After four years of construction, the realisation of Uptown Tower has reached its final stages. Located in the heart of Uptown Dubai district, this 81-storey high-rise has been engineered and built by BESIX Middle East for Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).
Photographer: NICOLAS DUMONTLuxury and beyond
Uptown Tower is a mixed-use development, boasting a 5-star hotel, exclusive restaurants, state of the art conference facilities, premium commercial office space and signature residences – all under one magnificent roof. Its distinctive diamond-inspired design, a creation of renowned architects Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, pays homage to DMCC’s trade in precious gems and gold.
With an impressive completion rate of 99.9 %, construction of the 340-metre Uptown Tower is now on the brink of completion. In July 2023, all hotel areas became operational and open to the public. Meanwhile, office floors are 100 % leased while 75 % of the floors are fully occupied and in use. The branded residence floors are also substantially completed, and the apartment units are being handed over to the owners. Lastly, the Atrium building adjacent to the main tower is undergoing final inspections by authorities.
An example of sustainability
In line with DMCC's and BESIX’s commitment to sustainability, Uptown Tower has been built using best-in-class sustainable building practices, achieving LEED Gold status in the global sustainability framework and Dubai Green Building Regulation. Seamlessly integrated water-saving systems and a smart division of spaces optimise energy efficiency. In addition, the tower’s construction site has been powered by solar panels ever since the beginning of the project, setting a world record for the largest solar installation on a construction site.
Construction 4.0: Innovation unleashed
During its construction, BESIX integrated several state-of-the-art digital solutions in its working methods. Developed by start-up partners from around the world, these have contributed to optimise the efficiency, organisation and safety of the construction site. Digital platforms include technologies focusing on supply chain efficiency (ProperGate) and real-time monitoring of work progress (Sablono). The solution developed by WakeCap, whose primary objective is to improve the human organisation of the construction site, also made it possible to take efficient measures to organise the works safely during Covid-19.
Excellence in safety and worker well-being
Safety has been paramount throughout the Uptown Tower project, evident in an impressive 26 million man-hours without lost-time injuries (LTI). Meticulous planning, rigorous risk assessments, and proactive safety initiatives were reflective of a commitment to embedding the workforce’s well-being at every stage.
"By establishing open lines of communication with all stakeholders, we ensured that safety standards were maintained and potential risks were effectively mitigated, guaranteeing a consistently high level of safety throughout the project." – Abdallatif Tanerah, HSE Manager at BESIX Middle East
