Gulf Construction Online - Turner ensures quality standards

The Fairmont Dubai

Turner ensures quality standards

01 December 2001

Turner International, the project managers for the landmark The Fairmont Dubai tower, has handed over a substantially-completed Dh800 million ($213 million) building to the client on November 20.

The 35-storey multi-use building standing 158 m high is substantially complete except for final finishing work taking place on floors 33, 34 and 35, the discotheque and nightclub, ballroom and innovative multi-menu restaurant.

Thus, the flagship Fairmont Dubai located on Sheikh Zayed Road opposite the World Trade Centre is on track for a soft opening in February 2002.

This project represents the first step in a strategic alliance between the private office of HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nayhan and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to build and operate a number of luxury hotels in the region, and elsewhere.

A spokesman for Turner International explained that building works have been quality driven throughout and construction had run smoothly despite a series of variation orders partly during the period when Sheraton were planning to operate the hotel, and later after Fairmont took over the project.

These changes reflected the different interior design requirements of the hotel operators rather than major structural changes except for the redesign of the pre-function hall on level one adjacent to the massive banqueting area. In the banqueting hall, three massive Italian chandeliers are currently being assembled by master craftsmen, with each chandelier containing more than 2,000 separate pieces.

When not being used as a banqueting and wedding area, the area can be transformed into a catwalk for fashion shows and product launches and has a vast array of multi-media systems for staging such events.

Other variations included increasing the traffic circulation of hotel guests by increases in elevator capacity, and more revenue and retail outlets. Another addition was the construction of a pedestrian bridge directly from the hotel to the World Trade Centre.

At its peak, more than 1,900 people were involved on the contract that began in April 1999 on behalf of the client for this prime 65 by 85 m site. According to the contractors, the building is unusual in that everything is built up to the plot line thereby maximising the total available square metres for useable space.

The foundation consist of 25,000 cu m of concrete including a 12,000 cu m raft foundation supported by 750 piles containing 13,000 cu m of concrete with each pile being 1.2 m in radius. For the enormous foundations, the contractors used 3 m lengths of 50 mm steel rebars specially imported from Turkey. In total more than 100,000 cu m of concrete are contained in the building and 20,000 tonnes of rebar.

Externally, the building is clad in 34,000 sq m of energy-efficient open jointed 2.5 cm thick Portuguese Rosa Porino granite. Each panel is mechanically held by stainless steel fixings with an open joint of 10 mm. A spokesman advised that only three separate panels of granite were rejected throughout the entire installation programme, a remarkable achievement. On the roof, there are four corner pyramidal turrets each measuring 12 by 12 7 m.

Entering the ground floor through the main lobby, one is immediately impressed by the sheer amount of light that pervades the open spaces and is reflected off the various construction elements and artworks. There are 26 tonnes of glass in the lobby assembled into a massive sculpture that, with its water effects, will eventually have light cascading around and through it.

In the atrium, glass panels adorn the walls and juxtaposed with the panoramic lifts are discretely housed AC ducts, again in stainless steel. These innovative lighting systems provide a stunning backdrop to the central meeting area of the hotel creating a river of light by day and at night. On the ground floor, the flooring consists of glass rather than the traditional marble providing a modernistic art deco look.

Many of the consultants working on the project described the building in theatrical terms as the massive shell of the building encloses such a range of different themed areas. The atrium contains 3,600 sq m of brushed stainless steel together with four banks of two high-speed lifts that climb vertiginously through two intersecting series of bridges and a space frame to the full height of the atrium.

The construction team acknowledged the enlightened approach of Dr Sheikh Sultan throughout the construction programme with many suggestions being incorporated into the final construction. As well as the construction of the pedestrian bridge, the introduction of a multi-menu restaurant - a first for Dubai - is very much the initiative of Dr Sheikh Sultan. Throughout the construction programme, quality and cost-effective procurement has been the norm to ensure that the completed hotel was of the highest international standard.

For example, to achieve the maximum working ambience for the kitchen staff with targeted ventilation and purified air for up to 300 diners within the multi-menu restaurant, a staggering 650 tonnes of balanced chiller capacity have been installed.

The main chillers for the building are housed on top of the adjacent car-park and baffled to reduce noise and heat insulated. The car-park can accommodate up to 650 cars whilst the grounds of the hotel can accommodate a further 400 vehicles.

Despite the monolithic appearance of the building. the hotel interiors are at once spacious but intimate with the hotel rooms and main outlets having exceptional views of the city.

The ninth floor pool decks and health club/spa have been thumbed in a Roman style and finished granites and ceramics. The two swimming pools especially have been designed and finished in ceramics tiles to represent coral reefs. These specialised ceramics were sourced from Wales.

Those guests of the hotel and residents of the apartments are offered bird-eye views of the colourful tiles mirrored through the water of the pool.

The business centre of the 33rd floor covering some 5,000 sq m represents the largest business centre facility in Dubai, made up of some 16 fully-serviced meeting rooms and a small auditorium for 250 persons set around a rooflit central atrium breakout area. All of these are adequately served by a fully equipped satellite kitchen.

Everything about the building is quality and the hard finishes of glass, marble, granite, ceramics, and the wood, area carpets, loose rugs are all customised.