IIT's MTBVU and CTBUH Take Educational Travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

The students with Dr. Yohan Kim, Assistant Director of MTBVU at one of the skyspaces within SLS Dubai, which provide an extensive view of Dubai.
During an office visit to Nikken Sekkei, Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, presented the students with information on the firm’s projects, including One Za’abeel Tower.
Overall view of One Za’abeel Tower in Dubai.
Interior view of the 230m-skybridge connecting two towers.
View of the Dubai skyline from the skybridge.
View of the Dubai skyline from the swimming pool on the top of the skybridge.
An overall view of Museum of The Future in Dubai.
Interior view of Museum of The Future in Dubai.
The students visited Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood in Dubai to explore the historical examples of architecture.
Open-air marketplace at Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood in Dubai.
The students visited the Aedas Dubai office to learn more about their projects, particularly SLS Dubai, which they toured afterward.
An overall view of SLS Dubai
SLS Dubai features outdoor terraces that maximize views of Dubai landmarks.
Interior view of a duplex-unit in SLS Dubai.
An overall view of The Opus in Dubai, designed by Zaha Hadid.
Interior view of the lobby in The Opus.
An overall view of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, designed by SOM.
View of the iconic Burj Khalifa laser show.
Upwards view of Cayan Tower in Dubai, designed by SOM.
The students toured unprecedented spaces within Atlantis The Royal Resort, Dubai, located on the Palm Jumeirah Island
View of an outdoor balcony as part of the hotel unit.
View from one of the shaded, outdoor balconies as part of the hotel units.
The students with Dr. Yohan Kim at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai.
Andrew King, Partner of Foster + Partners explained to the students about passive design strategies incorporated into the design of Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi.
The students explored the Masdar City information center at the beginning of the tour.
View of a relatively narrow and shaded street, which provides higher comfort spaces.
View of the wind tower at Masdar City, as part of the passive design strategy.
Upwards view of Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, which features an innovative dynamic façade.
The students had an opportunity to explore the indoor spaces significantly affected by the “Mashrabiya” façade.
Interior view of the top floor of Al Bahar Towers, which provides an extensive view of Abu Dhabi.
The students with Dr. Yohan Kim at Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi.
An overall view of Louvre Abu Dhabi designed by Jean Nouvel.
View of an open space under the geometric dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi, which consists of repeating star-like shapes.
View of the sea from Louvre Abu Dhabi, which surrounds the museum.
An overall view of the synagogue as part of Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, designed by David Adjaye.
Interior view of the synagogue, which features triangular openings.
An overall view of the church as part of Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, designed by David Adjaye.
Interior view of the church, which contains an installation of suspended oak posts.


With the support of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a group of students participating in the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) Masters of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism (MTBVU) program traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from 10-16 March 2024. Led by Dr. Yohan Kim, Assistant Director of the MTBVU program, students in the Spring 2024 semester Talking Tall II class had the opportunity to travel and experience a wide range of building and office tours, conversations with industry-leading experts, and urban cultural excursions in both cities.  

The Talking Tall II course examines the physical, environmental, and social sustainability aspects of urban density and tall buildings, at human, architectural and urban scales. During this educational field trip, the students had a great advantage in exploring some of the world’s most well-known, iconic tall buildings and how they respond to extreme climates, to see how these “Tall” cities developed rapidly in a distinct way, and learn more about what should constitute a holistic vision of “Vertical Urbanism.”

Provided by generous, engaging, and informative hosts, the building and site tours gave valuable insights into the architectural innovations and sustainable design strategies currently employed throughout the region. The importance of travel to further enhance learning was established in the inaugural year of the MTBVU program where students visited Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in spring 2023.  

CTBUH would like to thank and acknowledge our kind hosts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi: 

Abu Dhabi Investment Council
Aedas
Atlantis The Royal
Diar Consult
Foster + Partners
Kerzner International
Nikken Sekkei
SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences

Left: During an office visit to Nikken Sekkei, Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, presented the students with information on the firm’s projects, including One Za’abeel Tower;
Right: Overall view of One Za’abeel Tower in Dubai.

Day 1: The students visited the Nikken Sekkei Dubai Office on 11 March. Fadi Jabri, CEO of Nikken Sekkei Dubai, delivered a presentation on One Za'abeel Tower, which takes the idea of the "gateway" for the city and is composed of two towers connected by a 230 meter-skybridge with a 67.5 meter cantilevered section. Takamori Yamazaki, Executive & Design Fellow of Nikken Sekkei Dubai attended the session to support the discussion with the students. After the presentation, the students were guided by Nikken Sekkei colleagues to explore the skyspace suspended 100 meters above the ground. This was an incredible space to experience and had large and column-free areas created by the outer tubular structure system. The skybridge offers a choice of attractions, including restaurants, lounges, cafes, bars, and observation deck, a gym, a spa, a pool, a banquet hall and a rooftop terrace.

Left: The students visited the Aedas Dubai office to learn more about their projects, particularly SLS Dubai, which they toured afterward; Right: An overall view of SLS Dubai.

Day 2: On 12 March, the Aedas Dubai Office kindly supported the half-day program for the students. This inlcued a visit to their offices and a tour of nearby project and CTBH Award of Excellence winner, SLS Dubai. A presentation on SLS Dubai and other Aedas projects was delivered by Aedas colleagues John Gillen, Executive Director; Rubén Urcola Peláez, Associate Director; Khadije Hamad, Senior Associate Architect; and Nada Elemam, Architectural Associate. The office visit was followed by an extensive tour of SLS Dubai, which has a distinct design feature of rotated units with outdoor terraces to maximize the views of Dubai landmarks and ensure privacy simultaneously. The students enjoyed exploring not only the various types of units and public amenities but also the world’s highest outdoor overflow pool at 317.4 meters.

Left: The students toured unprecedented spaces within Atlantis The Royal Resort, Dubai, located on the Palm Jumeirah Island; Right: View from one of the shaded, outdoor balconies as part of the hotel units.

Day 3: An extensive tour of Atlantis The Royal, Dubai took place on March 13. One of the iconic buildings located on the Palm Jumeirah Island, it is also the CTBUH 2023 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa Winner. The building, designed by KPF, features a curvilinear form with voids that provide shaded outdoor spaces allowing breezes to pass through. The tour was led by individuals from Atlantis The Royal Resort, Stewart Jackson, Vice President of Facilities and Rohit Salunke Chfe, Director of Technical Servies. It included viewing multiple types of hotel rooms designed to cater to different preferences and needs, an amenity deck on a skybridge connecting the two buildings, conference spaces, and other public amenities. One of the remarkable aspects of the tour was witnessing the integration of architecture and engineering, creating unique and unprecedented spaces. Such innovative design presented the buildings as stacked in order to be connected by six reinforced concrete building cores for vertical circulation.

Left: Andrew King, Partner of Foster + Partners explained to the students about passive design strategies incorporated into the design of Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi;
Right: View of a relatively narrow and shaded street, which provides higher comfort spaces.

Day 4: On 14 March, students traveled to Abu Dhabi and were engaged with Andrew King, Partner of Foster + Partners, who provided an insightful and engaging tour of Masdar City. The tour commenced with learning about and utilizing electric-powered, driverless pod cars to transport them to the Masdar Institute. Masdar City's integration of passive design strategies to respond to the challenging climatic conditions of Abu Dhabi is indeed commendable. Considerations included building orientation, solar shading, wind tower etc. The surrounding walkable environment was created with packed low-rise buildings, shaded spaces, and the capture of natural breezes, all contributing to a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for residents and visitors, despite the harsh climate. While the Masdar City's initial plans haven’t been fully realized yet, the existing Masdar Institute serves as a promising model, which can be incorporated into the design of future sustainable cities.

Left: Upwards view of Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, which features an innovative dynamic façade;
Right: The students had an opportunity to explore the indoor spaces significantly affected by the “Mashrabiya” façade.

Day 5: The field trip with the MTBVU students concluded on 15 March with a captivating tour of the renowned Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, designed by AHR (formerly Aedas UK). Led by Samir Daoud, Chairman & Principal Design Architect of DIAR Consult, and Oliver Bruns, Hospitality/Services Manager of Abu Dhabi Investment Council, the tour provided invaluable insights into the building's features and functionalities, including the innovative, dynamic façade controlled in response to the movement of the sun in real-time. This dynamic feature not only adds to the aesthetic appeal of the towers but also significantly reduces solar gain, contributing to energy efficiency and sustainability efforts. In addition to the dynamic façade, the tour highlighted several other features such as the spatial efficiency of the design, skyspaces providing occupants with refreshing views and ample natural light, and the integration of design concepts both externally and internally like Mashrabiya-inspired elements.

Left: The students visited Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood in Dubai to explore the historical examples of architecture;
Right: Overall view of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building, which serves as a global icon created by combining cutting-edge technologies and cultural influences.

In addition to the tours led by industry professionals and CTBUH member companies, the students visited various buildings and neighborhoods during the 5-day trip, learning more about both contemporary and historic examples of architecture and urban design throughout the cities. They explored the impact of cultural and environmental aspects on the design of buildings and cities to help formulate their own opinions for the future development of vertical urbanism. The additional visits included the Museum of The Future, Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, The Opus, Burj Khalifa, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abrahamic Family House, and Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid. It was a trip packed with interesting sites and buildings and further supported academic engagement and the success of the MTBVU program.

Learn more about IIT's MTBVU program here.