Dubai has come to be known as the forefront for development and design. The latest addition to its never-ending parade of buildings and amazing designs is the 57-storey skyscraper known as ‘Maze Tower’ that is located on Sheikh Zayed Road. It was completed in January, 2012 and sports an amazing maze design that covers the front and rear facades.
This unique design has allowed the tower and its architects at Al Rostamani Group to achieve the title of the largest vertical maze in the world, recognized by Guinness World Records. It has been constructed out of stone and the maze has been created by interconnecting balconies from multiple residential units and offices in the building. The maze is not just a random pattern but actually a real puzzle that has been designed by the maze designer Adrian Fisher. The maze is illuminated via multi-colored LED lights and a ‘Maze Eye’ – an 8 meter circular video wall that is located at top of the building and is used for displaying images.
Brazilian Verde Bahia is a natural stone that has been used for the construction of Maze Tower. It was selected because of its tactile and aesthetic appeal. The dark greenish hue at building corner posts has been achieved by making use of a water jet treatment that is capable of creating an even matte surface. The lighter hue that has been used for emphasizing the Maze is achieved via flame technique that roughens the surface and creates a reflective and lighter surface.
Mr. Hassan Abdulla Al Rostamani, Vice Chairman of the Group and The Maze Tower Conceptualizer said, “We always wanted The Maze to look like it was carved out of one massive piece of rock; with the constant play of light and shadow to render it alive.”
Fun fact: Dubai now holds more than 100 Guinness World Records.