A 73-story skyscraper, incredibly narrow and only as wide as a single apartment, is being planned in Dubai.
According to detailed information released by the architects and developers behind the project, the Muraba Veil Tower will soar to a height of 380 meters, piercing the sky, yet will only be 23 meters wide.
Rendering of the Muraba Veil Tower in Dubai. (Photo: RCR Arquitectes/Muraba).
The 73-story tower will feature 131 apartments, each with 2 to 5 bedrooms, according to a statement sent to CNN by the project developer based in the United Arab Emirates, Muraba. This luxury residential building will offer “a range of selective recreational amenities”, including a spa, a restaurant, a gallery, a padel court (a sport similar to pickleball), and a private cinema.
This impressive tower will be constructed next to a canal near Dubai’s main traffic artery, Sheikh Zayed Road. The Muraba Veil Tower is designed by the Spanish architectural firm RCR Arquitectes, which won the prestigious Pritzker Prize—often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Architecture”—in 2017.
A side view of the ultra-slim Muraba Veil skyscraper from the canal. (Photo: RCR Arquitectes/Muraba).
The Muraba Veil is expected to be completed by December 2028, marking the fifth collaboration between Muraba and RCR Arquitectes.
Unsurprisingly, an apartment in this latest luxury address in the city will not come cheap, with expected starting prices from 18 million dirhams (approximately 4.9 million USD).
According to the developer’s press release, an “oasis” will “hide beneath a vast sand-like shell at the base of the tower.” (Photo: RCR Arquitectes/Muraba)
Each apartment will span the entire width of the building and will be modeled after traditional Arab homes, featuring a central courtyard and “softened by shade and greenery”, the developer stated.
Meanwhile, the building’s design is revealed to consist of multiple layers, with the first layer being a “screen,” which the creative team describes as “a custom-designed stainless steel mesh, porous and elastic, reflecting different shades of the sky.”
The ultra-slim skyscraper will combine indoor and outdoor spaces. (Photo: RCR Arquitectes/Muraba).
In a press release, Rafael Aranda, the founder of RCR Arquitectes, stated: “We are passionate about ensuring our buildings fit the site, appropriate to the terrain and local landscape where they are located. They must communicate with nature and integrate into the atmosphere of the local culture.”
Dubai’s massive skyline is currently home to the tallest building in the world—the Burj Khalifa, standing at 828 meters—and will soon become the site of the second tallest building. Last month, the developer of the Burj Azizi tower, expected to be completed in 2028, announced that this skyscraper will reach a height of 725 meters.
According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Dubai currently has more skyscrapers over 300 meters tall than any other city in the world.
The city is no stranger to extraordinary constructions. It boasts the world’s highest infinity pool, the largest natural flower garden, and the largest frame in the world, among other attractions.
