Pride of place in the iconic structure’s residential lobby will be an artwork featuring 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals - representing the 196 countries of the world - suspended on titanium rods anchored at the bottom of two pools.
Visitors to the lobby will be able to hear a distinct timbre as the cymbals, which are plated with 18-carat gold, are struck by dripping water, intended to mimic the sound of water falling on leaves, Emaar said in a statement.
Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar handpicked ‘World Voices’, which was created by internationally-renowned Spanish artist Jaume Plensa to symbolise reeds in a lake.
The year-long selection process was led by the building’s US-based architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), which approached international and Middle East artists to submit concepts for the centerpiece of the lobby more than a year ago. Plensa’s winning design was chosen from a shortlist of five.
“Art is central to the Burj Dubai project, not only as a visual statement but as a means to link cultures and communities,” said Alabbar. “Thousands of people from around the world have collaborated to achieve an iconic landmark, the world’s tallest building.”
The 1,000 art pieces will include a wide range of contemporary artists as well as museum-standard historic art recognising the Gulf’s unique heritage, said George Efstathiou, the managing partner for SOM leading the Burj Dubai team.
‘World Voices’ is Plensa’s largest permanent indoor installation and his first permanent commission in the Middle East.
Among his most famous works is the ‘Crown Fountain’ in Chicago, which comprises two 16-metre high towers, glass, stainless steel, LED screens, light, wood, granite and water.
He has also completed ‘Breathing’, a monument to fallen journalists at the BBC headquarters in London.
Standing at over 800 metres tall, Burj Dubai is at the centre of Downtown Burj Dubai, a 500-acre mega project Emaar is creating in the heart of Dubai. It is scheduled to open in September.
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