Dubai - An example to look up to

[rev]

I recently commented in one of the CBD development threads, as an aside, that if we want Adelaide to become truly sensational, we should raise our standards a lot. I offered Dubai as an example of what can be achieved when people use their imagination with regard to city development.

A couple of people on that thread didn't seem to understand what I meant, so here are just a few random examples of some of the many amazing things to be found in Dubai. I admit I haven't had the pleasure of actually exploring the place myself yet. I've only been in the airport. However it is quite apparent that it is the most exciting, fascinating, fun place in the world, as well as the most progressive in terms of development.

I'm not saying we should copy it, but that we should learn from their attitude.

I think we've found something we kind of agree on finally.
Adelaide, and Australia for that matter, definitely needs more inspiring architecture.
Even the new BHP tower in Perth, while it looks good, is basically just a big box covered in glass.
Then you look at what's going up not just in Dubai but around the world from China and even London, and you're almost envious.

Dubai, China and London all have bucket loads of money .... we don't.

Our government may not have bucket loads of cash like the Chinese, but that doesn't mean we should only expect to see boxes and rectangles on our skyline.
The SAHMRI is a fine building. Certainly the best looking building in Adelaide. We need more unique buildings like it. That's something Adelaide can excel in and lead the way.

[gerg]

I signed up a couple of days ago to respond to this post but only getting around to writing it now, and others have already covered a lot of my points.

First, I've lived in DUbai for 10 years, and I have not even seen many of these designs. Many are just someone's pipe dream and will not be built.

But let's look at somthing they have built, like this.

dubai9.jpg (12.03 KiB) Viewed 5642 times

It's a poorly thought out development and while it may be nice to look at, I would not like to live there. This development has been built while I have been here, and they had a great oportunity to build a city from ground up and make something really good, but instead, in the quest to cram as many appartments in as they possibly could they forgot to provide any open space in which to make the place livable. It may be great if you are young, single, eat out every night etc, but if you have children there is nothing there for them. Traffic is horrific, no parking, and although it's only 5 min down the road, I avoid the place as much as possible. It's a nice place to visit, but they could have done so much better. Not something to look up to or try and replicate.

There is some pretty cool looking buildings here and all over Dubai, but they are all jumbled together in a mish mash of different styles and designs. There is often no master plan.

OK, how about something they did right, like this

Ariel-view-of-hotel.jpg (104.16 KiB) Viewed 5642 times

I'm referring to the development in the forground not the Burj hotel in the back ground (which is much nicer from the outside than the inside).

Or

The-Old-Town-Island-Aerial-Perspective.jpg (398.63 KiB) Viewed 5642 times

My point is that you can plonk a fancy building anywhere but taking the time to design a development which takes into consideration the culture, history and surroundings will result in a better long term outcome.

Adelaide is blessed with many attributes that are not easily replicated elsewhere. The parklands, torrens, Adelaide hills, wineries etc. It's these features which people will come to Adelaide to see and make it a place where people will want to live.

There is a lot of development happening in GCC region, Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi etc all trying to out do each other and be the biggest and best. Meanwhile Muscat has taken a different route and has restricted building hights and development types and is trying to keep it's culture, history and use it's natural attributes. I like Muscat a lot and I think they have done the right thing. The rest will just end up being another city with no real unique features but Muscat will be a jewel in arabia.

Adelaide will never be one of the 'biggest and best', but it can still be something really special, and I think it already is. It just needs to keep doing more of what it does best, and make tastful developments that enhance it's best features.

By all means, use Dubai as inspiration, but also try and learn from it's mistakes as well.

[monotonehell]

Great first post Gerg (and not only because it backs up my opinion ).

Welcome to the forum.

[pushbutton]

It's very interesting to hear from someone who has actually lived in Dubai, so thanks Gerg.

Perhaps I could have titled this thread more accurately, as I'm not saying everything about Dubai is an example to look up to. Just some of the inspirational developments.

One thing I know they have nearly completed and is inspirational is Palm Islands. What's your opinion on that?

[stronic]

Oh please, a bunch of super talls, some fancy resorts and artificial everything is not impressive. Dubai is an empty place, fast approaching rust bucket status.

[rev]

Oh please, a bunch of super talls, some fancy resorts and artificial everything is not impressive. Dubai is an empty place, fast approaching rust bucket status.

Just curious, have you lived there?

[gerg]

One thing I know they have nearly completed and is inspirational is Palm Islands. What's your opinion on that?

I'm not a big fan.
Sure, it' great for grabbing some headlines, but really...... would you want to live on it? Was it built to grab headlines or to provide a nice place to live?

The villas that are on the fronds look nice, but inherant in the design of the palm is the fact that there is no possibility of proper water circulation. So you may have a water front property, but the water is stagnant, in summer it must be 40+ deg, and you would not want to swim in it so what is the point? Looks nice from a distance but doesn't work in practice...... another poorly thought out project (assuming they even wanted to create a nice place to live, which probably was not the aim).

Like I said, there are developments here that have been well thought out, but you seem to be hung up on the big headline projects, which unfortunatlely are mostly pretty stupid or badly executed ideas. They work for grabing peoples attention, but they probably will not work in the medium to long term.

But even Dubai recognises and protects some of it's unique historical features and charm, which it should be commended for. For example, the creek which is traditionally a trading hub for the region and focal point for old dubai, still operates in similar manner as it did before the oil boom. They only allow traditional wooden hull dhow boats to operate out of the creek docks for trade, and it's a great place to wander to see all the goods being loaded and unloaded.

71033137.jpg (58.97 KiB) Viewed 5514 times

I don't like boring box buildings any more than the next guy, but most of the stuff here that you are referring to would stick out like a sore thumb in Adelaide.

[pushbutton]

I have to say in all objectivity that the photo in the above post looks exactly like a third world slum to me. Nothing at all pleasant about it.

[monotonehell]

I have to say in all objectivity that the photo in the above post looks exactly like a third world slum to me. Nothing at all pleasant about it.

Do you mean the picture of all the cargo boats birthed at a dock?

[pushbutton]

Yes, although I must admit it looks such a mess I didn't even notice that it was boats when I first saw it. I assumed it was a shanty town sort of place.

[stronic]

My point is that you can plonk a fancy building anywhere but taking the time to design a development which takes into consideration the culture, history and surroundings will result in a better long term outcome.

You can plonk a fancy building anywhere. Look at NYC's streets. Most of them are lined with historic townhouses/apartment complexes and the skyscrapers tower above those, and it looks great.

[pushbutton]

My point is that you can plonk a fancy building anywhere but taking the time to design a development which takes into consideration the culture, history and surroundings will result in a better long term outcome.

You can plonk a fancy building anywhere. Look at NYC's streets. Most of them are lined with historic townhouses/apartment complexes and the skyscrapers tower above those, and it looks great.

I think it comes down to excellent design, which doesn't just mean design of the building itself, but also very careful consideration of how a new building will fit in with its surroundings.

That doesn't however have to mean that if the surroundings are plain or boring that the new building has to also be plain or boring. Not at all. Using the basic principles of good design, you can produce a fantastic, exciting building which fits in very nicely with its boring surroundings (if that's what they happen to be).

I'm not sure I agree though that it's just a matter of "plonking" great buildings anywhere.

[claybro]

I agree that the can do attitude of Dubai is something we can look up to, even if not some of the garish developements. It is this time of year that highlights to me everthing that is wrong with the Adelaide attitude. Many of my expat old school mates come home for Christmas, and we invariably catch up for drinks. Without fail they all say the thing they love about coming back to Adelaide is that it is comfortable, familiar and never changes. Those of us that have stayed here point to things like Adelaide Oval, hospital and riverbank redevelopement. These developements while huge by Adelaide standards, are going on in every other city in Australia, and do not make us a point of difference and aside from the Riverbank precinct, the suburbs remain largely unchanged from the 1970's. Even some of my local mates, I am sorry to say actually do not like change and are proud Adelaide does not change too much...these are fellas in the late 30's. I dont know the answer to this, but some real groundbreaking architecture in prominent locations in the CBD AND suburbs might raise peoples expectations, rather than the bland, cheap concrete boxes we are served up now.

[Nort]

Bumping this thread just to point out to Pushbutton that now is the time to explore the city. Check out the Garden of Unearthly Delights!

[Sheaikkhnain]

Bumping this thread just to point out to Pushbutton that now is the time to explore the city. Check out the Garden of Unearthly Delights!

wow ! great news

thanks Nort