The Marina Torch

The Marina Torch
General information
Status Partially damaged by fire[1][2]
Type Residential
Location Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates 25°05′16.59″N 55°08′51.00″E / 25.0879417°N 55.1475000°ECoordinates: 25°05′16.59″N 55°08′51.00″E / 25.0879417°N 55.1475000°E
Opening May 2011
Height
Antenna spire 336.8 m (1,105 ft)[3][4]
Top floor 276.3 m (906 ft)[3]
Technical details
Floor count 82[3]
Design and construction
Architect National Engineering Bureau

The Marina Torch, also known as Dubai Torch, Dubai Torch Tower[5] or just The Torch,[6] is a supertall residential skyscraper at the Dubai Marina, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The tower was designed by National Engineering Bureau. The tower became the tallest residential building in the world in 2011 (surpassing Q1, in Gold Coast, Australia), then lost the record in 2012 to 23 Marina and subsequent Princess Tower directly across the street. It is 336.1 metres (1,103 ft) tall, with 79 floors above ground. It was partially damaged by fire on February 21, 2015.[7]

History

The original concept design by architects Khatib & Alami was 74 floors, with three basement levels and a four-story podium, and had a total planned built up area of 111,832 m² (1.2 million ft²). It was to have 504 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms and four duplex apartment suites. The three basement floors and part of the podium were to hold car parking for 536 vehicles, while floors five and six were to contain a swimming pool, health club, gymnasium, cafeteria, aerobic rooms and sit-out cover seal terraces.[6]

However the original developer of the project for the proposed tower, Al Rashideen Trading Company, transferred ownership of the project to a new developer, Select Group. Select Group then appointed a new consultant, National Engineering Bureau, who amended and modified the concept design and, following delays, eventually secured the necessary approval from Dubai Municipality.

Dubai Municipality's approval of the design was delayed because of its comments on the National Engineering Bureau's modifications to the concept design, and the purported risk of structural failings arising from the design modifications.[8]

In April 2007, the project was running 18 months behind schedule, with the tower's foundations still under construction. The original expected completion date of June 2008 had been extended to late 2009, with the further extension into 2011.[4] The Marina Torch was opened in May 2011.

As built, it has 676 apartments and 6 retail units. [9] In 2015 the price of a one bedroom apartment started at 1,628,000 AED ($443,295 USD).[10] There are many residential towers in this part of Dubai and they are popular with expatriates.[11]

2015 fire

A fire broke out in the building at 2:00 am on February 21, 2015. Witnesses said the fire started with a grill located on one of the building's balconies.[12] Seven people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.[13] Video footage shows structural debris falling from the burning stories to the ground.[14] The fire appeared to have started in the middle of the building and spread rapidly due to falling flaming debris and high winds, which caused the flames to flare up, resulting in "massive problems" for the fire department and a several mile long traffic jam on a nearby highway.[15][16]

External cladding was charred from the 50th floor to the top of the tower.[11] As of February 28, 101 apartments are uninhabitable. Their occupants have been offered temporary free lodging by some hotels and houses.[17]| Title= Dubai Municipality have confirmed no damage to the structure, but have indicated that 81 units are not currently habitable as of 21 March 2015. The remaining apartments out of the 676 residential apartments were back in occupation. Lifts were brought back in phases and all 9 lifts back in operation within 7 days. All those tenants requesting emergency accommodation have been found free hotel accommodation for up to 2 months. All resident owners are covered by insurance for alternative accommodation for up to 3 years.

Gallery

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Marina Torch.

References

  1. ↑ "Fire Rips Through Dubai Marina’s Torch Tower", by Ankush Chibber, Gulf Business
  2. ↑ "Fire rips through 79-storey Dubai Marina Torch" The Telegraph
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Torch - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Torch, Dubai". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  5. ↑ "Dubai Torch Tower: Fire Sweeps Through One of the World's Tallest Apartment Towers", by Ben Candea, ABC News
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Torch Tower". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  7. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31562099
  8. ↑ http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-990-torch-tower-sets-record-in-face-of-permit-delays/
  9. ↑ "The Torch". Select Group UAE. nd. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "One bed apartments, The Torch". Select Property. nd. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Thousands evacuated after fire engulfs Dubai tower". Al Jazeera. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Winds fan flames as fire races up Dubai high-rise". USA Today. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Huge blaze guts 79-floor Dubai skyscraper". Yahoo! News. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "BBC News - Fire rips through Dubai skyscraper". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  15. ↑ "Massive fire engulfs Dubai ‘Torch’ residential tower". RT.com. Autonomous Nonprofit Organization. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Fire erupts at Torch tower in Dubai Marina". GulfNews.com. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Dubai Marina Torch tower fire: 20 free hotel nights", by Bindu Rai, Emirates 24/7 News

External links