Gulf Construction Online - Glass,water set tone for themes

The Fairmont Dubai

The water feature ... stacked glass.

Glass,water set tone for themes

01 December 2001

Glass and water themes have been used to create two impressive interior features of The Fairmont Dubai.

The features - a glass 'river of light' and a massive water feature in the entrance lobby - were executed by The Glasshouse, a local glass specialist.

Twenty-two m high, in two separate assemblies, the unique River Of Light feature ascends in the lift lobby of the hotel from the ground to the fourth floor level.

Constructed from over 900 blades of multi-coloured reflective safety glass, suspended on stainless steel cables, the whole construction appears to float in mid-air, supported by an open 'skeleton' of stainless steel supports and tensioned cables. The purpose-designed fittings and minimal use of tubular support give an overall impression of lightness which belies the actual weight of the structures.

Lighting is achieved by the use of programmable LED projectors behind the glass, each capable of producing any one of millions of colour tones, in a constantly-changing pattern of movement and colour.

Each of the two units is given additional light from the opposite wall of the lift lobby, where computer-controlled projectors throw shifting tones of light in a flowing sequence."

Michael Guy, a director of The Glasshouse, and designer of the feature, comments: "This was an unique opportunity to play with light and coloured glass in a way we had never seen before. The project took on a life of its own, and we are very pleased with the result."

The 'river of light' was the concept of Decorpoint. Glasshouse undertook the design, manufacture and installation. Benny Ball Lighting Design did the lighting design, Edison Lighting the lighting, and the stainless steel cladding was by Arabian Profile.

The Glasshouse was also given the challenge of producing a massive water feature in the entrance lobby of the hotel from solid glass, comprising three walls, 500-mm thick, supporting the upper water reservoir, and a central pillar climbing up between two columns to a height of almost 12 m.

"We had to devise a way to make the central pillar stable, while making it look as though it is virtually unsupported." Guy comments. "There is a total of some 26 tonnes of glass in the feature, and the glass is fully bonded together, preventing water penetration between the layers."

"The central pillar has over 900 layers of 12-mm glass. It was made even more complicated by the fact that it defies gravity by leaning across between the columns, without touching them. This feature is unique in the region, and we do not know of a bigger project in stacked glass anywhere," he adds.

The water feature was the concept of Decorpoint and The Glasshouse undertook glass and stainless steel design and construction.

The Glasshouse was established in 1984, and has built a reputation as one of the leading specialists in the Middle East for innovative glasswork.