The Dubai Mall

N A R T A N O L I M & W I D A R I B A H R I N

S A N D T O S P E C T A C L E

ABOVE: The ‘fifth elevation’ as seen from the adjacent Burj Khalifa. The Dubai Mall is part of the larger Downtown Dubai master plan which comprises of hotel, office and retail developments surrounding a large man-made lake and fountain show.

The Dubai Mall Sand to Spectacle

Published by

© 2012

www.dpa.com.sg

AuthorsNartano LimWidari Bahrin

Guest ContributorBrian Lonsway

EditorsAngelene Chan, Editor-in-ChiefToh Bee PingCollin Anderson

Publishing ConsultantThe Press RoomCreative Director: Kelley ChengDesigners: Elsie Chua, Feng Dexian, Celestine Tan

PrintingDominie Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.-

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Lim, Nartano, 1978-The Dubai Mall : Sand to Spectacle / Nartano Lim & Widari Bahrin. – Singapore : The Press Room, c2012. p. cm.ISBN : 978-981-07-0988-4

1. Dubai Mall (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 2. Shopping malls – United Arab Emirates – Dubai – Design and construction. I. Widari Bahrin, 1984- II. Title.

NA6218725.21095357 -- dc22 OCN773175249

T H E

D U B A IM A L L

S A N D T O S P E C T A C L E

DP ARCHITECTS PTE LTD

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

F O R E W O R D Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties PJSC

P R E F A C E Francis Lee, CEO, DP Architects Pte Ltd

C O N D I T I O N S

THE DUBAI MALL: A DiscussionQ&A with Francis Lee, Ti Lian Seng & Angelene Chan

MATTER OF SIZE: VISITORS

DUBAI + SINGAPORE: A Comparative Introduction

MATTER OF SIZE: DUBAI VS SINGAPORE

MATTER OF SIZE: MANPOWER

F R O M C O N C E P T T O C O M P L E T I O N

CONCEPT

MATTER OF SIZE: GLOBETROTTING

PLANNING

DOCUMENTATION

MATTER OF SIZE: TIME AND LENGTH

REALISATION

COMPLETION

D E C O N S T R U C T I N G T H E D U B A I M A L L

MALL: VERY LARGE. CENTER OF NOW. FAST.Professor Brian Lonsway

MATTER OF SIZE: SHOPFRONTS

ID:idWidari Bahrin

MATTER OF SIZE: HISTORY OF MALL ATTRACTIONS

MATTER OF SIZE: MARINE LIFE

JUXTAPOSITIONS

MATTER OF SIZE: AQUARIUM SPECIES

AUTHENTICITY

MATTER OF SIZE: VOLUMES

GRAVITATIONAL PULL

MATTER OF SIZE: PARKING, LIFTS, ESCALATORS

L E A R N I N G F R O M T H E D U B A I M A L L

THE NEXT CHAPTER: Lessons Learned

MATTER OF SIZE: PROJECTS, OFFICES, STRENGTH

PEOPLE: The Dubai Mall Team

DPA WORKS

References

Credits + Acknowledgements

2

4

P A R T I :

8

18

20

22

P A R T I I :

32

36

38

42

Insert

Insert

56

68

P A R T I I I :

72

92

94

108

114

116

136

138

140

142

166

168

170

172

174

176

178

P A R T I V :

F O R E W O R D

Downtown Dubai is a crowning achievement for Emaar Properties. The developmenthas reinvented the urban composition of Dubai’s continually-evolving city; the complex contains the world’s tallest building, the world’s tallest performing fountain and the world’s largest mall – each of these projects was accompanied by unprecedented infrastructural and design challenges.

The large-scale development was initially envisioned as a new city centre to unite anemergent gap between the inland historic city and the business core of New Dubai.Downtown Dubai is the hospitality and retail-focused addition to a city that firstevolved to support port-based commerce, and more recently surged in growth to meetthe new demands of modern industry in the forms of banking, media and education. In this sense, Downtown Dubai serves as evidence of the city ’s economic transition.The scale of Downtown Dubai was exceptional, akin to designing an entire city centrefrom the ground up. It was to offer something for everybody. If the Burj Khalifa isthe visual centrepiece of Downtown Dubai, then The Dubai Mall would certainly beconsidered its functional heart. The mall’s programme attracts an average of 4.1 million visitors per month, rendering it Downtown Dubai’s civic focal point as well as an influential hub of activity for the whole of Dubai City.

The Dubai Mall is not only the world’s largest mall, but it is also in-built with aprogrammatic spectrum that is arguably unmatched by any modern building. It offersnew experiences and spaces that positively upend long-standing traditions of retaildesign. The mall’s world-class amenities and tenants appeal to international tourists and expatriate residents alike. The architecture represents a sensitive melding of rooted contextual aesthetics and contemporary materials from around the world.Both the timeframe and the scale of The Dubai Mall project were immense challengesgiven the conditions of the site and the level of coordination required for progress.The final product is an uncompromised design that champions the characteristics offunctionality and allure we initially aspired for the mall to achieve. The Dubai Mallhas successfully transformed the city ’s desert midlands into one of the most-visiteddestinations in the UAE.

MOHAMED ALI ALABBARChairman, Emaar Properties PJSC

C H A I R M A N , E M A A R P R O P E R T I E S P J S C

M O H A M E D A L I A L A B B A RChairman, Emaar Properties PJSC

RIGHT: The exterior cladding of The Dubai Mall features precast concrete panels that reinterpret traditional mashrabiya timber latticework prevalent in Arabic design since the Middle Ages.

2 / 184

The Dubai Mall has transformed the practice of DP Architects. The project has expanded the geographical reach of the firm, the scale at which it builds and the degree to which it collaborates with clients. Despite the project’s significance, little information regarding its production has been disseminated. Works of architecture are often only appreciated as finished buildings which belie the efforts and processes that have culminated in their creation; the layered practices of design and construction are hidden away in design studios or behind temporary hoarding walls for few to experience. The purpose of this book is to reveal The Dubai Mall as a specific and significant moment in our architectural transformation to a firm that is operating at a global scale both in concept and execution.

DP Architects has been in practice since 1967. While the growth of our office has continued exponentially since our inception, our main focus has been the production and implementation of our designs. We have taken little opportunity to share beyond the walls of our office the internal dialogue, thought process and design journey that each project generates. The book you now hold in your hands is our first step towards sharing these insights with those beyond the confines of the practice. The intention of this publication is two-fold: to showcase The Dubai Mall, which represents a momentous achievement for a Singapore-based practice on the international stage; and to participate in the larger global discourse that is occurring in schools, practices and, increasingly, in the public realm which recognises architecture as a discipline with immense social impact.

Arranged in four parts, this book is written as a collection of ideas on a single subject. Part I deals with the conditions of the project that drove its design – the requirements set forth by the client’s brief, the site’s history and the region’s contemporary zeitgeist. Part II unveils the project’s design and construction processes from conception to

F R A N C I S L E ECEO, DP Architects PTE LTD

C E O , D P A R C H I T E C T S P T E L T D

P R E FA C E

completion. Part III examines The Dubai Mall through a theoretical lens by analysing the geographic and typological juxtapositions the project addresses and the roles of public and private spaces in architecture projects of this scale. The final part of the book discusses The Dubai Mall’s impact on the practice of DP Architects and gives thanks to those involved with the realisation of the project. Interspersed throughout each of the four parts is a discussion on the issue of scale explored through informational graphics and diagrams.

The authors – Nartano Lim and Widari Bahrin – are both practicing architects and published writers. Neither were members of The Dubai Mall project team. This objective distance makes them a fitting choice to deliberate on the mall’s design and construction in the context of not just Dubai, but also the greater discipline of architecture. Professor Brian Lonsway, author of Making Leisure Work, was invited to cast his critical eye on The Dubai Mall in an essay written specially for this book, expanding his well-regarded scholarship on mega-malls and themed spaces.

The Dubai Mall is one of DP Architects’ most prominent projects and represents a milestone for the firm. The transformative journey from idea to drawing to building remains at the core of an architect’s aspirations, and this process becomes exponentially more interesting when operating at the scale of The Dubai Mall.

While only a small group was involved in this publication, their efforts represent a team of thousands who were involved in the design, construction and operation of The Dubai Mall. This book honours their collective hard work and dedication.

FRANCIS LEECEO, DP Architects PTE LTD

ABOVE: One of The Mall’s ten parking decks during construction. All visible surfaces were carefully composed so that even mundane areas such as the rooftop parking lots aligned with the overall aesthetic intent.

P A R T I C O N D I T I O N S

8 T H E D U B A I M A L L : A D I S C U S S I O N Q&A with Francis Lee, Ti Lian Seng & Angelene Chan

1 8 M A T T E R O F S I Z E : V I S I T O R S

2 0 D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

2 2 M A T T E R O F S I Z E : D U B A I V S S I N G A P O R E

3 2 M A T T E R O F S I Z E : M A N P O W E R

ABOVE: 2004. The project site at the start of piling. Construction conditions were made difficult as temperatures soared to 45 degrees Celsius in the summer months and frequent sandstorms affected visibility.

W I N N I N G T H E J O B

N A R T A N O L I M ( N L ) : How did DP Architects get this project? A Singaporean firm seems like such an unusual choice to design such a major project in Dubai.

F R A N C I S L E E ( F L ) : My relationship with Mohamed Alabbar (Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC) started many years prior to The Dubai Mall project. I first met him in 1985 when we were working on Wisma Atria mall in Singapore. He was the general manager and I was the architect. We kept in touch after he returned to Dubai. He commissioned us to do a few master plan projects and retail feasibility studies throughout the region. Although these schemes did not result in construction projects, he remained someone whom I was eager to work with again. J.S. Gill, CEO of Gill Capital, the retail consultant on Wisma Atria and a mutual acquaintance of the Chairman, continued to propose potential projects between

ABOVE, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:Angelene Chan, Director, DP ArchitectsTi Lian Seng, Director, DP ArchitectsFrancis Lee, CEO, DP Architects.

T H E D U B A I M A L L : A D I S C U S S I O N

T H E D U B A I M A L L P R O J E C T W A S H E L M E D BY T H R E E PA R T N E R S AT

D P A R C H I T E C T S W H O P L AY E D V A R I O U S R O L E S T H R O U G H O U T T H E D E S I G N

A N D C O N S T R U C T I O N P R O C E S S . C E O F R A N C I S L E E W A S O V E R A L L- I N - C H A R G E ,

D I R E C T O R T I L I A N S E N G W A S T H E D E S I G N L E A D A N D D I R E C T O R A N G E L E N E

C H A N W A S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D R E A L I S AT I O N .

T H E D U B A I M A L LA D I S C U S S I O N

Throughout the book, important d istances are measured at a scale of 1:1 to demonstrate

the real d imension that the archi tects were work ing in. Each page measures 207mm in

width and th is is used as a uni t of l inear measurement in the header l ine of the book.

1:1 SCALE

P A R T I

8 / 184

Emaar and DP Architects in the Middle East. Finally, the many years of working together resulted in an invitation to participate in the design competition for The Dubai Mall.

N L : What was the project brief? How much time did you have?

T I L I A N S E N G ( T L S ) : The brief was extremely brief! Just “Get the best mall done, 5 million net square feet of retail [460 thousand square meters], make it the best in the world”. That’s it. We were given only three weeks.

A N G E L E N E C H A N ( A C ) : We were entrusted with free rein to create the best mall in the world. There were no strict stipulations for programme or mall operations guidelines. We could define our own guidelines, beliefs and practices to produce the best layout and design for the mall. This was a very refreshing approach to a design competition. It reflected that the client genuinely believed in everyone on the team, and it allowed the architects to explore the very best ideas, unencumbered by the client’s own beliefs and current practices. Of course, this was also a major responsibility that we took seriously. Every decision made would need to be deeply considered and justified – nothing was performed as a routine act.

N L : What was the condition of the site at the competition stage?

A C : Before embarking on the design competition, I remember visiting the site to get a feel for the scale, the context and the environment. We were driven around the site in a four-wheel drive vehicle. It was a truly surreal experience. We were visiting a desert dune landscape with stretches of sand before us. We couldn’t locate the site boundaries; it was hard to imagine the full extent of the site. The current man-made lake was just starting to be excavated.

N L : How did the design team approach this massive project in such a limited time frame?

F L : We were quite excited and, of course, overwhelmed. I remember telling our guys that if we were fortunate enough to win this project, it would be transformative for us. We had designed many malls, but a mall of this size was something we had never done.

T L S : For the sake of comparison, the biggest mall in Singapore at that time was just over 1 million net square feet [100,000 square metres]. We had a lot of intense brain-storming sessions. We combined our many years of experience to understand the programme, what was required, what makes a mall usable and sustainable.

. . . G E T T H E B E S T M A L L D O N E , 5 M I L L I O N N E T S Q U A R E F E E T O F R E TA I L , M A K E I T T H E B E S T I N T H E W O R L D.Chairman Alabbar, Emaar Properties PJSC

40mm - Thickness of the ice at

The Dubai Ice Rink

40mm - Thickness of the ice at The Dubai Ice Rink

750mm - Thickness of the largest acry l ic v iewing panel in the wor ld at The Dubai Aquar ium

32,000mm - Width of the largest acry l ic v iewing panel in the wor ld at The Dubai Aquar ium

34,200mm - Diameter of The Grand Entrance atr ium

“

”

9 / 184

P A R T I : T H E D U B A I M A L L : A D I S C U S S I O N

N L : What was the presentation to the Chairman like after the three weeks of working on the design?

F L : I told Angelene to present. I wanted to make sure that we didn’t miss any facts and her memory is amazing! The night before was incredibly stressful. We wanted to make sure that all of our design ideas were well articulated and that we addressed any potential client concerns. The presentation needed to be more than compelling imagery; we also had to demonstrate a deep understanding for the operational and logistical issues inherent to shopping malls. I was confident in the materials we had produced, but I was also worried simply due to the importance of this project. In the end, Angelene presented so well! They called me up on our way to the airport back to Singapore. We got the job just like that.

A C : My only reservation about the presentation was due to certain presumptions I had about the audience and the local culture of Dubai. I wasn’t sure whether a room full of fifty men dressed in formal kandura would look favourably upon a woman presenter. I didn’t want to endanger our chances because of a cultural faux pas. But it turned out that this was my own misconception of the local culture, as my gender was not met with any prejudices. The presentation was successful, and I realised that day the perception that I held of conservatism was not in line with the reality of our progressive and forward-thinking client. This boded well for the future of the project.

N L : The project’s time frame and scale were very different from anything that the firm had done in the past. How did the practice change as a result? How was the project team organised to meet the demands of the project?

F L : The process was incredibly intense, but it forced us to really elevate our collective abilities. Truly, I wanted it more than anything; but wanting it is one thing, getting everyone to want it and work in sync together was the real challenge. So when we got it I remember saying, “We continue to work hard. We don’t stop here!”

A C : Upon the first week of receiving the good news, we had to assemble our manpower quickly. The team grew from 4 persons to 120 very quickly. It was fortunate that our large office had many teams with capable and experienced leaders that could be mobilised immediately to design and study the different components of the mall. Design sessions were organised daily to review the many components, and teams worked furiously at break-neck speed to keep pace with the schedule. When construction commenced on site, our coordination and drawings had to keep ahead of the construction sequence. Having successfully completed the mall without compromising any details or finishes was a testament to the dedication and passion that everyone in the team had for this project.

ABOVE:2004. The 200-hectare site for the Downtown Dubai development with piling rigs progressing along the perimeter. The project’s scale exceeded beyond anything the designers or developer had previously experienced.

34,200mm - Diameter of The Grand Entrance atr ium››

10 / 184

T H E R E W E R E M A N Y C H A L L E N G E S , B U T I K N E W, E V E N AT T H AT P O I N T, I T W A S A P R O J E C T O F A L I F E T I M E .Francis Lee

D E S I G N I N G T H E W O R L D ’ S L A R G E S T M A L L

N L : How did the scale of The Dubai Mall affect the design process?

T L S : We began by first resolving the entry sequence and then wrapping our minds around the mall programme. Functional issues were focused on first – car parking, services and deliveries – all the important back-of-house spaces that would ensure the mall’s successful operation.

F L : The carpark was a very major issue early on. We went through a number of iterations to design the carpark location and test whether it should disperse from a central position or from the perimeter of the site. This, in turn, would impact the location of the anchor tenants. So we went through all of the options and in a short period of time we gained an understanding of how to best solve certain problems. There were many challenges, but I knew, even at that point, it was the project of a lifetime.

N L : What were the key considerations in the design phase?

T L S : Clarity of circulation was important. In smaller malls there is sometimes an intentional lack of clarity to prolong shopping times. This is something that would have had a negative effect on such a large mall – people would have become frustrated and never come back. This resulted in a very clear quadrant circulation pattern without any secondary corridors, a plan that really drove the design. There were problems that also related specifically to the scale of the mall. It was not a compact design, and the entire layout comprised of three to four storeys. We were very conscious about walking distances and the need to break up long stretches of corridors with nodes for rest and relaxation.

A C : We followed 5 principals of planning. (1) The pedestrian circulation had to be very clear. No secondary corridors. No hidden corners. No confusion. The users must know where they are in the mall at all times. (2) Tenant shopfronts had to be given prominence. No shopfronts could be hidden or deemed secondary. Visual connectivity to all shopfronts was crucial. This would affect leasing and revenue. (3) Carpark and traffic circulation had to be efficient. No one would visit this place twice if it was troublesome to park or they were burdened by long queues everywhere. Public transport had to be well-integrated into the mall to facilitate visitor experience. (4) All back-of-house areas had to serve the tenants efficiently. This translated into the design of loading bays concealed from public view. Each of the 1200 shops had to receive its goods and have its garbage removed every day in the most efficient manner. (5) A mall of this size had to be subdivided. Each subdivision had to have its own distinct character, yet work well with its adjacent subdivisions.

LEFT:2006. External cladding of The Address Dubai Mall Hotel. The Address Hotel enterprise would later be expanded with additional locations throughout Dubai.

32,000mm - Width of the largest acry l ic v iewing panel in the wor ld at The Dubai Aquar ium››

“

”

13 / 184

N L : Was this how the different districts and attractions were created?

T L S : We made a decision quite early on in the design process that the mall could not have been one big homogenous plan because wayfinding would have become a nightmare and there would have been nothing special to differentiate the place. So we created names for the different districts, then specific themes and features. When we pitched the aquarium we thought it was quite far-fetched, but the Chairman went for it! Of course, after you include a huge aquarium, what is an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink? What is an indoor waterfall? All of these elements which we thought might be rejected, the Chairman instead endorsed. He pushed us to make these features even more dramatic in scale and presentation.

C O N S T R U C T I O N

N L : Tell us about the construction process. How was this different than other projects?

A C : The time frame was incredibly compressed. The project was confirmed in December of 2003 and piling started in April of 2004. We were still designing major portions of the mall while the piling was in progress. There were massive elements which were added quite late in construction, such as the 42-storey The Address Dubai Mall Hotel.

T L S : Everything was in a state of flux. The Chairman was travelling around the world researching retail projects and providing feedback: “You need to change this and incorporate that.” The project was dynamic. Even the floor heights changed after the piling was completed! There was an immense amount of pressure. At the same time, there was also a freedom to challenge convention.

N L : How involved was the Chairman? What was it like working with him?

T L S : The Chairman was extremely involved and hands-on. All the materials – every single toilet bowl, for instance – were shown to him; he made selections for everything. Because he was so involved, we had to be extremely prepared anytime we met with him. He constantly challenged us to make our proposals even bigger and better. The approval process was much easier than many other projects since the Chairman was the ultimate decision-maker and he always knew what he wanted. This was a big reason why the time frame was achievable. He was precise and exacting, and he forced us to be equally as confident with anything that was presented.

F L : To me, there will never be another The Dubai Mall. It could have been simplified in terms of construction details or less opulent finishes. However, the Chairman’s message was very clear: “I want to have a mall unsurpassed by any other.”

RIGHT:2005. The Gold Souk entrance pavilion along the Grand Drive façade during construction. One of the primary design agendas was the constant mediation of human scale and building scale. While the volume of the Gold Souk operates at the scale of the building, the surface detailing intimately addresses the close-range observer.

P A R T I : T H E D U B A I M A L L : A D I S C U S S I O N14 / 184

T H E D U B A I M A L L :

F O U R Y E A R S S I N C E O P E N I N G

N L : How do you feel now that mall has been completed?

F L : The entire global economy has changed drastically since 2003, when the mall was first conceived. The Dubai Mall opened in late 2008 amidst the economic crisis. Despite this, the mall has been a rousing success. It has exceeded projected visitor numbers two years in a row and looks as if it will continue to lead in market share. Anecdotally, The Dubai Mall was recently named “the most visited shopping and leisure destination in the world in 2011”1.

A C : While others may simply see the world’s largest mall, I personally know the people involved with each aspect of the project’s design and construction and the mall exists as a testament to their cumulative efforts.

In a more global context, it seems that the era of mega-malls, at least in Dubai, might have come to a close with The Dubai Mall. The latest market research shows that Dubai has reached a retail saturation point. Given The Dubai Mall’s high level of fit and finish, I don’t expect to see anything comparable to it in the near future.

N L : What has The Dubai Mall meant for DP Architects?

T L S : The Dubai Mall is a great example of our skill and we can now speak with authority on mega-malls. The firm has since been approached to design several malls in China with programmes housing between 5 and 6 million square feet of retail space [460 and 560 thousand square metres].

ABOVE:The lakefront façade of The Dubai Mall as seen from the adjacent Souk Al Bahar. The Mall perimeter is a major participant in the Downtown Dubai development at the urban scale, and as a key viewing location for The Dubai Fountain performances, it is a constant draw for visitors.

P A R T I : T H E D U B A I M A L L : A D I S C U S S I O N16 / 184

T O M E , T H E R E W I L L N E V E R B E A N O T H E R D U B A I M A L L . I T C O U L D H A V E B E E N S I M P L I F I E D I N T E R M S O F C O N S T R U C T I O N D E TA I L S O R L E S S O P U L E N T F I N I S H E S . H O W E V E R , T H E C H A I R M A N ’ S M E S S A G E W A S V E R Y C L E A R : “ I W A N T T O H A V E A M A L L U N S U R PA S S E D BY A N Y O T H E R . ”Francis Lee

Many of the basic concepts of The Dubai Mall can be applied to projects in China, such as, breaking up the mall into precincts, or having places of interest and attractions which stand apart from purely commercial endeavours. Many of the malls in China that I have visited are like big mazes with a homogeneous collection of shops; however the Chinese retail landscape is maturing quickly. Shopping is an experience or an event. You don’t go to the mall for twenty minutes, but you spend an entire day there – shopping, eating lunch, being entertained. Size is now critical in retail.

China and Dubai are two different conditions, however the patronage for The Dubai Mall last year was more than 54 million and Dubai has a resident population of only 2 million. There are tourists and wealthy people in Dubai, but if you compare that to a central city in China with a population of 20-30 million whose middle and upper classes are growing, well, the potential is obvious.

A C : We designed, documented, coordinated, constructed and delivered an excellent, award-winning, 12 million-square foot [1.1 million-square-metre], $1.2-billion building in a foreign country in four years. This is a momentous achievement! Although we are in the business of realising concepts every single day, a project like this may potentially only come along once in a lifetime. Although incredibly intense, I relished the pace and the daily progress, and I know that the firm has benefitted greatly – not only from the knowledge gained, but from the camaraderie of a shared ’insurmountable’ goal that was achieved due to combined efforts and a huge amount of team work. We did a good job. It is very satisfying!

17 / 184

The Empire State Building3.8 Million

The Taj Mahal2.5 Million

The Eiffel Tower6.8 Million

The Statue of Liberty2.5 Million

MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR FOR 8 OF THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS COMBINED22.3

54

+ + + +

MATTER OF SIZE:

VISITORS

The Leaning Tower of Pisa1 Million

The Colosseum in Rome3.5 Million

The Sydney Opera House1.2 Million

The Singapore Merlion1 Million

MILLIONVISITORSIN 2011The Dubai Mall

++ + +

D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

It often comes as a surprise to visitors of The Dubai Mall that a Singapore-based architecture firm was responsible for the design and construction of the world’s largest mall*. It would seem counter-intuitive that a firm from one of the smallest countries in the world would be responsible for the design of one of the largest structures in the world in such a foreign location. At first glance, Singapore and Dubai seem miles apart, both geographically and culturally. On closer inspection, the similarities between modern Singapore and Dubai - both of which have become hubs for finance, tourism and trade with gleaming skylines of glass and steel towers - extend well beyond the obvious parallels in their meteoric rates of development. Singapore and Dubai also share common historical dynamics and growth trajectories.

Before delving into the specific design aspects of The Dubai Mall, it is important to understand the project in these greater social, economic, and geographic contexts.

Often, works of architecture are manifestations of a regional or temporal zeitgeist; this expression of cultural or political circumstance has been recognised in notable civic projects including Thomas Jefferson’s campus design for The University of Virginia (1815) as a reflection of neo-Platonic educational models, in Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion (1929) as a celebration of precise materiality and industrialised building techniques, and in Rem Koolhaas’ Seattle Public Library (2004) as a library type re-defined to accommodate 21st century technologies.

With public space becoming drastically reduced to or subsumed by privately-owned development, the division between public and private space has become unclear, perhaps even unimportant to architectural discourse. Actual means of usage and occupation now determine a building’s cultural significance more so than its intended programmatic purpose. In arguing that cultural significance is characterised by the dynamics of society rather than by predefined building types, we could argue that today’s shopping mall is akin to yesterday’s civic centre.

The Dubai Mall, too, can be understood as a product of its time, and as a product of these global trends. Most specifically, The Dubai Mall is a product of Dubai’s modern history as well as that of the Singapore-based firm that created it.

A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

D U B A I +S I N G A P O R E

ABOVE:The Grand Drive façade as seen at night. The entrance pavilion masses transform from solid surfaces to translucent backlit lanterns that highlight intricate mashrabiya patterns.

P A R T I

* By total covered area

20 / 184

19368

L I N E A R C O A S T L I N E( K M )

7124,114

A R E A( s q k m )

147139

Y E A R S U N D E R B R I T I S H C O N T R O L

57,20040,200

G D P P E R C A P I TA ( U S $ ) 2 0 1 0 e s t .

19651971

Y E A R O FI N D E P E N D E N C E

SingaporeDubai

2,012,00058,971

P O P U L AT I O N 1 9 6 8

KM $$$

W E H A V E N E V E R B E E N , N O R E V E R W I L L B E A M O N G T H O S E W H O R E S T O N T H E I R L A U R E L S ; N O R T H O S E W H O O B S E S S O N T H E I R S U C C E S S ; N O R T H O S E W H O B E L I E V E T H AT T H E M A R C H F O R W A R D W I L L C O N T I N U E A U T O M AT I C A L LY.

DUBAI

UAE

MATTER OF SIZE:

DUBAI VS SINGAPORE

KM

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, absolute ruler of Dubai, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates1

3783

F O R E I G N N AT I O N A L S a s % o f p o p u l a t i o n

18.97.4

R E C O R D LO W T E M P E R AT U R E i n c e l s i u s

5,076,700 2,262,000P O P U L AT I O N 2 0 1 0

95.977.9L I T E R A C Y R AT E a s % o f p o p u l a t i o n

2.12.4

U N E M P LO Y E M E N T R AT E a s % o f p o p u l a t i o n

SINGAPORE

2357150

A V E R A G E R A I N FA L L i n m i l l i m e t e r s

3747.5

R E C O R D H I G H T E M P E R AT U R E i n c e l s i u s

G E O G R A P H Y A N D H I S T O R Y D E C I D E D T H I S F O R U S . W H I L S T W E H A V E N O V A S T H I N T E R L A N D T O O P E N U P F O R P L A N TAT I O N S O R M I N E S , W E H A V E T H E LO C AT I O N , T H E S O C I A L A N D E C O N O M I C I N F R A S T R U C T U R E , T H E D I S C I P L I N E A N D S K I L L S T O K E E P U S C O M P E T I T I V E . S I N G A P O R E H A S A LW AY S H A D T O FA C E C O M P E T I T I O N I N A T O U G H W O R L D.

Lee Kuan Yew, the First Prime Minister of Singapore2

P A R A L L E L H I S T O R I E S & S H A R E D T R A J E C T O R I E S

In subscribing to the belief that places are constructs of not only present-day dynamics, but also of historical influence, Dubai and Singapore are remarkably similar places shaped by comparable economic and cultural conditions.

In this sense, DP Architects was a relevant choice to design The Dubai Mall. The firm, which has been developing since Singapore’s 1965 independence, understood the history and dynamics of Dubai as that of a quickly transforming nation. This knowledge has been translated into The Dubai Mall’s form, and one can palpably sense the work of a seasoned hand in the mall’s architecture. The following comparisons describe the historical similarities between Singapore and Dubai as factors which played important roles in designing The Dubai Mall as a national civic space. The discussions also serve to extend the context beyond just the current built work to the dynamics of culture, history and the transformations of the physical space over time.

O V E R L O O K E D & A L M O S T F O R G O T T E N

While it may be hard to fathom today, at one time neither Dubai nor Singapore were considered viable locations for the establishment of major metropolises.

Although there is evidence that a small fishing village existed at the site of Dubai since the 1500s1, it was an isolated location that straddled a violently contested border between two warring tribes - the Bani Yas of Abu Dhabi and the Qawasim tribe that ruled the ports and waters in the Arabian Gulf2. The Qawasim threatened the British expansion of the East India Company and were summarily removed from power on charges of piracy3. Dubai was settled en masse in 1833 when a splinter group of 1000 tribesmen from the Bani Yas effectively replaced the existing power structure4. Dubai was declared a new independent Sheikdom under the rule of Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti in 1836, thus establishing the Al-Maktoum dynasty that remains in power today.

Singapore has a history of settlement dating to the 1300s5. Regarded as a secondary regional way-station among the trade routes of India, China, Indonesia and Malaysia, the Charter Act of 1813 issued by the United Kingdom eventually stripped the East India Company of its monopoly on India, and the British government established an outpost in Singapore in 1819, albeit reluctantly.

ABOVE:1 1950. The Singapore River fuelled Singapore’s development as a regional trading port.

2 1951. Similar to Singapore, the Dubai Creek was the epicentre of Dubai’s early growth as the city profited from water-based trade routes.

21

P A R T I : D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

750mm - Thickness of the largest acry l ic v iewing panel in the wor ld at The Dubai Aquar ium››

24 / 184

Singapore’s port status was at that time greatly overshadowed by the nearby Riau Islands (known today as Bintan), Malacca and Penang. Because Singapore was not considered an important trading port at that time, the local Malay chiefs granted Singapore formally to the East India Company by means of the Crawfurd Treaty of 18246.

F E W R E S O U R C E S O T H E R T H A N G U I L E

& I N G E N U I T Y

While the U.A.E. is today considered one of the richest countries in the world due to its vast oil reserves, oil was very much a modern discovery dating back only to 1958 in Abu Dhabi7. Dubai itself has had very few natural resources besides the shallow Dubai Creek. There was a time in the late 1800s when Dubai had a reasonable pearl trade, however strict restrictions by the British coupled with the advent of Japanese cultured pearls and the Great Depression obliterated this industry by 1929, and Dubai was left with no natural industry for nearly two decades8. When oil was discovered in Dubai in 1969 after a nearly fifty-year search, the city hoped to encounter a windfall similar to what Abu Dhabi had experienced a decade earlier. Unfortunately, the oil fields discovered were paltry in comparison. But the earlier collapse of the pearl trade had taught the Maktoums the importance of economic diversification, and so they invested oil profits back into the city ’s infrastructure; this long-term thinking later helped to attract the attention of multinational companies.

Singapore’s small land mass rendered opportunities for viable trade virtually impossible; the island’s limited natural resources paled in comparison to resource-rich Malaysia and Indonesia. Rather than producing raw materials themselves, Singapore’s traders learned to profit from the transport and delivery of goods. In a sense, the population themselves became a resource that had to be utilised to keep the colony of Singapore competitive. Singapore’s population was a diverse mix of immigrants who were attracted by the promise of prosperity and brought with them a range of skills and cultures that bolstered their new homeland. At the time of Singapore’s independence in 1965, it was obvious to the new government that, like Dubai, the nation had to expand economically to prevent industry collapse. Beyond functioning solely as a shipping port, Singapore strategically reinvented itself as a manufacturing hub that could leverage its physical location as well as its affordable and skilled labour force. This focus on manufacturing carried Singapore through to the 1970s when the economy was further diversified to include aerospace, banking and petrochemical services9.

B R I T I S H A S S I S T A N C E , N O T O P P O S I T I O N

While global history is fraught with examples of indigenous cultures’ vehement opposition to colonial rule, both Dubai and Singapore developed rather amicable, symbiotic relationships with Britain. The protection and regulation afforded by British rule and laissez-faire economic models supported rapid

T H E D I V I S I O N B E T W E E N P U B L I C A N D P R I V AT E S PA C E H A S B E C O M E U N C L E A R , P E R H A P S E V E N U N I M P O R TA N T T O A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I S C O U R S E .

“

”

25 / 184

growth for both colonies. British occupation brought an infrastructure upon which each society developed its own unique culture. What resources the British framework lacked, the new immigrant societies created for themselves and, in doing so, nurtured a bond with their new homeland and a desire for self-governance10. This ultimately led to the decision by both protectorates to push for independence – Singapore in 1965 and Dubai, as part of the United Arab Emirates, in 1971.

Dubai was under British protection from 1892 until independence in 1971. The Maktoum’s decision to side with the British was unpopular, but necessary in order for the city-state to eclipse tribal warfare and successfully engage in commerce. In return for British protection, the Maktoums allowed the British to setup outposts in Dubai for the control of crucial trade routes in the Arabian Gulf.

Perhaps Singapore, with its long history of international trade, was less opposed to British rule since it didn’t greatly affect commerce. When the British formally came to Singapore in 1819, they brought a system of education and order that Singapore quickly adopted11. Stability allowed Singapore to quickly transform from a transient community into a thriving immigrant nation.

O P E N P O R T , O P E N B O R D E R S

Due to limited natural resources, both Dubai and Singapore had to devise strategies for generating income without producing goods or materials locally. The resulting physical and economic developments of these two port cities followed similar landform patterns and government trade policies.

Both colonies were founded along internal waterways – the Dubai Creek and the Singapore River. Naturally, both cities evolved geographically around the waterways, leading to high-density areas inhabited by merchants, traders and labourers, and to the development of a host of port-related industries. The importance of the waterway is evident in Dubai’s comprehensive widening and deepening of its shallow Dubai Creek to allow for larger vessels to access warehouses along its edge in the 1950s12.

Both ports declared free trade policies (Singapore beginning in the early 1800s and Dubai in the early 1900s) that gave Dubai and Singapore instant advantages over the neighbouring ports of Persia and Malaya, respectively. As a result, customs duties and fees were either abolished or greatly reduced. Government incomes were gained from supporting industries of warehousing, transportation and logistics rather than from taxes on the trade itself, and public-private investments eased taxation to encourage population growth and immigration. Trade policies also incentivised competition, raising the skill and talent expectations from foreign investors as well as marketplace standards. The promise of a ‘hands-off ’ government attracted foreign traders and merchants from beyond the traditional trading routes and consequently brought a diversity of talents, beliefs and backgrounds that formed the cultural melting pot which remains evident today.

P A R T I : D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N26 / 184

H U M B L E B E G I N N I N G S T R A N S F O R M E D B Y

V I S I O N A R Y L E A D E R S

The rise of the two humble port cities to their current stature as world capitals happened in the span of a single generation. Strong social programmes, investments in infrastructure and future growth coupled with long-term visionary planning have transformed both societies into benchmarks by which not only developing metropolises, but centuries-old global capitals, are measured. Both the Maktoum family in Dubai and the government led by Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore have been instrumental in the rapid rise of their respective cities. Both leaders have acted on visions of a future that extended well beyond their humble beginnings. Facing strong opposition and mistrust, the leaders invested in long-term development at a time when the states fought for immediate reform. Both believed that a paradigm shift was required to transform their city-states into globally-competitive metropolises.

1950s Dubai had fallen behind its neighbours in terms of modern amenities and growth: basic human needs like drinking water were in short supply, artificial lighting didn’t become common until the 1960s and illiteracy was widespread. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’ s appointment as Prime Minister in 1958 coupled with the discovery of oil in 1969 were two major catalysts for Dubai’s transformation. Shrewd economic decisions enabled the formation of a business environment that attracted the world’s players. Understanding the importance of connectivity, the Maktoums built a large airport in the 1960s at a time when there was little demand for air travel to the region. In fact, the Maktoums gambled with an “If you build it, they will come” mentality. Once the multi-national companies arrived in Dubai, the Maktoums realised that the city needed to provide more than just basic amenities; it had to cater to the increasingly affluent residents and visitors with leisure activities. The succession of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in 2006 after his brother’s passing continued Dubai’s relentless drive for progress.

In 1947 Singapore’s port had just over one million inhabitants living primarily in shophouses and squalid one-room apartments13. Post-war Singapore faced food shortages and substantial infrastructural damage. The death rate in 1945 was twice the pre-war level14. Crime and corruption ran rampant as the war years bred a new survivalist mentality that undervalued order and governance. These patterns changed in 1959, when Lee Kuan Yew of the People’s Action Party (PAP) became the nation’s first Prime Minister. Lee commenced his transformation of Singapore with a housing master plan in 1958 that decentralised the overcrowded settlements in the city centre and organised industrial areas along the perimeter of the island. Singapore’s government continued to address the population’s growing needs by means of revised comprehensive master plans and housing policy reforms each decade. Today, the nation’s population exceeds 5 million.

T H E P R O M I S E O F A ‘ H A N D S - O F F ’ G O V E R N M E N T AT T R A C T E D F O R E I G N T R A D E R S A N D M E R C H A N T S F R O M B E Y O N D T H E T R A D I T I O N A L T R A D I N G R O U T E S A N D C O N S E Q U E N T LY B R O U G H T A D I V E R S I T Y O F TA L E N T S , B E L I E F S A N D B A C K G R O U N D S T H AT F O R M E D T H E C U LT U R A L M E LT I N G P O T W H I C H R E M A I N S E V I D E N T T O D AY.

“

”

27 / 184

S I N G A P O R E – D U B A I : R E T A I L C O N V E R G E N C E

In the early 1970s, Singapore reached an important developmental stage that Dubai would also confront two decades later: the population was well-fed, its basic necessities provided for, and the people were prospering, but they wanted more.

One architectural response to these conditions in Singapore was a new form of mixed-use space — a series of buildings that began to transform the city ’s civic nature. In 1973, the People’s Park Complex became the first shopping centre in Singapore (designed by Design Partnership, later renamed as DP Architects). This building’s form and programme melded the modernist ideals of mixed-use, high-rise living championed by Le Corbusier with 1960s Japanese Metabolist concepts of megastructure, while also responding to Singapore’s tropical climate. Such projects led to the formation of a commercial urban core. Retail amenities served the local population and also attracted tourists, helping to reinforce Singapore as a leisure destination.

In the 1990s, Dubai’s infrastructure also begged for commercial centres that would establish new civic spaces within the city — recreational and entertainment venues for tourists and residents alike. The Dubai Mall stems from that evolution. It is worth noting that, while the number of retail malls in Singapore currently surpasses that of Dubai, no single retail project in Singapore parallels The Dubai Mall in scale or breadth of programme. And while Singapore’s retail market has taken 30 years to arrive at its current saturation point, Dubai’s comparable retail expansion evolved largely within the last 10 years.

With a lack of historical precedence for modern retail, both Dubai and Singapore emerged from a veritable tabula rasa as far as retail design and development are concerned. Surely, there existed souk and local market predecessors; however, the concept of shopping malls is a largely Western conception. This may have a large part to do with the modern shopping mall as a response to harsh winter climates in the West, whereas the heat of Dubai, although unbearable by modern standard’s, was largely a fact of life and was not deemed extreme enough to hinder commerce. Thermal comfort is still a relatively modern concept – perhaps largely driven by the shopping mall where the early deployment made commercial sense.

1 2

Early examples of mixed-use retail projects in Singapore.

ABOVE:1 Sectional perspective of The Golden Mile Shopping Centre, DP Architects, 1974.

2 Sectional perspective of the People’s Park Complex, DP Architects, 1973.

RIGHT:The Golden Mile Shopping Centre served as one of the first mixed-use retail buildings in Asia. The programme combined a retail podium with offices and residential units above.

P A R T I : D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

750mm - Thickness of the largest acry l ic v iewing panel in the wor ld at The Dubai Aquar ium

28 / 184

The retail market in Singapore is also notoriously fickle, requiring a significant revamp every five to eight years to stay visually competitive. Developers have become cautious of new retail concepts as the capital outlay for a new mall in Singapore now requires near-certain guarantee of return on investment. Risk aversion is very much antithetical to creativity and the current retail design market in Singapore is precariously close to this state. Dubai, on the other hand, seemed to revel in risk-taking measures during the boom period that overlapped with The Dubai Mall’s conception between 2002 and 2008. The current Dubai skyline is a cornucopia of experimentation. Some projects succeeded while many failed.

Dubai’s retail malls have a tendency to be developed architecturally on the basis of a theme. Seminal examples include the multi-cultural explorer-themed Ibn Battuta Mall, the Venetian-Florentine Mercato Mall and the Egyptian Wafi Mall. Each is saturated with recreational programming and visual simulations, perhaps a necessary style-over-substance solution by developers to make up for the lack of high quality tenants in Dubai’s early retail market. In others, exuberant and ostentatious designs are used to disguise otherwise banal, homogenous planning techniques. The Mall of the Emirates and Festival City Mall, for example, are built upon decentralised plans designed much like an airport terminal.

T H E D U B A I M A L L A S A C U L T U R A L M A R R I A G E

The Dubai Mall is a product borne of two parents: Emaar, the Dubai-based developer who commissioned it; and DP Architects, the Singapore-based firm who designed it. As such, The Dubai Mall stands as a singular expression straddling dual contexts. On the one hand, DP Architects brought decades of experience from Singapore’s retail market, one in which discerning shoppers had become sophisticated, desiring genuine shopping experiences over superficial aesthetic flourishes. Meanwhile, the developers brought a visionary project of a scale and market viability that could never be realised in Singapore.

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC, often remarked during the design process that he wanted the best shopping mall in the world; such an open design platform could have easily led to exuberance and excess without restraint. The Dubai Mall, albeit large, is a composition of subtle and sophisticated architecture, a result which speaks to the architect’s skill for designing successful, functional retail spaces. By breaking from the traditional monotonous circuit plan exhibited by most shopping malls, DP Architects has created a succession of varied spaces and thoroughfares that are both intimate and grand, and, above all, have a distinct spatial personality. Recent statistics have shown that The Dubai Mall continues to perform beyond expectations in spite of the global economic crisis and the increasingly competitive Dubai retail market, perhaps thanks in large part to the well-designed spaces and attractive mix of tenants and amenities.

S T R O N G S O C I A L P R O G R A M M E S , I N V E S T M E N T S I N I N F R A S T R U C T U R E A N D F U T U R E G R O W T H C O U P L E D W I T H LO N G -T E R M V I S I O N A R Y P L A N N I N G H A V E T R A N S F O R M E D B O T H S O C I E T I E S I N T O B E N C H M A R K S BY W H I C H N O T O N LY D E V E LO P I N G M E T R O P O L I S E S , B U T C E N T U R I E S - O L D G LO B A L C A P I TA L S , A R E M E A S U R E D.

RIGHT:The Dubai Mall in context: the world’s largest shopping mall next to the world’s tallest building.

P A R T I : D U B A I + S I N G A P O R E : A C O M P A R A T I V E I N T R O D U C T I O N

“

”

30 / 184

DUBAI POPULATION2. 2 MILLION

1: 169PEOPLE IN DUBAI

13,000 WORKERS

MATTER OF SIZE:

MANPOWER

ONE IN EVERY 169 PEOPLE IN DUBAI WAS WORKING ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DUBAI MALL

P A R T I I F R O M C O N C E P T T O C O M P L E T I O N

3 6

3 8

4 2

5 6

6 8

C O N C E P T

M A T T E R O F S I Z E : G L O B E T R O T T I N G

P L A N N I N G

D O C U M E N T A T I O N

M A T T E R O F S I Z E : T I M E A N D L E N G T H

R E A L I S A T I O N

C O M P L E T I O N

I N S E R T

I N S E R T

ABOVE:2007. ‘The fifth elevation’ (term for The Dubai Mall’s extensive roof composition as seen from neighbouring towers) under construction.

C O N C E P T

T H E D U B A I M A L L I S B I G

At the time of this writing, The Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world as measured by covered area and one of the largest structures of any kind in the world. The design team did not initially set out to design a mall for the purpose of record-breaking size, however. Its focus was, rather, to design a world-class shopping experience that had the widest selection of retail and entertainment venues. This endeavour consequently affected nearly every aspect of the project’s design and construction and resulted in a building of massive scale. Despite the enormity of the project, the design team had a mere three weeks to develop a cohesive entry to an invited design competition hosted by Emaar Properties, the largest land developer in the Arabian Gulf.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the mall’s earliest design stage was its need to be a highly functional and operational enterprise. Service and ‘back-of-house’ areas were as important as the ‘public’ shopping thoroughfares and boulevards. Building at this scale was an exercise akin to urban planning: the mall would operate at a scale more comparable to that of an urban centre than that of a single building. Logistics and real-world considerations played a pivotal role in the project’s conception. The ethos ‘function without sacrificing form’ was echoed through every stage of The Dubai Mall’s design and construction.

C O N C E P TP A R T I I

ABOVE: An early part sketch describes primary nodes of activity along a circuit in plan, a concept that would help to position zones of programme and their relation to key entrances.

36 / 184

Po

inte

r

25˙

12’3

.72”

N

55˙1

6’54

,49”

E

elev

2

2 ft

EMIRATES TOWER

TO DEIRA AND THE DUBAI AIRPORT

TO NEW DUBAI AND ABU DHABI

NEW DIFC

DUBAI MALL SITE

BURJ KHALIFA

DUSIT HOTEL

SHEI

KH Z

AYED

HIG

HWAY

ABOVE:A site plan diagram relates The Dubai Mall to its urban context and the inherent circulatory axis defined by the Sheikh Zayed Highway.

T H E S I T E

The Dubai Mall was an integral part of the overall masterplan for ‘Downtown Dubai’, a region that Emaar conceived as a new urban centre for the city. Dubai has a historic city centre located along the edges of Dubai Creek, where a main port operated for centuries as the lifeblood of the city. The creation of the Sheikh Zayed Highway linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 1980 created a linear spine of development and density.

Following the establishment of the Jebel Ali Free Industrial Zone in the mid-1980s, New Dubai – a central business district planned to support the free trade zone – was created roughly 25 kilometres south-west of the historic city centre. Through intense development, New Dubai has become the densest urban condition in the city-state. The gap between the dense, low-rise historic city centre and the newly established high-rise city centre has since been tenuously filled with a single linear development flanking the highway.

Helping to infill a portion of this thin line of connectivity was the US$20 billion Downtown Dubai development, encompassing roughly 500 acres [200 hectares] and eleven separate, mixed-use developments including The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building), three hotels and the low-rise arabesque-inspired Old Town. Downtown Dubai today serves as a central node of development and geographically unifies the existing historic district with the mass of new development located further along the coastline.

THE DUBAI MALL: IN CONTEXT

THE WORLD’S GREATEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE: THE DESIGN TEAM TRAVELLED ACROSS THE GLOBE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO CREATE A WORLD CLASS SHOPPING MALL

Los Angeles•San Diego•

San Francisco•

Minneapolis•

Birmingham•London•

Barcelona•

Houston•

•Las Vegas

•Orlando

•Miami

•New York

•Connecticut

MATTER OF SIZE:

GLOBETROTTING

•Hong Kong

•Tokyo

•Okinawa

•Bangkok

•Singapore

•Paris

•Milan

•Dubai

The design team made use of these vital trips to dissect the workings of successful retail environments, and to understand the shortcomings that afflicted the not-so-successful. Studies focused on tangible details like corridor widths, threshold transitions, after-hours security measures and durability of materials. Subjective aspects of design were also explored, such as place-making and the characteristics of spaces which stimulated the sensations of discovery and opulence. The team discovered that functionality was paramount: even some of the most special places were crippled by poor planning and implementation.

From their travels, the team proposed a list of requirements and spaces that befitted world-class malls and prioritised guiding principles to govern The Dubai Mall’s design. Three fundamental concepts quickly emerged:

C I R C U L A T I O N S H O U L D B E S T R A I G H T F O R W A R D

Clarity and visibility are vital to wayfinding and circulation for large-scale projects. Unlike smaller retail projects, which encourage disorientation to prolong shopping times, The Dubai Mall was to be clearly demarcated to prevent visitors from becoming lost or overwhelmed. As a result, a simple quadrant circuit was created to facilitate continuous circulation and offer heterogeneous experiences as internal wayfinding tools.

T H E M A L L H A S T O W O R K

The logistics of parking, servicing, stock delivery, waste removal and emergency escape points had to be fully integrated with the design of the public areas and

ABOVE:Various entrance positions and nodes were studied to control the sequence of spaces from entrances and parking to the interior circuit. The Mall’s façade is so expansive that it requires multiple primary modes of entrance to cut down on walking distance.

P A R T I I : C O N C E P T40 / 184

retail units. Since the majority of the expected 30 million annual patrons would arrive by car, the mall’s 14,000 parking lots had to be highly orchestrated in terms of proximity to retail: location of drop-offs and entrances were critical. Similarly, back-of-house corridors were to create an entire network of ‘servant spaces’ that worked as a liner between the outer shell and the guest spaces. In effect, complex spatial arrangements were required to support simple ‘served spaces’.

T H E M A L L S H O U L D O F F E R S O M E T H I N G F O R E V E R Y O N E

One of the strongest desires of Chairman Alabbar, was that the mall be a place that the entire family could enjoy. This would be realized by a specialised formula of tenants and types of public spaces. Retail shops would have to be supplemented by a host of dynamic entertainment options as well as quiet spaces for rest. More than a shopping destination, The Dubai Mall had to be comfortable enough to encourage visitors to stay the entire day, akin to performing as a civic building more so than as a commercial space.

ABOVE:A developed parti diagramme describes a clear circuit plan with a strong axial organisation and a complex set of relationships among entrance points, car park locations, view corridors and indoor-outdoor permeability.

41 / 184

P L A N N I N G

D I S T R I C T S A N D N O D E S

To aid circulation, districts and nodes were created not only as attractions, but also as differentiated landmarks for wayfinding. Placemaking as such ensured that each internal district served as a unique and exciting destination. This planning decision precluded the type of banal, modular design that one often witnesses in the interminable identical corridors of airports and smaller shopping malls.

Eight major districts divide and organise the mall. These districts are thematically linked by tenants and attractions and include: a high fashion area with a stage and catwalk; a sports-related boulevard with access to an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink; an indoor-outdoor café space with a retractable roof; a main avenue hosting a massive aquarium and aquatic zoo; an entertainment zone with 22 movie theatres and an indoor theme park. In this way, the mall becomes a series of individualised districts that a patron could visit easily without being overwhelmed by vast sameness.

Shortcuts were created to render the mall’s 23 kilometres of storefronts as easily traversable, endowing the mall with a high degree of flexible circulation. A visitor could spend many days exploring each square metre of the mall without experiencing repetitive spaces, and regular shoppers, on the other hand, could target specific areas in an efficient manner.

C O N C O U R S E

The Concourse is a 240-metre-long, linear shopping street that greets visitors entering through the four main entrances fronting Financial Centre Road (formerly Doha Street) and the Grand Drive. The primary tenants here are high-end watch and jewellery stores.

C A R N I V A L W A L K

Carnival Walk is a linear district which links the Red Box entrance along the Grand Drive to the waterfall atrium along the rear façade. This area caters to teenagers and sports enthusiasts and features an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink. On its upper floor, Carnival Walk links to the UAE’s largest movie theatre (comprised of 22 screens), an indoor theme park complete with a roller coaster and

KidZania, its anchor tenant. KidZania offers children the unique experience of role-playing as adults in a scaled-down version of an urban city. It is a fitting tenant inside a mall which also approximates the urban conditions of a city centre.

A Q U A R I U M W A L K

The 385m long Aquarium Walk establishes the primary transverse axis of the mall. It links the Grand Entrance and atrium to the waterfront along the man-made lake and is centred upon the mall’s primary nodal attraction, the massive Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.

G O L D S O U K

The world’s largest indoor souk, the Gold Souk features compressed, meandering pathways and courtyard spaces, culminating in a Grand Entrance atrium space at the souk’s centrepoint.

T H E G R O V E

The Grove is a stretch of sidewalk cafés. A retractable roof transforms the space into a true outdoor boulevard when the weather permits and acts as an interstitial transition between the main mall and one of the major carparks.

G A L L E R I A S T R E E T

Galleria Street is a sweeping boulevard that extends from the Media Gateway entrance to the indoor waterfall. It features high-street tenants and is planned with four unique atriums.

F A S H I O N A V E N U E

Fashion Avenue is an exclusive area for ultra high-end fashion labels featuring a massive atrium space and a transformable floor surface that morphs into a raised catwalk for fashion shows.

T H E A D D R E S S D U B A I M A L L H O T E L

Located next to the main façade, the 5-star, 42-storey The Address Dubai Mall Hotel is linked through the mall’s lowest level and has a total of 224 rooms, 449 service apartments, a spa and 5 restaurants and lounges.

P L A N N I N GP A R T I I

42 / 184

RED BOX ENTRANCE

THE GRAND DRIVE

GOLD SOUK ENTRANCE

THE GRAND ENTRANCETHE MEDIA DRUM ENTRANCE

THE DUBAI MALL: DISTRICTS AND NODES

GOLD SOUKGALLERIA STREET

THE ADDRESS DUBAI MALL HOTEL

CARNIVAL WALK THE GROVECONCOURSEAQUARIUM WALK

FASHION AVENUE

P A R T I I : P L A N N I N G

F R O N T F A Ç A D E

The mall plays host to a wide spectrum of spaces and experiences, and this is expressed architecturally on the 630-metre-long façade fronting Grand Drive along Financial Centre Road. Set against the backdrop of a unifying mashrabiya-patterned surface [see page 102], four different volumetric entrances signal arrival in varying scales and finishes: at the western end is the Media Gateway Entrance with a nested glass façade; at the centre is the Grand Entrance with a double-height portico, symmetrically flanked volumes and an immense silver canopy demarcating the largest atrium in the mall; next to this is the Gold Souk Entrance with a shimmering backlit gold surface framing an Arabic archway; at the eastern end is the playful Galleries Lafayette Entrance rendered in glossy red panels, contrasting greatly with the surrounding desert environment.

Each entrance corresponds with a major internal axis of circulation that transverses the mall to link the front and rear façades: Galleria Walk, Aquarium Walk, Gold Souk and Carnival Street.

ABOVE:An early sketch of the Grand Drive façade highlights the design intent of having unique objects along a common surface.

RIGHT:The Gold Souk entrance was studied extensively through drawings, physical models and digital renderings. Here, the arabesque arch is tested with mashrabiya-patterned façade cladding.

44 / 184

P A R T I I : P L A N N I N G

1 2

Developmental sketches of the Galleries Lafayette Entrance and the Gold Souk Entrance

46 / 184

3 4

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:Grand Drive Entrances

1 The Galleries Lafayette Red Box entrance cantilevers retail space over the Grand Drive.

2 The Gold Souk entrance is backlit to reveal the transparency of the façade panels at night.

3 The Grand Entrance which enters into The Mall’s largest atrium.

4 The Media Drum at the far western end of the Grand Drive façade.

Developmental sketches of the Grand Entrance and the Media Drum Entrance

47 / 184

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:1 The Fashion Island VIP entrance was conceived as a double-height volume in the shape of an ellipse. Its form emphasises verticality to contrast with the horizontally of the adjacent Fashion Island atrium.

2 Variations of an arabesque archway in the design development of the Gold Souk Entrance.

F A Ç A D E D E T A I L D E V E L O P M E N T S K E T C H E S

1

2

P A R T I I : P L A N N I N G48 / 184

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:3 A detail sketch of the cruciform column in the Grand Entrance canopy.

4 The engaged cylindrical form of the Grand Entrance is additive to the main façade.

3

4

49 / 184

ABOVE:Early 3D concept models showed a consideration of the exterior enclosure as a unified expression similar to the walls of a fort which would encircle The Mall’s varied programmes and volumes.

R E A R F A Ç A D E

While the front façade’s compositional dialogue poses distinct geometric objects against a fluid background field, the rear façade is comprised of layered volumes which break the surface. Four cylindrical volumes enclosing the carpark and three atria create an undulating mass that responds to the scalloped edge of the lakeside. The articulation of this form creates an expanded surface area that permits a greater number of viewing points towards the lake and The Dubai Fountain.

The façade participates in a dialogue with the water’s scalloped edge, the surrounding urban context and the building masses beyond the site. Open spaces are created by the voids and curvatures of volumes and the wide lakefront walkway and plaza which become full of people in the evenings to watch the fountain show and enjoy the cooler nighttime weather.

Q : What was unique about The Dubai Mall compared to other projects you had worked on?

A : The Dubai Mall was my first experience working in the Middle East, a region that I have since come to concentrate on. Seismic loading, sandstorms, extreme heat and massive scale were all unique design considerations.

The unprecedented scale of the project became evident when we started preparing the floor plans. We realised that each plan at a typical scale of 1:200 required 16 A0 sheets (16 square metres)!

Role: Project Architect responsible for overall coordination between Singapore and Dubai T O H S Z E C H O N G Senior Associate Director, DP Architects

P A R T I I : P L A N N I N G50 / 184