8.Wonder - Palm Island

The Dubai Palm has been called the eighth wonder of the world: we outline key property aspects with images below:


Palm Jumeirah

UAE Villas

Dubai's palm tree-shaped resort island on land reclaimed from the sea will add 120 km of sandy beaches and be visible from the moon. Dubai Palm Island will include 2,000 villas, up to 40 luxury hotels, shopping complexes, cinemas and the Middle East's first marine park.


Palm Jebel Ali

Dubai Palm Island will be built in the shape of 17 huge fronds surrounded by 12
km of protective barrier reefs, extending 5 km into the sea south of Dubai city.
The islands will be accessible by 300m bridges from the mainland or boat to two marinas; the main causeway will have a monorail system.

This Dubai project will be built on 80m cubic metres of land dredged from the approach channel to the emirate's Jebel Ali port, an operation that will deepen the channel to 17m.


Dubai Palm Island: RMJM PR

RMJM wins contract to design centrepieces for groundbreaking Palm development in Dubai.

RMJM have successfully been selected from a short-list of 11 architects to design the Village Centre for Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Jumeirah, two of the world’s largest man-made islands currently under construction off the coast of Dubai.


Dubai Palm Island - image © RMJM

The construction value of each Dubai Palm Island development is £250 million and will feature extensive retail, residential, business and leisure facilities. RMJM’s proposal is an all-skills design including master planning, civil and structural engineering and landscape architecture. Tony Kettle, Director at RMJM’s head office in Edinburgh is leading the Dubai Palm project team of multi-skilled professionals from the company’s Scotland, London and local Dubai offices.
“The RMJM design concept for the Dubai Palm Village Centre is based on a composition of Islamic geometry and organic structural forms. Combined with the integration of water in the form of canals and a central basin, they create highly attractive environments which can be developed to maximise the value of the mixed uses on the site”, explained Tony Kettle.


Dubai Palm Island image © RMJM

The design for the centrepiece of The Palm, Jebel Ali is inspired by the Nymphea or Water Lily and resembles the large flower sitting on a reflecting pool. This concept is used for the design of shading elements, which radiate from a central opening dome structure. These provide shade from the desert sun during the day and opening up to allow the sea breeze to pass through the building at night. Below these shading components is a geometric layout of buildings derived from a simple Islamic decorative motif of rotated squares and which provides shade to the functional orthogonal building forms below.

The Dubai Palm Island centrepiece will also represent a major transport interchange for boat users coupled with an outstanding retail experience and will include several boatlifts, utilising RMJM’s previous experience on the award-winning Falkirk Wheel.

RMJM are designing the Village Centres for the German-based international developers Innpro, who signed an agreement with The Dubai Palm developers in August 2002. The man-made islands were conceived by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister.

Dubai Palm Islands are comprised of approximately 100 million cubic metres of rock and sand and will increase Dubai's shoreline by a total of 120km.

The first Dubai Palm Island is set to be finished in 2006. Property on the islands has already gone on sale and last year saw the residential properties on The Palm, Jumeirah sell out in a matter of days.

Palm Island, Dubai: Buildings PR from RMJM Architects 9 May 2003

Dubai Palm Island: Background

Low interest rates and poor stock markets are making investment in The Dubai Palm attractive. Also the Dubai government is assisting the real estate market, attracting wealthy immigrants to the city thus much property is being retailed below market value.

The purchasers of apartments and villas on Dubai Palm Island will start to move in at the end of 2005. Property on the islands is due to take four years to complete. It is being developed by a company titled Dubai Palm Developers. The supply of property in Dubai is not keeping up pace with demand. Apartments on Dubai Palm will be for sale to foreigners as well as Emiratis

Modern Architects
Modern Houses
Dubai Palm Island architects : RMJM Architects

Dubai Palm Island - page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt


World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Dubai building : Dubai Apartment Tower