Burj Al Arab

Photograph by Haitham Al Mussawi

Burj Al Arab, Tom Wright, Atkins (formerly WS Atkins), 1999 

A nod to the traditional seafaring history of Dubai, the Burj Al Arab hotel was designed to resemble a dhow, a traditional Emirati boat. The Burj Al Arab is constructed from steel profiles, glass sides, and fabric cladding consisting of a double-skinned, Teflon-coated woven glass fiber screen, which stretches across the building’s belly and makes up the structure’s façade.