Site visit: Dubai's double gherkin

The $163m Park Towers mixed-use project.

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If you've spent any time in London, you may think that you're seeing double. The Sir Norman Foster designed Gherkin, or St Mary's Axe has drawn a lot of attention in the seven years since its 2004 opening.

Dubai's twin Park Towers stand 49-storeys high, are fully glazed, and are reminiscent of London’s iconic Gherkin tower, except – in true Dubai style – here there are two of them side by side.

The twin towers comprise three basement levels, seven podium levels and 42 additional floors housing penthouses and one-, two- and three-bedroomed apartments. The integrated seven-level podium has two levels below ground and five above ground.

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Set at the heart of the DIFC masterplan, the towers are due to connect eventually with all the other buildings in the DIFC, enhancing the already green and landscaped surroundings of the entire project.

The building is 95% complete, reports Damac VP Niall McLoughlin, with installation of lifts and landscaping still underway.

The concept of the project takes into account both commercial and aesthetic requirements. The DIFC already boasts a number of unique buildings, such as Index and the Gate, but while Park Towers had to look good, it also had to be desirable to tenants.

The curved facade and egg-shaped floor plates allows each tenant 180° views across the DIFC. The cladding system was a particular challenge for Damac, as the slope of the façade required each panel to be a different shape and elevation.

The curved façade was essential, however, in ensuring that each apartment has an uninterrupted view across the DIFC. McLoughlin paid particular tribute to Arabian Aluminium in this regard.

“They worked on the Burj Khalifa, and have risen to this challenge as well,” he said. “Work is progressing well.”

The interiors of the building were designed by Damac’s in-house design team, explained McLoughlin.

“We have a range of high-quality marble and granite finishes in the four reception areas, each individually themed and designed, including modern architectural seating and designed to impress but with comfort and practicality in mind.” McLoughlin stresses that quality was emphasised in the choices of fittings and furnishings.

In terms of construction, the geometry of the towers posed a particular problem, but McLoughlin says that contractor Sharpoorji Pallonji (SP) was quick to resolve any difficulties, hitting their stride by being able to achieve five-day floor cycles.

“We have a piled raft foundation with a post-tensioned solution for the floors, while the cladding is a bespoke system designed to meet the demands of the curve of the building in plan and the elevational taper to suit the towers shapes,” explains McLoughlin.