‘City of Arabia’ is exhibiting at the International Property Show this week, with representatives from the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group talking about their project and launching the Metro Tower, a key landmark in the City of Arabia development, onto the Dubai market. A model encompassing the whole development will form the centre piece of the stand at the show, allowing visitors to admire both the complexity and sheer scale of the project. Potential investors will also have the opportunity to view a model of the Metro Tower, a 45 storey, mixed residential and commercial block, incorporating the latest advanced concepts in international high-rise design.
The Metro Tower’s dynamic tapering shape and interlocking curves create a unique identity, with the distinctive base framing the grand entrance to the building. The body of the tower is characterized by a metal skin with well proportioned punched windows. Feature openings at the mid point signify the transition between office and residential accommodation. The top of the tower has a dramatic glass feature which forms a classic pointed arch curving down and integrating itself with the building below. Solid and imposing, the Metro Tower transforms after dark with custom designed lighting effects creating the impression of a floating lantern in the night sky.
The Metro Tower is more than just a design icon however. Careful detailing ensures that all practical concerns have been fully addressed. The punch windows, tinted glass and solar shading devices together with an advanced building services system provide the optimum environmental performance, whilst the sleek white metal cladding is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also helps reflect heat.
Attention to detail is carried through into the interiors of the building. Efficient planning maximizes the potential of each unit whilst ensuring that stunning views remain a key feature throughout. With a wide variety of offices on Floors 1 – 16, plus 264 residential units, the Metro Tower caters for all requirements from elegant studios to the most desirable penthouses. On the 17th Floor, the luxurious club house provides all the recreational facilities residents could ever need, whilst below ground there are 8 levels of designated car park. Metro Tower is situated only 200 metres away from the nearest COA Monorail Station linking the residential areas to the Mall and the Restless Planet, two core elements of City of Arabia. The intention is to connect this in due course to the much larger Dubai Light Railway system, at a major station complex next to the Mall of Arabia.
Constituting one of the leading private sector projects in the Middle East, City of Arabia has a number of striking features. The Mall of Arabia is the largest retail facility in the region, and, with a GLA of around 10m sq ft (Phase 1 & 2), among the largest in the world. Planned on a radial grid, to allow customers easy navigation, and zoned for efficient shopping, the Mall will also include over one hundred food outlets, a cinema complex, bowling alleys, and a major international hypermarket. The Restless Planet is a themed attraction accessed via level 2 of the Mall of Arabia. It will take visitors on a spectacular journey, experiencing, through dramatic light and sound effects, the story of the birth of Planet Earth and the rise and fall of the dinosaurs.
Another striking feature of the City of Arabia is the 34 high-rise towers, varying from 30-storeys to 60-storeys, for both commercial and residential use, including the previously released ‘I & M Tower’ and the ‘Wadi Tower’. Meandering among these towers will be a 10-km long flowing waterway, the Wadi Walk, lined by the Wadi Residences, low-rise five-storey blocks, consisting of 1600 apartments, with shady promenades on either side. At street level, the Wadi Walk will consist entirely of cafes, restaurants, convenience stores and boutiques, with basement parking facilities.
Anwer Sher, Director, City of Arabia, commented, “The International Property Show provides a perfect platform for us to launch the Metro Tower. With local and overseas visitors keen to identify sound investment opportunities in this high-growth market, City of Arabia offers something unique.”
