Burj Al Arab Essay by Eliana Peralta

The Burj Al Arab Hotel is the tallest hotel in the world, and according to that position, it required a lot of work of a lot of professionals related to the construction. Is not only a ambition of the architect that is reflected on the building, it is also the perspective of what the clients wanted. They were not only thinking of an important Hotel, they wanted to establish the icon of Dubai. Architects and Engineers had to work together in order to make the building work. They had to agree in all the decisions that they were going to make, especially by talking about the structure. The architect Tom Wright was very specific with the structure the design should had have because it was the most important part of the building. Due to the magnitude of the project the engineers had to be very meticulous. The building is in an island 270 meters form the natural beach, so that, they had to create a strong base, so the building could be secure against waves and earthquakes. The contractors usually said the architects were crazy about the design. For example, the part of the structure of the front, the engineer did not make it the way the architects wanted, so that, Tom Wright decided to design and explain the way the structure should have worked and especially, how should have seem. The engineers had to see more that what their eyes could see, and believed that they could bring the complete body of the big structure to the construction.

According to the magnitude of the project, it would be necessary to have more professionals on the process. In this building, after a storm the architects and the engineers realized that the building needed more security against the wind, so that, a specialist on aerodynamic had to solve the problem. For this issue they decided as a team to apply another technology to the structure. They put vibrates on the structure, so the wind could be combated. The engineers had a lot of challenges with this building. Another challenge was to finish the Hotel before the 2000, so they could celebrate the New Year there. The interior design needed to apply the most beautiful and well class design. Once the designer finishes the job, the contractor shows the client what she had done. The contractor and the designer had to negotiate, because the designer applies a minimalist design at the atrium, and they did not want something like that. But, I was not just that; the interior designer apply a lot of digital technology that required a big work of the Electric Engineer. This project demonstrated that in order to get a good project we have to work with the ones related to all the fields that the construction required, and respect the others work. Architects should insist on their design, and force the structural engineer to find new solutions, and absolutely everyone should be attached to the project until it is complete.

World Tallest Hotel. 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnulZnNS3AU&feature=youtu.be July 12, 2013.

Eliana Peralta 2010-0793