16-05-2012, 04:17 PM
Palm Jumeirah
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Description
The Crown on 11 March 2008
The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long breakwater. The island is 5 by 5 kilometres (3.1 by 3.1 mi) and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches.[1] The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre (980 ft) bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.[1] Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is touted as soon to be one of the world’s premier resorts. The Palm Island is the self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. The island doubled the length of the Dubai coastline.[2]
According to the developer's publicity material,[3] the Jumeirah Palm island will feature themed hotels, three types of villas (Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Canal Cove Town Homes), apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, and a variety of retail outlets.[1] including:
Villas of Palm Jumeirah Island
Hotels proposed, under construction, or completed include:
• The Trump International Hotel & Tower Officially cancelled in February 2011.
• Atlantis, The Palm Opened in September 2008.
• One & Only Resort, Opened in November 2010.
• The Taj Exotica Hotel & Resort
• Palm Grandeur
• Ottoman Palace Hotel and resort. Expected to open in 2010.[dated info]
• Essque Palm Jumeirah - Part of the Tiara Residence project. The Residence has been handed over. The hotel will open in 2010.[dated info]
• Oceana Resort & Spa
• The Fairmont Palm Residence
• The Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
• Royal Amwaj Resort and Spa
• The Dubai Estates Hotel & Park
• Hotel Missoni Dubai
• Radisson SAS Hotel Dubai, The Palm Jumeirah
• The Emerald Palace Kempinski, Dubai (Delivery Scheduled Mid 2011)[dated info]
• Kempinski Residences Palm Jumeirah Dubai (Handing Over From 01/01/10)
Two F-100 Super Sabre fighter jets have been stripped and sunk near The Palm Jumeirah to create an artificial reef, intended as an additional attraction for divers.[4]
On 18 June 2007, the Cunard Line announced that it had sold its former flagship, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, to Istithmar for use as a floating hotel at The Palm Jumeirah beginning in 2009.[5] However, as at July 2009, it appears as if the ship will rather relocate to Cape Town for use in an unrelated Nakheel development.[6]
Transportation
Palm Jumeirah Monorail
Main article: Palm Jumeirah Monorail
The 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi) Palm Jumeirah Monorail, connecting the Atlantis Hotel to the Gateway Towers at the foot of the island, opened on May 6, 2009.[7]
Construction
Construction began with the Palm Jumeirah island in June 2001 and the developers announced handover of the first residential units in 2006.[1] The island has been created using 94,000,000 cubic metres (3.3×109 cu ft) of sand and 7 million tons of rock. The Palm Jumeirah was created by pouring sand fill onto the 10.5 metre-deep seabed using dredgers. Above sea level, 3 metres of the reclamation were achieved by a dredging technique known as "rainbowing", in which the sand fill was sprayed over the surface of the rising island. Calcareous sand was used for the reclamation. The island includes a curved breakwater using natural rock, intended to encourage the creation of a natural reef and provide habitats for sea life. The land form was reclaimed by the Dutch company Van Oord. Total cost reached US$12.3 billion and maintaining the island is a costly expenditure.[citation needed] Approximately 40,000 workers, mostly from South Asia, have been involved in the construction of the island.[citation needed]
In early October 2007, the Palm Jumeirah had already become the world's largest artificial island.[8] Also at this time, 75% of the properties were ready to hand over, with 500 families already residing on the island.[8] By the end of 2009, 28 hotels were opened on the Crescent.[8]
Controversy
The complexities of the construction have been blamed, in part, for the extended delays to the completion of the project, the date of which has been pushed back multiple times and is now[dated info] nearly two years late. Further controversy was engendered when it was revealed that after launching the project, Nakheel increased the number of residential units on the island (with a concomitant reduction in the amount of physical space between individual properties) from the originally-announced 4500 (comprising 2000 vil chased early in the expectation of greater separation between properties.[9] This increase was attributed to Nakheel miscalculating the actual cost of construction and requiring the raising of additional capital, although Nakheel has never commented publicly on the matter.[citation needed]
The outer break water has been designed as a continuous barrier, but it was realized that by preventing natural tidal movement, the seawater within the Palm was becoming stagnant. The problem was corrected by adding an additional gap in the barrier.[10] As explained in the National Geographic Channel's documentary Impossible Islands, part of its MegaStructures series, the breakwater was subsequently modified to create gaps on either side, allowing tidal movement to oxygenate the water within and prevent it stagnating, albeit less efficiently than would be the case if the breakwater did not exist.[10][11] This same episode addressed the issue of marine life as well, but stated that the breakwater has actually encouraged marine life and that new marine species are moving into the area.