508
Global
Height rank

Rolex Tower

Dubai
Height 246.8 m / 810 ft
Floors 59
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Rolex Tower

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2010

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United Arab Emirates

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Dubai

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

residential / office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

concrete

Official Website

Rolex Tower

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

246.8 m / 810 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
246.8 m / 810 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
227.0 m / 745 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

59

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

1

# of Apartments
Number of Apartments refers to the total number of residential units (including both rental units and condominiums) contained within a particular building.

93

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

609

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

10

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

56,429 m² / 607,397 ft²

Rankings
#
508
Tallest in the World
#
77
Tallest in Middle East
#
62
Tallest in United Arab Emirates
#
51
Tallest in Dubai
#
185
Tallest Mixed-use Building in the World
#
21
Tallest Mixed-use Building in Middle East
#
16
Tallest Mixed-use Building in United Arab Emirates
#
12
Tallest Mixed-use Building in Dubai
#
224
Tallest Concrete Building in the World
#
64
Tallest Concrete Building in Middle East
#
55
Tallest Concrete Building in United Arab Emirates
#
44
Tallest Concrete Building in Dubai
Construction Schedule
2005

Proposed

2007

Construction Start

2010

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Owner/Developer
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Albonian International
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Dubai Contracting Company

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa 2011 Award of Excellence

2011 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

The Brisbane 2016 Summer Seminar: Design of Tall Buildings

24 November 2016 - Event

CTBUH, EMI Lead Emirates Tall-Building Study Trip

23 March 2014 - Event

About Rolex Tower

Rolex Tower is a situated on Sheik Zayed Road, one of the most prominent streets in Dubai. The tower includes both commercial and residential programs, consisting of 30 floors of office space, 25 floors of apartments, and is capped by two residential penthouses. A 9-story parking garage and entrance plaza located behind the tower provides direct access to the building’s lobby.

The building is veiled in a high-performance curtain wall of patterned green glass which fades as it ascends, further expressing the height of the tower. The glass cladding consists of ceramic frit patterns which gives the façade its highly distinctive character. The frit also serves to reduce solar gain within the building and provides shading from the sun, crucial in Dubai’s desert climate.

Rolex Tower embodies understated elegance amid the exuberant context of the “urban street wall” along Sheikh Zayed Road. The relatively small site dictated the design of the tower along with its close proximity to adjacent buildings. The architects addressed the tight urban site by stacking offices, residential units, and amenities, creating the refined columnar shape of the tower. The three-tiered massing expresses the change of uses in the program and creates a unique presence on the skyline.

In order to accommodate a very tight urban site, the building’s structural system was designed to be tall and narrow, with a very small footprint relative to its height. The tower’s structural systems are a composite of concrete core walls, columns, and precast concrete floor slabs, with reinforced concrete outriggers and belt walls at the mechanical levels. The building’s foundation system consists of a raft supported by deep, reinforced concrete bored piles to support the height and narrow body.

Rolex Tower consists of a series of “smart systems” which control the building’s energy use. In addition, the exterior glass reduces the heat load and consumption, filtering daylight and providing a balance between the highly progressive transparent glass—which keeps out the sun while allowing for views unobstructed by tints or colors—and patterned glass, allowing natural light to enter the building.

The interior program of Rolex Tower responds to the mixed-use nature of the project. The building has two ground floor lobbies—one leading to the residences and another to the commercial space—and both are branded relative to their respective purposes. The commercial lobby is grand yet minimalist, with high ceilings and a quiet atmosphere. The residential lobby is a private space for residents and guests of the leased apartments. Art components were integrated into both lobbies, including a piece by James Clar called “Soundwave” located in the commercial lobby. The residential lobby features a modern geometric wall installation which greets visitors immediately upon entering through the front doors.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa 2011 Award of Excellence

2011 CTBUH Awards

24 November 2016

The Brisbane 2016 Summer Seminar: Design of Tall Buildings

CTBUH Brisbane held their 2016 Summer Seminar in conjunction with the ASCE. The topic of discussion was "Design of Tall Buildings."

27 March 2014

CTBUH, EMI Lead Emirates Tall-Building Study Trip

Georges Binder, Belgium Country Leader, recently joined with Executive Master Immobilier to conduct a study trip on tall buildings to the United Arab Emirates.

27 March 2014

CTBUH, EMI Lead Emirates Tall-Building Study Trip

Georges Binder, Belgium Country Leader, recently joined with Executive Master Immobilier to conduct a study trip on tall buildings to the United Arab Emirates.

15 January 2012

Rolex Tower Chosen as Featured Building

The tower sits amidst the exuberance that is the tall building development of Dubai’s main thoroughfare. The building comes as a breath of fresh air among the crowd of towers.