Burj al-ʿArab

Burj al-ʿArab, luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that was designed by architect Tom Wright and completed in 1999.

Burj al-ʿArab (Arabic for “Tower of the Arabs”) is as much a landmark of Dubai as the Eiffel Tower is of Paris and the Opera House is of Sydney. It is a symbol of Dubai’s economic boom and orientation toward the future. At 1,053 feet (321 meters) tall, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world. It was built to resemble the billowing sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian boat, and is located on an artificial island about 920 feet (280 meters) offshore the beach. Two “wings” arranged in a V-shape form a vast “mast,” and the space between them houses a massive atrium, 590 feet (180 meters) tall. This allows for a small, albeit tall, lobby space around a cascading water feature flanked by high-end boutiques and restaurants. The atrium, which faces south, is sheltered by a translucent glass fiber screen that is attached to the building through a curtain of steel cables. The screen allows sunlight to filter through while reducing heat absorption; a polytetrafluoroethylene coating prevents dust and sand from sticking to the screen, further protecting the building from its sea and desert surroundings.

Burj al-ʿArab boasts a bar and dining area cantilevered 650 feet (200 meters) above sea level as well as a grass-covered helicopter pad, which has doubled as a tennis court and golf driving range for publicity events. At the time of the hotel’s opening, there were 202 suites, each one arranged over two floors, ranging from 1,830 square feet (170 square meters) to an astonishing 8,400 square feet (780 square meters) in size. Whereas the tower’s exterior is expressed in a postmodern, high-tech design, the interior is a traditional mix of luxurious styles with global influences.