Dubbed “Moon World Resorts,” the idea is to recreate the Moon on a grand scale right here on our home planet, no rocket trip required. As Moon World Resorts co-founder Michael R. Henderson recently told CNN Travel, the moon is a “recognizable brand…seven and a half billion people know it, everybody loves it.” He hopes his ambitious idea will spur travelers everywhere to flock to the spacey, ultra-luxurious new hotel.

Though the project itself has been in development for nearly 20 years, artist renderings envision a futuristic space where guests can enjoy all the perks of a traditional top-notch resort while pretending they’e floating in a far-off space station. Of course, no trip to the moon would be complete without a space walk. A lunar experience inside the hotel will allow guests to simulate the feeling of actually walking on the moon. As Henderson says, “we will give you the ability in your lifetime to walk on what you believe will be the lunar surface.”

Unfortunately, as with most architecture projects of this scale and scope, Moon World Resorts has also come with its share of “tremendous technical challenges,” according to Henderson. He’s currently working with co-founder Sandra G. Matthews alongside “independent engineers and architects to make the concept a reality,” according to CNN Travel.

If all goes according to plan, the Canada-based entrepreneurs plan on eventually expanding Moon World Resorts to other continents, too. This will depend largely on securing licensees willing to invest in the project — but as we now know all too well, it’s pretty hard for rich people to say “no” to space.

For his part, Henderson remains hopeful that Moon World Resorts will eventually get past the conceptual stage and become a full-on reality. He believes that the first hotel could open as early as 2027 as “a destination in its own right,” drawing visitors from around the globe who want to experience the thrill of the final frontier from the comfort of the planet they know and love.

The post Dubai’s Moon World Resorts Take Us One Step Closer to Space Travel first appeared on Dornob.

ZNera Space sees the Downtown Circle as sustainable and self-sufficient vertical urbanism. The mega-complex stands an incredible 550 meters (1,804 feet) off the ground on five relatively narrow supports as an alternative to a bunch of unconnected skyscrapers. Containing housing, retail stores, offices, and schools as well as public spaces like parks and museums, the ring-shaped tower even has its own transportation system. Theoretically, residents wouldn’t ever have to leave the tower if they didn’t want to.

Downtown Circle contains five levels, including two main rings held together by a continuous green belt the architects call Skypark. Spanning the multi-story vertical space between the structure’s two rings, the Skypark is its own self-contained ecosystem full of swamps, waterfalls, canyons, sandy dunes, and tropical vegetation. It also incorporates rainwater harvesting, solar power, and agricultural production, so the community can grow some of its own food and produce its own energy. And with full-size trees capable of storing carbon, the Skypark also helps to offset the ring’s greenhouse gas emissions.

To get around the ring, residents and visitors will travel in a fleet of suspended peripheral pods that transport them from one node to another. The vessels follow tracks along the structure’s bottom tier. An elevated heliport on the roof of the inner ring lets inhabitants travel down to the city and back up again. An outer layer of louvers protects the facade from intense sunlight and helps reflect light to areas that get shaded by the geometry of the building throughout the day.

“We wanted to go down to the basics of how gated communities were established as a very horizontal built environment,” says Najmus Chowdry, co-founder of ZNera Space. “But you can’t have that here because of the dense urban fabric of Dubai. The best way to explore and practice this concept was in downtown itself.”

“The concept was of a vertical city,” says Nils Remess, the firm’s other co-founder. “When COVID-19 hit hard, we thought a lot about sustainability and how can we change things and how we can create better urban planning. We looked at aspects such as garbage disposal, food production, traffic problems, and pollution. We put all these things together and came up with a concept.”

Concepts like the Downtown Circle could definitely help with the challenge of packing more people into cities as the global population continues to grow amidst the threats of climate change. One thing few of them seem to address, however, is the question of whether such structures would contribute to further segregation of economic classes within cities, leaving poor residents on a ground level that would feel downright subterranean when shaded by megastructures that elevate richer people into the sky above. In that case, higher-density cities will only feel livable for some people and not others.

The post Massive Ring-Shaped Structure Could Encircle Dubai’s Burj Khalifa first appeared on Dornob.

Deep Dive Dubai is the latest attraction added to this stunning city’s repertoire of awe-inspiring architecture. More than just a diving pool, it includes a vast, underwater city that just begs to be explored.

The previous title for deepest diving pool was held by Poland’s Deepspot, itself a staggering 45 meters deep (that’s over 150 feet!). But leave it to Dubai to take their Deep Dive spot to the next level. Measuring in at 196-feet deep, it’s so much more than a dive pool.

Currently only open by invitation only, the pool will officially open to the public in late 2021. One of the earliest divers to check out the pool was the crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, himself an experienced diver who was keen to share his experience on social media as one of the site’s first visitors.

The pool itself is located inside a large, oyster-shaped structure that nods to the UAE’s prominent pearl diving culture. But while this outer structure is impressive in its own right, it’s just the icing on the cake. What really makes this diving pool so unique is its accompanying underwater city. fashioned to resemble an abandoned civilization with varying atmospheres enhanced by sophisticated lighting and sound systems. Divers can even play underwater pool in the city’s arcade.

Though its the pool’s depth that garnered it the “Deepest swimming pool for diving” title from Guinness World Records, its fabulous underwater city, onsite underwater film studio, and sheer size (the volume of six Olympic-sized swimming pools) make it so much more than your run-of-the-mill diving pool. “It’s…the deepest and largest, but the sunken city effect makes it next world order. There are so many things it’s really not fair to call it a pool,” Deep Dive Dubai director Jarrod Jablonski told CNN in July.

Divers can explore the underwater city on their own after a tour with one of the site’s skilled guides, and Deep Dive also offers courses for both beginners and seasoned divers, all with the aim of keeping the experience as safe as possible. Those who don’t want to go deep will enjoy the on-site restaurant, which allows landlubbers to watch the action via large windows and TV screens.

The Stats

• Contains 14 million liters of fresh water
• Temperature maintained at 86 degrees Fahrenheit
• Contains 56 cameras for safety, and a world-class hyperbaric chamber in case of emergencies
• Has an underwater film studio that is the largest in the region

Dubai has done it again, creating yet another architectural marvel that’s sure to attract and enrapture visitors. Deep Dive Dubai is so much more than a diving pool; it’s a chance for adventurers to explore a hidden underwater city akin to Atlantis — not lost, but brought to life in the depths of the city’s latest stunning attraction.

The post The World’s Deepest Pool in Dubai is Just One Part of a Gigantic Underwater City first appeared on Dornob.

The “Clothespin Tower,” designed by Israeli artist Zygo, aims to be the world’s largest work of art at 558 feet (170 meters) tall. Small, humble, and universally familiar, the clothespin seems like an odd object to choose as the basis for a super-tall tower, let alone one that will light up the cityscape with its neon outline. But for the artist, the clothespin is an important symbol, frequently appearing in his body of work.

“ZYGO is an anonymous artist identified with the iconic clothespin. The icon constructed by two segments joined together, in a manner which is inspired and reminiscent of the generic shape of a utility clothespin,” Zygo says on Instagram. “The #Clothespin structure had become identified with #Zygo art in recent years, as an expression of divine love: two halved souls, such as the two halves of the clothespin, come together in a sacred union that is ‘a parting for connection.’ The distinctiveness of the clothespin structure stems from its balanced dynamic shape, prosaic and spectacular – these delicate contrasts are able to encapsulate stability and playfulness similar to this eternal love.”

For the artist (and the developer, who’s also from Israel), this interpretation of the clothespin’s symbolism is also a metaphor for the future relationship of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. It’s also symbolic of a hope to make art more accessible to a wider swath of people. Pictured in renderings rising from a small artificial island, like many of Dubai’s unusual buildings, the tower is visible to virtually everyone in the city (whether they like it or not). Art, of course, is subjective, and not everyone will appreciate the visual “accessibility” of this piece, especially since the building is actually full of luxury attractions and residences, but you get the idea.

One half of the 50-floor tower will be a luxury hotel with 1,200 rooms, each designed by a different international artist, while the other half will host 300 high-end apartments, contemporary art galleries, upscale restaurants, luxury boutiques, a lounge, a fitness center, and a spa. Zygo adds that his “50-plus floor clothespin design is perfect for developing a residential skyscraper that catches the eye of every individual passing by. The compartments are designed with the utmost versatility and flexibility that allow both the buyers and the residents to design and customize their spaces based on their needs, and to be part of the biggest eternal live art.”

Construction hasn’t begun yet, but Zygo and his creative team are currently seeking partners to help secure land and construction rights, hoping to break ground as soon as 2023. They’re also looking to build additional Clothespin Towers in multiple locations throughout China and Eastern Europe.

The post Dubai is Getting a Wacky Clothespin-Shaped Tower in 2023 first appeared on Dornob.

In 2017, the United Arab Emirates announced its ambition to colonize Mars within the next 100 years. The country seems so eager to get on the planet, in fact, that they’ve already hired architects to start visualizing what a Martian city might look like, and they’re even making plans to recreate it in the Arabian desert outside Dubai. Their initial maps for Mars Science City designated over 176,000 square meters of desert, an area larger than 30 football fields, with a price tag of around $135 million.

The Major Challenges

When the Bjarke Ingels Group was hired to design a prototype of a city appropriate for sustaining life on Mars, they had the additional challenge of adjusting the project’s finer points to thrive in the Emirati desert. Still, their most formidable quandary was conquering the hostile environment of the red planet.

Destructive radiation on Mars is prevalent due to its lack of a global magnetic field and thin atmosphere. On top of that, the temperature on the planet, an average -81 degrees Fahrenheit, is far from habitable for humans and most other life forms. These problems are further exacerbated by the lack of air pressure caused by the spare atmosphere, which in turn causes liquids to quickly evaporate into gas, and despite freezing temperatures, undefended human blood to reach its boiling point.

Jonathan Eastwood, Director of the Space Lab at Imperial College London (and who has no affiliation with the Mars Science City project), points out another big challenge with no scientific connections. He explains that “the biggest challenge in terms of a sustained presence on Mars is not the engineering [or scientific] challenge, but the human [and] personal one. So not just to answer the question about how do you survive, but how do you thrive?”

Proposed Solutions

Jakob Lange, a partner at the Bjarke Ingels Group, was quick to expound on how he and his associates plan to overcome these obstacles. He essentially explained that pressurized biodomes encased in a transparent polyethylene membrane would sustain a moderate temperature and livable air pressure. Oxygen for each biodome would be generated by electricity applied to underground ice. Solar energy would provide power and heat, with the thin atmosphere keeping the temperatures in check. Using Martian dirt, 3D printed buildings would then be created under the domes. Rooms would expand 20 feet underground, shielding them from damaging meteors and radiation.

Mars Madness

The Mars Science City project is a natural progression for the bold space program overseen by Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. In 2019, the center sent its first astronaut into space. In summer 2020, they plan to launch a probe to Mars. DMBRSC will also embark on its premiere analog mission in Russia in November 2020, which will last eight months. The international squad of six assigned to this mission will include one Emirati crewmember and will concentrate on how confinement and isolation affect the physical and mental health of humans.

The post Dubai Taps BIG to Design Out-of-this-World Mars Science City in Arabian Desert first appeared on Dornob.

Each of these “habitats” are encased within wooden boxes, tempting viewers to step forward, look closely at each tiny detail, and fully immerse themselves in their individual worlds. The compositions are purposefully monochromatic to produce a disorienting camouflaged effect. Picking out the different natural patterns, some of which have been fictionalized, is like a game.

Occasionally, you may spot something altogether unexpected in these tableaus — like a human body part amidst the flowers, plants, and animals.

“I began to engage with these organic forms after mediating on the relationship of humankind with nature, and our current inclination of irreversibly harming the environment,” says Buyruk. “As an alternative to this act of destroying, I wanted to create something new, and create spaces where all species live together without hierarchy. Therefore, my work is very much informed by Darwinian processes of evolution.”

“I feel the use of color, particularly when working with depictions of the natural world, dictates meaning. I like to avoid using descriptive elements such as color. I also prefer to encourage the spectator to immerse themselves into the work and get lost in the details, discovering something new with each viewing. Using color would separate forms more succinctly, and I am interested in non-hierarchical hybridity.”

The animals that can be found in the habitats include rodents, a pig, a bearded dragon, a hawk, and several other birds. There’s a reason the elements of each piece are so uniform, too, with nothing popping out of the field to dominate the others. The Istanbul-born artist says this choice reflects a desire to reject hierarchies within nature, including those involving humans.

“I actually chose these animals on the basis of the fear that they biologically instill in humans. Certain animals pose a serious threat to human evolution, which has been engraved in our DNA. We find some animals uncomfortable or frightening because of their shape or color, causing us to negatively and incur a ‘flight’ response. I wanted to juxtapose our age-old, biologically rendered fear against our socially conditioned admiration for flowers, and position them together.”

Buyruk says the pandemic hasn’t affected her artistic practice, since she was able to merge her studio and home in a quiet residential area of Istanbul months before it hit. She’s trying to take advantage of this time to avoid distractions, channeling the urgency of this situation into her work. She hopes the shutdowns and quarantines will encourage people to listen to themselves, think about what kinds of activities they truly value, and continue to make room for these things in the future.

“HABITAT” recently wrapped up an exhibition at Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai, representing the first time Buyruk’s work has ever been seen in the United Arab Emirates, but you can view it in full online at the gallery’s official website. The artist is also a porcelain specialist at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Selçuk University in Turkey.

The post Camouflaged Creatures Hide Within the Porcelain Sculptures of Melis Buyruk first appeared on Dornob.

For Vince Reffet, making that dream come true drives him every day. At 35 years old, the young French jetpack pilot has been setting new records with his friend and partner Frédéric Fugenk since 2000. He recently set a new altitude record for Jetman Dubai in a jet-powered wingsuit, ascending to 6,000 feet from a standing start.

Groundbreaking Start

On February 14th, 2020, Reffet, a protégé of renowned jet daredevil Yves Rossy, made history when he stepped onto the runway at Skydive Dubai and soared at an average speed of almost 150 mph to an altitude of almost 6,000 feet in a little over 30 seconds. This was the first time a Jetman pilot took to the air from the ground rather than an elevated stand.

The Trip

Reffet, sporting a carbon-fiber suit, moved at an average speed of 150 mph, reaching a height of 100 meters in eight seconds. His elevation rose to 200m in 12 seconds, 500m in 19 seconds, and in 30 seconds he was soaring at 1,000m. When Reffet was nearly 6,000 feet (1,800m) off the ground, he celebrated the feat with a roll and a loop, released his parachute at 4,921 feet (1,500m), and touched down at Skydive Dubai after an approximate three-minute journey.

Looking Forward

The Jetman team announced that the next goal is to complete a safe landing without a parachute, but reaching that goal is a formidable challenge. To achieve this latest feat, Reffet went airborne at least 50 times and performed over 100 takeoffs and landings, all with a protective fall capture system in place to ensure his safety. Reffet’s wingsuit is currently power-driven by four mini jet engines and includes a hand-controlled thrust power nozzle that enables pilots to be in command of rotations around a vertical axis at zero speed — but a parachute-free landing might require even more safety equipment and additional pilot-control features.

Reffet was excited and proud of reaching this most recent milestone, saying: “We are so happy we achieved this incredible flight. It’s the result of extremely thorough teamwork, where each small step generated huge results. Everything was planned to the split second, and I was overjoyed by the progress that was achieved.”

A press release from Jetman Dubai stated: “It is the first time that a Jetman Dubai pilot could combine hovering safely at a limited altitude and flying aerobatics at high altitude in the same flight. Controlled from the ground by the human body, the equipment enables Jetman Dubai to reach speeds of 400 km/h, as well as hover, change direction, and perform loops.”

From this point on, the only way to go is up.

The post Jetpack Pilot Vince Reffet Soars to New Heights In Dubai first appeared on Dornob.

The new year will bring the completion of a pretty dazzling array of architectural projects, some of which have been in the making for a decade or more. Major firms will be cutting the ribbons on career-defining structures, and some of them are record-breakers, too.

These five exciting examples include a new super-tall tower for Chicago, the posthumous completion of a striking hotel designed by Zaha Hadid herself, an Olympic stadium, and two examples of buzzworthy concepts looking to prove themselves in the real world.

Opus by Zaha Hadid Architects, Dubai

The first and only hotel in Dubai to be designed inside and out by famed architect Zaha Hadid herself, the “Opus” is a cube-shaped volume with a “carved” central void, bringing some of Hadid’s signature curvature to the project. Located within the city’s Burj Khalifa district, the building will contain a “ME by Melia” hotel as well as 12 restaurants, a rooftop bar, and 56,000 square feet of office space. Each side of the cube is conceived as its own separate tower, connected by narrow bridges at the top and bottom.

“The Opus will be aligned with Omniyat’s vision of treating each project as if it were a unique work of art,” says Mahdi Amjad, Executive Chairman and CEO of Omniyat. “The design conveys the remarkably inventive quality of ZHA’s work; expressing a sculptural sensibility that reinvents the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior.”

There’s no word yet on exactly when the hotel will open to its first guests, but construction is nearly complete as of early 2020.

Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center by MAD, China

When architects first began proposing futuristic-looking developments resembling mountains years ago, they seemed like fantasy concepts that would never actually be built. MAD Architects is proving that theory wrong with its Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, which is quickly nearing completion in China. The mixed-use development occupies over 560,000 square meters of building area and will host residential, hotel, office, and commercial facilities, and it’s all characterized by mountain-like towers around the edge with glass screens that “flow” like waterfalls.

The firm explains that “these features provide interior spaces with energizing light and wind to form a subtle, calming ambiance. The project mimics the site’s surrounding mountains and meandering rivers that are essential parts of Chinese aesthetic philosophy. Towers along the edge of the site act as a mountainous backdrop, while water features such as ponds, waterfalls, brooks, and pools connect buildings and landscapes to integrate all of the center’s elements. This integration goes beyond form, with the water features functioning as reservoirs to collect and recycle rainwater for irrigation.”

Vista Tower by Studio Gang, Chicago

It’s not every day that a city gets a new landmark that dramatically alters its skyline. In Chicago, the tale of the failed Spire super-tower has become legendary after what was supposed to be the tallest building in North America never made it past the construction of its giant foundation hole. That hole has now sat empty for well over a decade. The new Vista Tower by Studio Gang may not fill the literal hole in the ground, and at 1,186 feet, it won’t be anywhere near as tall, but once completed, it will be the city’s third-tallest skyscraper.

“Residential and hotel amenities combine at the upper levels, creating a vibrant social center,” say the architects. “At ground level, the building creates an essential pedestrian connection between the Chicago Riverwalk and the nearby community park’s outdoor recreational facilities.”

1,000 Trees by Heatherwick Studio, Shanghai

A lot of concept architecture over the last decade has featured full-scale trees adorning the facades of buildings. While it certainly looks cool, there have been a lot of good questions raised about the weight of the soil, the impact of the tree roots as they grow, and lots of other potential problems. As Heatherwick Studio completes its 1,000 Trees development in Shanghai, we’ll finally get to see how it all works out. Heatherwick’s design differs from others in a few crucial ways, like the use of concrete structural columns to support the trees. The mixed-use project also resembles an artificial mountain from afar, adding some interesting topographical dimension to an otherwise flat city.

National Stadium by Kengo Kuma, Tokyo

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s National Stadium was technically completed in November 2019, but this summer, we’ll get to see it in use for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Kuma is a master of wooden architecture, and the new stadium is one of his largest and most complex projects to date, made with over 70,000 cubic feet of larch and cedar wood sourced from all of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The stadium was originally set to be designed by Zaha Hadid, but her firm’s predictably curvy design was deemed too expensive.

Which one of these projects are you most excited to see finished?

The post 5 Buildings We Can’t Wait to See Completed in 2020 first appeared on Dornob.

One eye-catching installation not only perfectly embodied the “Autumn” theme for the event, but also brought together multiple organizations in its creation and sent out a powerful message about the environment at the same time.

The highlight at the DIFC’s “Gate Village” location is “Deciduous,” the first-ever 3D-printed art installation in the Middle East. That’s especially notable in a city that’s far from a stranger to the technology. In fact, Dubai has been recognized several times for its work towards more sustainable architecture with the use of 3D printing.

The large pavilion is meant to be a reflection of nature, with an abstract botanical form that loosely resembles tree branches rising from the earth. The goal is to encourage visitors to walk through the art and be inspired to reconnect with their natural surroundings.

The term “deciduous” refers to plants that shed their leaves annually, typically in the fall, thus lining up with the “Autumn” theme for this year’s Art Nights event as a whole. The tip of each curved “branch” is colored orange to further express the sensations of the season. In addition to emulating an abstract sense of nature, the piece also represents the conservation of nature with the use of three different materials chosen specifically with sustainability in mind.

The project came together through a collaboration of partners, starting with the design team at MEAN (Middle East Architecture Network). Lesly Lobo joined in to tackle the CNC birch plywood fabrication, and AI Build converted 30,000 upcycled water bottles into a usable polymer. Last but certaitly not least, BESIX 3D joined forces with local 3D printing service 3DVinci Creations to provide the concrete mold.

Computational modeling provided the framework for “Deciduous,” which allowed the design to marry with large-scale 3D printing processes quite smoothly. The entire installation was created off-site and moved into place in sections. No heavy equipment was required to move or put the piece together. Instead, it’s simply been fitted with joints for manageable assembly and disassembly.

Although “Deciduous” is both installation art and a statement for nature, it also represents the City of Dubai’s new goal to infuse similar additive manufacturing to 25 percent of all its new buildings by 2025. This year’s DIFC Art Nights also displayed the work of 21 other artists, as well as nine galleries. With over 7,000 visitors each year, the event continues to solidify the DIFC’s status as a reputable art center.

Peyman Al Awadhi, Senior Vice President and Official Spokesperson at DIFC Authority, says: “Art Nights is one of DIFC’s most popular and important lifestyle events of the year, representing a real celebration of the vibrant and cosmopolitan community in Dubai and the UAE. It is also a reflection of our commitment to the creative industry by delivering on Dubai’s Culture and Arts strategy to boost the Emirates’ position as a global cultural center and an incubator for talent. With so many spectacular art exhibitions, entertainment, and dining experiences for everyone, we look forward to welcoming visitors to the DIFC to experience this exciting cultural event.”

The post DIFC Art Nights’ “Deciduous” 3D-Printed Pavilion Made from Recycled Water Bottles first appeared on Dornob.

Set to open between October 20th, 2020 and April 10th, 2021 in Dubai, U.A.E., the Italian Pavilion was made to celebrate the long lineage of explorers who sailed the seas over many centuries, weaving together a shared Mediterranean cultural heritage. CRA — along with Italo Rota Building Office, F&M Ingegneria, and Matteo Gatto & Associati — was tapped for the project after winning a contest to design the pavilion, which itself will take up around 3,500 square meters (about 38,000 square feet) and stand over 25 meters (82 feet) tall.

“Reusing the ships once on land was an act that had a profound appeal to us: not only because it is laden with historical value, but because it represents the realization of a circular architecture from the project’s beginning,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He adds that “the ships that become part of the pavilion can continue to be used in different ways even after the end of the Expo.”

In a recent piece for Domus, architect Giovanni Comoglio offered a sharp rebuke of the concept and the connotations it carries given Italy’s hostility towards asylum seekers. The recently passed Salvini law cracks down on asylum rights by abolishing humanitarian protection permits, eventually leading to the closure of asylum centers. Italy has also closed its ports to rescued migrants, reportedly driving up the number of deaths at sea.

It’s this connection to the imagery of upturned boats that has people like Comoglio questioning how nobody involved in the process of designing and approving this project seemed to see a potential problem.

“The narrative of three capsized hulls — the only disclosed visual to powerfully reach the public — was given a stormy reception, and submerged mostly by critiques of the highest historical inconvenience,” he writes. “Representing by some upturned boats a country that has recently faced a period of harsh polemics concerning policies of closure to migration, implicitly and explicitly connected to several fatal shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, may surely result to many, in times of instant visual communication, as a proper communication stumble.”

“A Tower of Babel of incommunicability has arisen out of the dust of a debate consisting mostly of statements circulating on social media. The conversation blurred the borders between critique of design and critique of a communication concept. To be fair, the Italian-Italian nature of the architectural component of the debate has to be remarked. Still, something of a more general value comes out of the sands of Babel, the most formidable critical issue, at least for critics: it is highly difficult — if not plainly unnecessary — to make a properly architectural critique of such architecture.”

A runner-up in the competition designed by Dodi Moss and Eduardo Tresoldi generated a decidedly more positive reaction on social media. Their team’s proposal features a path through layers of transparent materials and greenery for a ghostly effect meant to conjure an Italian identity that has its roots in thousands of years of cultural history.

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Roar (formerly known as Pallavi Dean Interiors) has a completely different concept of childhood development. Officially called Ora, the Nursery of the Future, the firm’s newest Dubai project eliminates those old primary colors and giant letters in favor of an entirely modern aesthetic, imagining both how and what kids could learn in a freeform environment that promotes imagination and creativity.

A Blank Canvas Encourages Ingenuity

Instead of displaying the conventional bright colors, this nursery’s interior is decidedly more cloud-like. The illusion of the white, curved space imitating a “gentle, protective cloud” was created in collaboration with the local AR. Gallery. This look is based on research that indicates neutral color schemes and soft angles push children and educators to be their own sources of motivation rather than having to draw inspiration from their surroundings. Instead of interacting with colorful walls and furnishings, children can touch these walls and floors to activate lighted displays of nature-based images and artworks that they drew themselves.

No Kids Left Behind

Serving children between the ages of two months and three years, Ora’s educational approach is completely different from that of traditional nursery schools. The facility boasts 22 interaction sectors to stimulate growth and learning at each stage of childhood development, including:

• Feeding pods
• Weaning rooms
• Rest areas
• Smart sleeping pods
• An English-Arabic library, which includes a number of books written by the nursery’s founders
• Reading pods that aid imagination
• Mindfulness corners
• A creative soft-play area with a dedicated monochrome space
• A mini-ball pit
• A sand pit
• A supervised splash pad
• A low rock-climbing wall
• A sensory garden
• An outdoor track

Ora has also been equipped with a future-conscious Mars Lab. Inspired by United Arab Emirates’ Mars space program, this lab is a communal space where teachers, kids, and parents can all congregate. It contains a library, “reading cloud” (a huge inflatable pillow where one can curl up with a book), “Sky House” inspired by traditional tree houses, and a mini “Coding Hub” where children are introduced to the basics of computer programming.

A New Nursery School Experience

Ora’s philosophy is built on four major pillars: Leadership, Happiness & Positivity, Advanced Sciences & Artificial Intelligence, and Technology & Coding. Roar worked hard to incorporate all of these values into the nursery school’s design.

Pallavi Dean, Founder and Creative Director of Roar, explains: “The biggest challenge facing education designers is that we’re preparing children for jobs that don’t yet exist. So, we designed a space where children would not just learn specific skills such as math [sic] and reading but would fall in love with learning itself. That meant designing a learning experience that’s playful, stimulating, and social. Learning by doing is so much more powerful than a conventional lecture-style set up.”

If all goes according to plan, this could very well be one educational “roar” that’s heard all around the world.

The post Dubai’s New Futuristic Nursery School Inspires Children to Thrive first appeared on Dornob.

Now, Dubai police are hoping to solve some of those crimes with the help of bugs — more specifically, the kind that feast on human flesh.

A Bug’s Life (and Larvae)

If you’ve ever happened upon a decomposing animal in the woods, you’ll probably find it hard to forget the countless creatures you saw squirming around the carcass. They’re varied species of bugs of arthropods (spineless animals with external skeletons), each snacking on everything from the ears to the tail. The infestation may seem random, but each one of these insects prefers to feast on specific specific body parts, and all of them plant larvae in the corpse’s decaying flesh. That’s where the Dubai police come in.

By monitoring the activities of the insects native to the United Arab Emirates and the the growth of their larvae, forensic experts can approximate how long a body has been dead. Factors such as the environmental temperature and place of death can also be determined this way, providing investigators with information that could prove instrumental in determining time of death and narrowing down potential suspects, as well as helping them build a stronger case in court.

Bringing in the Pros

Seeing the potential behind these creepy-crawlies, the UAE government turned to Dr. Jeffrey D. Wells, an expert in forensic entomology at Florida International University. Wells was brought on board to develop and oversee fresh research, establish a new database, and train Dubai’s police officers about bugs and their habits to help increase their crime-solving success rate.

Dr. Wells says of the initiative: “It is very exciting to work with a government agency that is so interested in improving what they do and moving into new topics. We intend to take this project and expand it out into a more comprehensive understanding of forensic entomology [the study of insects and their arthropod relatives that inhabit decomposing remains] within the UAE and the wider region.”

Last year, 22 of Dubai’s finest DNA experts and crime scene investigators completed an interactive forensic entomology course. Its curriculum was comprised of in-depth studies on several different species of bug and their larvae’s distinct shapes, as well as growth statistics, species allocation, and the types of toxins found in insect tissue — all of which can be used to create more successful and expedient criminal investigations.

Looking Forward

Although much has already been learned and applied, Dr. Wells notes that his work with the Dubai police is an ongoing project. “This is intended to be a pilot project to lead to something much larger. We hope to build upon what we learn here to extend it to the summer, which everyone tells me is extremely hot, and particularly to other areas of the United Arab Emirates,” he says.

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The Serene Desert Villa Spa Retreat is a newly-designed, 30,000 square-foot resort situated just 45 minutes away from the luxurious city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Designed by an innovative team of passionate architects, the resort is a beautiful piece of modern architecture, constructed with function in mind yet styled immaculately. Described as a place of blissful peace and serenity, the spa is the ideal location for anyone longing to escape from the chaos of the city in a remote paradise.

Who are the Design Geniuses Behind It?

The Phoenix-based architects at SpaceLineDesign are the visionaries responsible for the creation of the Desert Spa Resort. Principal Architect Jeffrey H Page has thirty plus years experience developing amazing modern designs for all sorts of buildings and living spaces. Page has previously worked on vacation villas, boutique hotels, residential homes, offices, island resorts, apartments, and retail stores. The firm started off doing projects across the state of New York and has been producing stunning living spaces in desert environments since 1996.

Page has lived in Dubai with his wife and firm partner, Mahsa, since 2008, and the two have provided project consulting to clients in Arizona and in countries all around the world. The company has devised iconic projects in many international destinations, including New York, LA, Spain, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Tanzania, Nigeria, and the Congo.

The company initially brings its designs to life in the form of detailed floor plans and creative 3-D video animations that allow the viewer to immerse themselves into its imaginary environments, providing them with a full 360-degree experience through virtual reality, or “VR.” The architects use 3-D modeling and a program called AutoCad to design their projects in VR in order to explore the practicality of each layout as soon as they conceive of it.

What Features Does the Spa Resort Have?

The Serene Desert Villa Spa Retreat consists of six luxury suites, an indoor pool, a steam room, a cold-plunge, a gym, massage facilities, a relaxing lounge area, a fire garden, and a 20-car garage for guests.

The main entrance is adorned with honed sandstone and artistic glass double doors, which are followed by a set of concentric planter steps. Once inside, you’ll find an indoor pool and a jacuzzi shaped like a tulip flower with a waterfall flowing down one end. The pool area’s teak wood ceiling absorbs the warmth of the sun to keep the room comfortable and dampen any echoes. The spa is also fully equipped with an indoor gym that boasts a three-station, 4-D bike ride cinema experience. It really doesn’t get a lot more futuristic than that!

How Do I Get In Touch With SpaceLineDesign?

If you’re interested in working with the SpaceLineDesign team, do not hesitate to contact them with your ideas for budding projects over the phone or via email. They strategize and plan accordingly to suit every individual client’s best interests, focusing on your aesthetic desires and accommodating the design to stay well within your budget!

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In April, Apple opened their third store in the United Arab Emirates, welcoming eager customers through the doors of their new space in the world’s largest mall, the Dubai Mall. The new store marks a significant shift in the company’s approach to its retail design, which was initially conceived of by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and retail guru Ron Johnson 15 years ago and has since become something of a benchmark in merchandising aesthetics. Apple stores are typically known for their sleek, minimalist architecture, which reflects the modern simplicity of their actual products. They are known as the places where one can peruse the latest technological innovations, speak to “geniuses” about the best product for them, or go to get their MacBook Pro repaired. The new Dubai store, however, strives for more than this: it aims to be a hang-out spot and a place where people can truly experience the Apple community.

This new vision comes from the company’s Senior Vice President of Retail, Angela Ahrendts, who was put in charge of reimagining the concept of the Apple store. Ahrendts was formerly the CEO of Burberry and has had ample experience in creating revolutionary retail designs. This is Apple’s first major redesign since its brick-and-mortar stores first opened in the early 2000s, and its cornerstone is, above all else, community. Ahrendts summed this idea up in a recent interview with CBS, stating: “Starbucks figured it out, you know? Being a place for gathering, right? ‘Meet me at Starbucks.’ And you know, I’ve told the teams, I’ll know we’ve done a really, really great job if the next generation, if Gen Z says, ‘Meet me at Apple. Did you see what’s going on at Apple today?'”

Physically, the store serves as a giant tribute to the sun. Foster + Partners, who designed Apple Dubai Mall, explain: “Reinterpreting the traditional Arabic Mashrabiya, innovative, ‘Solar Wings’ gently shade the outside terrace during the day and open majestically during the evening to reveal the ‘best seat in the house’ with a breath-taking view of the waterside promenade and fountains. With their movement path inspired by a falcon spreading its wings, the ‘Solar Wings’ are in itself a theatrical experience – an integrated vision of kinetic art and engineering. The wings have been carefully crafted to inspire delight, a delicate combination of form and function.” Who wouldn’t want to hang out in such a pleasant-sounding space?

The company’s desire to tap into the community that is its user base further manifests itself in the stores’ new “Today at Apple” programs, a series of instructional sessions designed to bring new experiences to Apple stores everywhere. “Today at Apple” will feature discussions organized around the ideas of technology, creativity, and community, which can be attended and participated in by any members of the public who see themselves as part of Apple’s network. These events and workshops are being rolled out across all of Apple’s 495 stores and will cover topics like photography, art, coding, music, and videography.

Ahrendts adds, “At the heart of every Apple Store is the desire to educate and inspire the communities we serve. ‘Today at Apple’ is one of the ways we’re evolving our experience to better serve local customers and entrepreneurs. We’re creating a modern-day town square, where everyone is welcome in a space where the best of Apple comes together to connect with one another, discover a new passion, or take their skill to the next level. We think it will be a fun and enlightening experience for everyone who joins.”

The new store in the Dubai Mall will be the very first to experience “Today at Apple,” with many other stores expected to follow suit soon afterward. In fact, the company is looking to remove the word “store” from the Apple community’s vocabulary, reinforcing the idea that their new retail spots are places of gathering just as much as they are places of business.

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