The Futuristic Plans for Dubai's Waterfront City

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed)
Mar 6th 2008 at 3:02PM

An architect and urban designer, Rem Koolhaas' concept of the "generic city" created years ago may finally get the chance to be constructed in Dubai as a 1.5 billion square foot project called Waterfront City. It will be like picking up a section of Manhattan and placing it on an artificial island just off the Persian Gulf, balancing elements of unique construction, such as the 44-story sphere, with rows of towering skyscrapers. This bold statement would establish Dubai as the center for urban experimentation and one of the world's fastest growing metropolises. Working in a sphere would be a nice change of pace from the strict rigidity of a typical building -- although would you still have elevators?

Gallery: Waterfront City