An exciting architectural master plan in the Gulf is waiting to be unleashed. The ingenuity behind this 1.5 billion square foot Waterfront City that would simulate the density of Manhattan on an artificial island just off the Persian Gulf, is none other than renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

This mixed development project creates a generic city with the core of development belonging to that of the island, which will be divided into 25 identical blocks. The Waterfront City would position Dubai as the centre of urban experimentation.

Mixed used structures that draw on mystic examples from architectural history will be used to break the monotony of concrete and steel, such as the 82-storey tower that draws parallels with the nine century Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq.

The island project is in the shape of a square and to block off the blazing sun, the tallest towers will be situated at the southern edge. Public parks, shaded sidewalk arcades and a waterfront boardwalk are all part of this ambitious project. Koolhaas’s flair for composition is clearly evident in how he cleverly uses space.

Images courtesy of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)

www.oma.eu