The world's longest cantilever has reached completion in Dubai, projecting out from between two skyscrapers at the mixed-use One Za'abeel development by Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei.
Measuring 67.5 metres, the cantilever forms part of a longer horizontal structure called The Link, which is dramatically suspended 100 metres above a six-lane highway and topped by a giant infinity pool.
The Link is connected to the skyscrapers at two points. As the towers sit on either side of the highway, Nikken Sekkei designed it to function as a four-storey bridge between them.
Its 67.5-metre-long cantilever, which faces northwest towards the Arabian Gulf, overtakes the 66.5-metre-long observation deck at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore as the longest cantilever in the world.
Nikken Sekkei designed The Link as the centrepiece of One Za'abeel, which is a luxury mixed-use development that comprises apartments, hotels, offices, retail and restaurants. The project is intended as a visual gateway to the city centre.
At 230 metres long, The Link is only five metres shorter than the smallest of the two skyscrapers. The second tower extends to 305 metres, cementing its place on Dubai's growing list of supertalls – skyscrapers over 300 metres tall.
According to Nikken Sekkei, achieving a world record "was not the main aim" of the project.
Rather, the studio set out to create a deceptively simple structure with clean-cut glass facades, embodying its minimalist Japanese design approach and challenging Dubai's tradition of more elaborate skyscrapers.
The 68-storey skyscraper, called One Za'abeel Tower, has a further 94 private homes and nine penthouses serviced by luxury accommodation brand One&Only. The brand also has 229 hotel rooms and suites, which it describes as an "urban resort", in the building.
One Za'abeel Tower also contains Siro – a fitness and wellness hotel that contains 132 rooms – in addition to conferencing and event spaces, a spa, and 11 restaurants. Both the One&Only and Siro facilities are overseen by hotel operator Kerzner.
The Link itself contains three storeys of restaurants and bars, all with column-free interiors thanks to an external diagrid structure. The area at the furthest end of the cantilever has a glass floor, providing views down to the road below.
On its roof is another record-breaking feature – the world's longest suspended infinity pool and the UAE's longest rooftop infinity pool, which is intended to resemble "a beach in the sky".
On the roof of The Podium is an "urban park" with gardens and a pool, intended to emulate Balinese landscapes.The project has met the Gold standard requirements of the LEED green building certification, which has been achieved through various energy-saving technologies.
According to Nikken Sekkei, this includes automated electrical, lighting, and ventilation systems, and an energy-efficient glass facade system.
The Link was lifted over the six-line highway in two parts during 2020. The first section, weighing 8,500 tonnes, was lifted over 12 days before the 900-tonne cantilever was secured in place over four days.
Its position, which is approximately a third of the way up the towers, was chosen for visual reasons but also for how it functions programmatically between the private and public spaces. According to the studio, it also helps mitigate the sway of the towers in the wind.
