SUNBOW OR SOLAR HALO
location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
year: 2019
status: Open competition
client: Emaar
program: Landmark, sky bridge, roof plaza, floating lounge, art terrace, lobby, cafe, bookshop
GFA: / m2
budget: / euro
team: Lucia Zamponi, Filippo Nanni
collaborators:
/
Sunbow.
The landmark at Dubai Creek Harbour is a multifaceted structure. Its boundaries are blurred. Sunbow is not a building but a unique place where outdoor and indoor dialogue and interact. Our ambition is to reinvent the notion of landmark as a structure no longer exclusively dedicated to a single visit in a lifetime, but as capacitor of activities, where locals, tourists, residents, expats could find interest and amusement.
Site plan.
Located between the metro and the Island Sunbow will
be an unmissable destination at Dubai Creek Harbour.
From the Floating lounge guests will enjoy a unique
view of Dubai Creek Tower and Burj Khalifa.
An international destination.
Sunbow is a place to discover. It will provide visitors with a world class experience. Take in spectacular 360 degree views of Dubai Creek Harbour from the Roof plaza. The Sky bridge is an amazing promenade in the air at 45m of height. Enjoy fine dining at Floating lounge with glass floor and view straight down to the beach and to the Art terrace. Dubai’s ultimate event venue, Sunbow will hosts art and cultural events from receptions and dinners to products launches and themed events.
Sky bridge.
The bridge takes guests to the top of structure along the upper arch in a round-trip that connect the beach shore to the palm trees park. Different pathways are possible for people who are short on time or concerned about heights.
Roof plaza.
The top of the building is a shaded plaza with a spectacular 360 degree view of Dubai Creek Harbour.
Open to the public it’s the perfect place to enjoy the sunset or having dinner or a picnic in the evening.
Art terrace.
The Art terrace is a polyvalent space, shaded by the external structure. It will welcome a wide variety of major national and international events like contemporary art, large-scale exhibitions, fairground, etc. Here children can learn whilst having fun, through permanent collections and temporary exhibtions.
An everchanging landmark.
The superstructure is different from every side. From the Dubai Creek Island it will appear as a pyramid while from the Dubai Creek Tower it will appear as a dome. The shape, inspired by the tradidional tents, is at the same time classic and futuristic.
Overview.
By considering the new structure nor exclusively indoor neither outdoor we create different expectations from the users outside as for the users inside.
The main entrance is on the beach side. The ticket office lies on the ground floor where there are also the bookshop, the cafeteria and a first exhibition space. Two elevators or the main staircase will allow to ascend to the first level and visit the Art terrace. Once there, people could take the elevator or walk up steps to the Floating lounge level, which offers a surprising view of the Art terrace and of the beach through transparent floor. The outdoor terrace will showcase sensational panoramas of Dubai Downtown and of Dubai Creek Harbour. The Roof plaza features more than 1,300 square meters of outdoor viewing space allow for relaxing and enjoying the scene. The Sky Bridge offers some unique views of the Dubai cityscape.
The Sunbow is proposed to be a steel construction. The 45 m high steel arch will support the exterior shading envelope. The two levels of basement are designed with a regular grid of columns, beams and slabs to suit the parking, technical spaces, storage, operations and loading/unloading deck.