I can’t sleep. Insomnia is attacking me.
Well, let me just show you something then.
Let’s take a peak.
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AERIAL VIEW
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ITS PERSPECTIVE
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THE CONSTRUCTION
DUBAI MALL – It’s a 5 minute drive away from home. It will open on august (seeing it personally, I doubt if they can. But there is no such thing as impossible if it’s EMAAR. They always pull surprises in the end.
I have been visiting the area frequently but I never had the chance to share with all of you this magnificent creation on its way.
Most of my projects are situated here right now. This August..be amazed as the world’s largest mall will open doors for over 3 million expected visitors.
It will cover a total area of 12.1 million square feet, with 10 – 15 individual smaller malls built inside it, consisting of 9 million square feet of shopping retail space (comprising of a total of 1200 stores). Featured attractions include the world’s largest gold souk with 220 retailers; the 850,000 feet Fashion Island, with 70 flagship stores dedicated to haute couture as well as the Middle East’s first Galeries Lafayette department store; one of the world’s largest aquariums; an Olympic-sized ice skating rink; Oasis Fountain Waterfall; Water Front Atrium; a view of the (soon to be completed in late 2009) world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai. Other attractions include the region’s first SEGA indoor theme park covering 76,000 sq ft; a ; KidZania, a 80,000 sq ft children’s ‘edu-tainment’ centre; a 22-screen Cineplex; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof.
The mall has already won five awards. It won two awards at the Retail Future Project Awards at MAPIC, Cannes, in 2004, for Best Retail Development Scheme (Large), Best Use of Lighting in a Retail Environment. And the Dubai Mall brochure has won three awards at the Summit Creative Awards 2005, in Portland, Oregon; Gold award for Best Art Direction / Graphic Design, Silver award for Best 4-colour B2B Brochure, and Judges Special Recognition award.
Currently, the largest mall in the world is believed to be the South China Mall in Dongguan, China, spreading over 9.6 million feet.
The mall is being built by a Joint Venture of Dutco Balfour Beatty, Al Ghandi/CCC and Turner Construction for client Emaar Properties and was scheduled to be completed in 2006, claiming to be the size of 50 “international-sized football (soccer) pitches”. It is now expected to be completed in late 2008.
The labor practices used in the construction of Dubai Mall have caused controversy. Dubai Mall has been built by vast numbers of construction workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Press reports indicate that skilled carpenters at the site earn US$7.60 (£4.34)/day, and laborers earn US$4.00 (£2.84). Unions were forbidden in the United Arab Emirates up until recently, when the government announced steps to allow construction unions.
On March 21, 2006, workers upset over low wages and poor working conditions rioted, damaging cars, offices, computers, and construction equipment. A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused approximately $1m (USD) in damage. Most workers returned the following day but refused to work. Workers building a new terminal at Dubai International Airport also joined that day’s work stoppage.
So guys, if you think that Mall of the Emirates or Ibn Batutta is gigantic! think again!
cheers
