said...

Here is a direct link

trailingspouse said...

I always thought the UP tower looked like Big Ben anyway. So now we're going to have a bad Big Ben copy and a better Big Ben copy?

Seabee said...

I assume it's the owners of these copy buildings (like copy watches - but aren't we stamping counterfeit products out?)...I digress...who impose these stupidities on the architects. No architect worthy of the title would come up with copies surely?

In a theme park, or as casinos as in Las Vegas, you can accept it, but not for an office/residential tower in a commercial area.

There are plenty of world-class architects around who can produce exceptional, unique designs. I wish the owners would employ them and then stay out of it.

John B. Chilton said...

Can't go anywhere if it wasn't there to begin with.

Thanks, brn, for the direct link. I liked these lines in the ET article:
Municipality seeks Big Ben style changed
...
More than three times taller than London's landmark...


Let's do Michelangelo's David next.

flamin said...

if SZR will do it all, then what is going to be replicated in the Culture Village?

bandicoot said...

John - Just imagine Michaelangelo's David THREE TIMES the origina size (and without a figleaf)!?

...As fo rorginality, I think it has all gone to Dubai Land's falcon City!

Anonymous said...

why not put something like the arch in st louis?

moryarti said...

sho hada?

lah lah lah... emirates todays is getting its stories off my blog? I wrote about this months ago

and ye fellow bloggers should be ashamed of yer selves for not crediting yer story to yer ol' blogger mate :)

but like our beloved cabbies always say: maalesh habibi... mafi mushkil.. khalli walli

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