All aboard the Dubai Metro

Planning of the Dubai Metro began under the directive of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who expected other projects to attract 15 million visitors to Dubai by 2010.

The Dubai Metro is Middle East’s first automated rail transport system and the world’s longest. As such it poses both unique challenges and opportunities for the FM provider Serco.

Design

The architectural design concepts of Dubai Metro was designed by Aedas and fulfill the requirement from the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai that ‘The station architecture shall have an aesthetic, form and external appearance which is unique, innovative, iconic and reflecting Dubai’s identity and character’. This uniquely shaped shell roof, while modern and iconic, may invoke the heritage of pearl diving. This ancient work, requiring skill and bravery, brought early prosperity, and is an integral part of Dubai’s history. The metro will be a modern day gem, enhancing the culture and business of Dubai by providing an efficient transport system. While this cultural reference is appealing, the shell roof is purposefully conceived for good aesthetic and functional reasons.

The shell roof, resting lightly on elegant supports, provides a very attractive covering to the public areas of the station. Most importantly, while the beauty of the shell is visible from afar it is also very much appreciated inside the public space, where the inner surface creates a wonderful, smooth and lustrous enclosure. The breathtaking sweep of this smooth inner shell avoids the visual complexity, and somewhat industrial appearance of the exposed steel truss solutions commonly used in elevated metro stations. Nevertheless, the shell structure remains an efficient means of creating one long span large volume space without internal columns or supporting structure. Moreover, the curved double skin cladding provides an environmentally friendly means of cooling the roof, using traditional ‘solar assisted’ natural ventilation techniques.

Websites:

Rta.ae, Aedas.com, Gulfnews.com