Isn’t it remarkable how the architects SOM effortlessly managed to capture Dubai’s fortunes in the shape of the Burj itself? The building resembles a graph starting sometime in the early Noughties shortly before common sense took leave of absence from the world and this region especially, reaching levels of hubris many didn’t know were possible (or cared to know), before plunging to unknown depths of debts and egg in the face.
Nobody says it better than this Times columnist. “The edifice complex” - recommended reading for aspiring visionaries at Keystage 1 Level.
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12 comments:
Ladies & Gentlemen:
Today night, we present you the Burj, Dubai own's phallic interpretation of a flaccid vision.
Today night, we will show the world that we aim for the sky. Gravity is another matter altogether.
This is what the Burj will embody & epitomise in a new world.
P.S.: All you media people that said there was a financial crisis in Dubai and that Dubai was sinking or sunk alongside the Palm & The World, should just shut up.
Hahahahahaha
Awww come on, stop raining on every parade. It IS nice to see that tower being inaugurated.
One does not want to read what some opinion journalist in some other country wants to say about it.
Whether its biggest or tallest or the foolishest does not matter. It is still celebration time in Dubai and you should be happy you are a part of it...
Whatever it may be a symbol of, it is a REAL building which you saw come up... Would you think it makes better economic sense to pull it down? What do you or that Times fellow suggest Dubai does? Leave it for bats? Or pretend it does not exist?
What is the point constantly flogging this topic?
@ anon 14:39: What is the point constantly flogging this topic?
Fills TRN with a sense of achievement. his philosophy is "because you werent hired to build it, bash it".
Anon @ 14:39
I am sorry; you are so right. It is a beautiful building which we should cherish and salute. Who cares about its meaning and purpose anyway? Indeed, we all should bow to the vision of mortgaging one's country's future by building really tall shiny things.
I agree its an achievement for Dubai. But thats about it.
I dont get the continuous statements, online and in the media, of how it shows there is no crisis in Dubai. And how this tower proves the "wise vision", and how Dubai has answered back foreign media.
I mean is everyone out there more Hemlock than like TRN?
Sadly yes....
http://uv999.blogspot.com/2010/01/at-top.html
Neat pics too!
This seems more real than that times guy who has not been there. You cannot really write about a 165ft tower without being inside and on top of it... And if you are in Dubai, you can!
I am sure even that really opinionated columist would have given a different tilt to his 800words if he had been there!
Anyone else who went up... Did you think about the economy at all? Or were taking pics and trying not to be overwhelmed?
@trn:
No one is saying its beautiful or you should cherish it.
But it's there and it's real.
What do you think one should do, in the name of economy? Break it down? Open it quietly and hope no one notices?
Take away both the negative and positive fluff about Dubai - being grand or being a pile of sand. The building will still be there.
It's verrrrrry sad that a UAE community blogger needs to be led by the nose for opinions on what is happnening in his own city.
Go visit it and come back and add what you think of it, having been there - do you think the elevator works, is the armani stuff impressive at all?, is the construction perfect, were there actually labourers falling down from the top due to the breeze, how do they plan to stop would be suicides, how environment friendly is it... That columist may actually use it for reference. Then you can frame your post.
Nick,
But the mortgage (outstanding debt or whatever you want to call it) isn't vis-a-vis the Burj, is it?
DJ,
As hemlock says in her UAE comm.blog post today - the tower is 'U$10bn high'.
That says it all. Ouch. Dubai is officially a suburb of Abu Dhabi now. Unwise economic decisions hasve squandered whatever little was left of semi-independence. I was not just talking about real money-mortgage, Jazz.
Do you think Abu Dhabi just bought into Dubai hype?
@ the real nick
… absolutely ingenious!
Nick you outdid yourself once again :-)
Jim Krane today in NYT:
“Dubai not only has the world’s tallest building, but has also made what looks like the most expensive naming rights deal in history”
(January 5, 2010, on page B1 of the New York edition)
Cheers from Germany :-)
I like your graphic :)
very novel!
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