DOHA
Nouvel approach to office space
We are not quite sure what to make of this spaceship-like tower, which is being erected in Qatar’s capital following a year of work on the foundations. The Burj Qatar high-rise has been designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and its shape is reminiscent of his Torre Agbar building in Barcelona. Nouvel is celebrated for his fascinating L’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and his new project again invokes traditional Islamic motifs, this time in the metallic brise-soleil work that wraps the glass-clad structure. Intended to be used as office space, the 44-storey cylindrical tower will have a diameter of 45 metres and is due to be completed late next year. www.jeannouvel.com
DUBAI
Pyramid scheme
Soaring skyscrapers may be popping up all over town, but you can still guarantee to turn heads in Dubai with something out of the ordinary – something like an 18-storey pyramid that looks as if it’s straight out of sci-fi movie Stargate. Raffles Dubai has just opened close to the Egyptian-themed Wafi City mall, with 248 guestrooms and suites, nine restaurants and bars, plus the obligatory spa.
A “sky-garden” promises a touch of the Orient – with a “four elements” theme: fire, wind, earth and water – while new technology keeps the deck surrounding the outdoor pool permanently cool for bare feet. The worldwide chain takes its name from Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, home of its flagship hotel. www.dubai.raffles.com
ABU DHABI
Zen to the power of 10
New to the Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, Abu Dhabi, is “Zen the Spa”. The first of its kind in the emirate, it boasts not one, not two, but 10 treatment suites and two VIP suites equipped with Jacuzzi and relaxation areas. Skilled therapists provide a wide range of treatments, including body relaxation techniques, facials and hand & foot massages. But if your idea of therapy is more the retail kind, the hotel is directly linked to the Abu Dhabi Mall. www.rotana.com
LONDON
Your tickets please!
After a two-year closure and a US$45 million refurbishment, London’s Transport Museum reopens its doors this month. It’s a showcase for 200 years of urban transport in all its forms, including underground trains, the oldest surviving double-decker horse tram (from 1882) and, of course, the classic red London Routemaster bus.
The latest work has cleaned up the former Flower Market’s 19th-century cast-iron and glass architecture while enhancing the exhibition space. New displays include a look at how transport has shaped five world cities: Delhi, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo.
The museum’s shop, which reopened earlier in the year, is a popular stop-off for merchandise including copies of historic and modern London Transport advertising posters. www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Victorian revival
London’s St Pancras station was for a long time derelict but all that’s changed with the arrival of Eurostar, the high-speed rail link from London to Paris and Brussels, which moves from Waterloo station to St Pancras on 14 November. On the same day, the stunning red-brick Gothic building reopens following a US$1.6 billion restoration and extension. The site now houses boutique retailers, a daily farmers’ market, a brasserie and what planners claim is Europe’s longest champagne bar. www.stpancras.com
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