Almost everything at the restaurant is sculpted out of ice. Diners will sit on ice benches or chairs, eat at ice tables, out of ice plates, drink from ice glasses served from a bar made of ice.the restaurant is Dubai-based Sharaf Group’s enterprise while technical inputs came from Canada-based Iceculture Inc, who are credited with building ice lounges around the world.

It even has an ice gallery showcasing Dubai’s landmarks. Complimenting that is an ice portrait of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Freezing at minus 6 degrees Celsius the dining area is, well, biting cold.
The 2,400 sqft restaurant has three areas. The lobby and the lounge areas are separated by what is called the Buffer Zone. Once in the lobby, visitors will be given thermal gear to protect themselves from the chilly conditions. It comprises a hooded parka (a heavy jacket), disposable woollen gloves and a pair of shoes.

Visitors are advised to first spend a few minutes in the Buffer Zone to get acclimatised. The temperature in the buffer zone is set at 5 degrees Celsius which gives the body time to adjust to the sharp drop in temperature in the dining area.

The restaurant, which will serve cold cuts, cheese, juices, ice creams and mocktails, can accommodate 40 guests, including relatively intimate table-for-two arrangements for couples.

Seats are cushioned and acrylic-topped tables are adorned with decorative pieces sculpted from crystal clear ice. Vapour-mouthed visitors can feel secure in the knowledge that there are sheepskin throws for the asking should things get too nippy for their comfort.

A looming chandelier in the middle of the lounge is made out of ice blocks strung together by cables, as are ice-beaded curtains in the couples’ section.
Located @ Times Square mall, between the 3rd and 4th interchange on Shaikh Zayed Road .

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Theme Parks Great Dubai Wheel

Located in a prime area of Dubailand, the Great Dubai Wheel will be one of the biggest in the world (bigger than London Eye). During the exciting journey on the wheel, the visitor will be able to view distances of up to 50 kilometres and hence will be able to see all the wonders of Dubai.

Dubai Snowdome

The dome with its more than 200m diameter and 70m height will be the largest free-standing see-through dome structure in the world. The Snowdone will include a rotating ski deck, mountain run, training area, snow play area, toboggan run, pinguinarium, ice skating rink, ice skating adventure area and a flying theatre featuring a virtual flight over the Antarctic.

Culture & ArtFalcon City of Wonders

The project will feature cultural facilities with structures based on famous sites and the architectural marvels of the world, such as the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Spread over an area of 4 million square metres, it is shaped to represent the falcon, emblematic of the UAE’s heritage. In addition to that the project will consist of a full function Pharaohs Theme Park with multiple white-knuckle rides and roller coasters.Islamic Culture & Science World


The project provides state-of-the-art facilities for the promotion, understanding and research of Space, Natural and Human Sciences, as well as Islamic Culture, Arts and Literature. It includes a multi-purpose stage, International Cultural & Scientific Centre, exhibition area, museum, labs and other relevant facilities.Taaleem Beacon Education

The principal components of the Flagship School will include early childhood facilities, a primary/elementary school, two secondary/middle and high schools and a Junior College. The schools will offer day and boarding placements and there will be a youth hostel to accommodate visiting students.

Al Sahra Desert Resort

Al Sahra is a unique desert resort set in 40 million square feet of undulating sand dunes just thirty minutes from the heart of Dubai. Its star-attraction, “Jumana – Secret of the Desert”, is a world class extravaganza with spectacular light, laser, sound and pyrotechnics effects, staged in an imposing amphitheatre built in the style of an ancient Arabic settlement. Al Sahra Desert Resort offers restaurants, a traditional Souk with arts and crafts of the region, luxury tented lodges and a Caravanserai boutique hotel to ensure a memorable experience for visitors.

Al Kaheel
Al Kaheel will be an unique leisure attraction, resort and family entertainment community that will be distinctively different from all others. This horse lover’s paradise will be an educational theme park and a working horse farm that is dedicated to men’s relationship with the horse.

Science & PlanetariumsAstrolabe Resort
The project will present the first immersive entertainment environment based on education themes in the Middle East. The entertainment themes will also highlight the golden age of Islam, as well as leading figures in different fields of science during that prosperous period.Emirates Planetarium
An education based, entertainment oriented, space theme multi-complex project comprising of a planetarium, an education and entertainment centre, several space themed hotels.Sports & Sports AcademiesDubai Golf City

The project will house five themed signature courses, a golf academy, a six-star resort hotel & spa, golf communities, golf villages and retail souks. The city is envisioned to have courses that will be challenging and can be used by international golfing leagues for competitions.

Dubai Sports City

The region’s premier sporting venue featuring 4 giant-sized stadiums designed for international events including soccer, hockey, cricket and rugby. The project will also feature world renowned sporting academies.Dubai Lifestyle City
The development will house the first, one of its kind ‘World Class’ IMG Sports Academy in the region. It will be home to an exclusive boutique seven-star hotel with a destination spa and a premium retail walkway to cater to exclusive sports and wellness products and services.Plantation Equestrian & Polo Club
A Polo and Equestrian club with international standards. Components: 3 Polo fields, 5-star Hotel & Spa, Veterinary for horses and Polo Academy.

 
A gateway to Dubailand City of Arabia project will consist of the following components: MALL OF ARABIA:

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This image from skyscrapercity

All Images are Copyright Brian J. McMorrow
Special Thanks to Brian J McMorrow For images.

Ski Dubai is claimed to be one of the largest indoor ski resorts in the world, with 22,500-square metres of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, which is one of the largest malls in the world.

An extremly efficient insulation system is the key to maintain the temperature of -1 degrees Celsius during the day and -6 degrees during the night when the snow is produced.

Ski Dubai is part of the Majid Al Futtaim Group of Companies, a leader for Shopping Malls in the region. Ski Dubai has 5 runs of varying difficulties, the longest being 400m.

Some other facts:

• 22,500m² covered with real snow all year round – (equivalent to 3 football fields).

• 85 metres high (approximately 25 stories) and 80 metres wide.

• Full capacity of 1500 guests.

The Dubai Metro system, currently under construction, aims to ease this congestion and reduce passenger travelling time.4 Lines are being constructed:

The Dubai Metro will be one of the most advanced urban rail systems in the world and will be the catalyst for tourism, financial and economic growth. Investment costs for the full system have been assessed at a grand total of about AE$14.3bn, including civil works, stations, system fixed equipment, trains, engineering and financing.

Currently under construction in Dubai, Hydropolis is the world’s first luxury underwater hotel. It will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park

In order to enter this surreal space, visitors will begin at the land station. This 120m woven, semicircular cylinder will arch over a multi-storey building.

Hydropolis is about to take shape 20m below the surface of the Arabian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach. The land belongs to His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and was his last free beach property on this stretch of coast.

Hauser plans to incorporate many different elements associated with the sea. He views his creation as a place where those who do not dive – or do not even swim - can experience the tranquillity and inspiration of the underwater world.

The upper storeys of the land station house a variety of facilities, including a cosmetic surgical clinic, a marine biological research laboratory and conference facilities.

This comprehensive ensemble of museums, galleries, amphitheatres, restaurants and retail outlets is part of Dubai’s new development, cultural village. The backdrop to the external amphitheatre is of new canals and the islands of culture village, with abras and small ferries circumnavigating the calmer waters. The building forms a striking cantilever over the main road, providing shade and cover for the outdoor gardens and the transportation points. The facades and surfaces of the building are formed out of a transformation of arabic geometry and give a visual and structural integration of this art within the architecture of the site. Its internal organization allows for a continuous flow of pedestrians from the souks to the island, with clear entry points into the museum and art gallery. This flowing sequence also gives access to the main amphitheatre, which can be closed (acoustically and environmentally) or open. This sweeping line of movement terminates at the end of the island, with commercial art galleries, restaurants and cafés supported by bookshops, crafts and retail tenancies.

Source

 Height is being kept secret but will be more than this estimate: 700 mts- The number of floors is also a secret but likely to be about this: 180

- Samsung Corporation from South Korea is main building contractor

- Estimated construction cost. The whole Dubai Downtown development is costing around $20 billion and will contain 30,000 homes and the world’s largest shopping mall, The Dubai Mall $1 billion

- Many of the lower floors will be taken up by a 175-room Armani Hotel. In addition there will be 144 luxury residential suites designed by Giorgio Armani and kitted out with his home furnishing line

- Floors 17 to 108 will have 800 private apartments. These sold out within eight hours

- Most of the higher floors will be offices and private suites

- An observatory 442 metres above ground on the 124th floor will be open to the public ? the highest publicly accessible observation deck in the world

- There will be a club on floors 144 to 146

- Inspiration for the design was derived from the flower of the Hymenocallis plant that is widely cultivated in Dubai.

- Built of glass, aluminium, concrete and steel

- Much of the external surface is made of factory-produced unitised panels. Made of aluminium, glass and various brackets, they interlock on site and are up to two storeys tall. They improve quality and speed up building work

- Tip of the spire will be visible 60 miles away

- The rods that reinforce the structure weigh a total of 31,400 tonnes and laid end-to-end would stretch more than a quarter of the way around the world

- Water system will supply about 250,000 gallons per day

- The building’s external surface is the size of 17 football fields

- The concrete used is equivalent to a solid cube of concrete 61 metres in size or a 1.5-metre wide pavement 1,200 miles long. It weighs the same as 100,000 elephants

- Peak electricity demand of the building is the same as 360,000 100-watt light bulbs

Source: Gulf News