Summer 2012
Palm Jumeirah palm mall design firm has been appointed
more new developments announced for the palm
life comes back to the sea around palm jumeirah
starwood dusts off plans for w hotel
In a contract worth AED 25,000,000, the Singapore-based architecture firm RSP has been chosen to design an 83,000-squaremetre mall for the trunk of Palm Jumeirah.
A new development of what Nakheel terms ‘piedà-terre’ apartments, is to be built adjacent to the Palm’s East and West marinas. Each building will house 96 apartments of approximately 500 sq.ft.
United Nations scientific researchers say that marine life is returning to Palm Jumeirah’s waters. They have recorded up to 100 species of fish and 20 corals around the outside of the breakwater.
Announced in 2006, plans for a W Hotel were axed during the downturn; now, as part of a 40-hotel plan for the MENA region, Starwood says that it will open the property by 2016.
Palm Jumeirah property in numbers
5
number of kilometres from the mainland to the tip of Palm Jumeirah. The farthest edge of the western and eastern sides of The Crescent breakwater are also 5km apart
10.5
metres. The deepest point of the seabed at the point where the breakwater has been constructed. The top of the breakwater is 13 feet above low tide level.
16
number of fronds making up the ‘crown’ of Palm Jumeirah. To date, some 1,400 villas have been built on 11 of the fronds.
32
the number of hotels planned to be built on the Palm, of which 22 are planned for The Crescent. The first to open was Atlantis, in September 2008.
72
the number of hours it took for the initial offer of villas to sell when they were launched off-plan in 2002
40,000
the number of workers employed on the Palm at the height of its construction.
Life is Beautiful on the Palm In a city defined by ambitious projects, Palm Jumeirah may have been the most ambitious of all. Now it is maturing into a great neighbourhood by Alexandra Duchemin
For some, it’s the quality of the morning light as it is reflected off the calm sea; for others it’s being able to arrive home after a busy day, kick off their shoes and step straight on to their own private stretch of sand – whatever the specifics, Palm Jumeirah’s residents are united in believing that living here adds a special quality to their lives. And, rather than the prestige of having one of the world’s most instantly recognisable addresses, or the obvious comfort of living in a large and airy villa, it is down to the intimate connection between those villas and the water. “Since we moved here we have become so much more aware of nature,” says one. “We really notice the way the light changes over
the course of the day and the way the breeze feels. And, now that our garden and those on either side of us have become established, we are very aware of the birds – especially because it’s so lovely and quiet here, with no traffic noise whatsoever.” For another resident, that connection with the shore is ‘the world’s best de-stresser’. “After the pressure of the working day, to step through the door and be able to look straight across the lawn to the beach is the best feeling,” he says. “In an instant, everything slows down – and, once my shoes come off, that’s it. I spend almost all of my time at home in bare feet.” For the pioneering homeowners who signed up in 2001 there was nothing but open sea beyond the beaches of Al Sufouh; now, clearly, their leap of faith has been fully vindicated. Contrary to the clichés about fly-by-night speculators, a good number were long-term UAE residents who saw the Palm as an opportunity to finally buy their dream home. Even the delay in the project’s handover – due to the magnitude of the engineering challenge in building the island – failed to dent their
confidence. With the first residents installed just before the financial crash, it took some time before the fronds began to feel established. With many of the villas let to tenants and some remaining unoccupied, some gardens quickly fell victim to the harsh summer climate and the fronds felt almost lifeless. But what a difference a couple of years have made: gardens have become well-established, around 80 per cent of the villas are occupied, the sound of childrens’ laughter echoes along the water’s edge, and the streets take on the normal rhythm of life that’s found in very well-to-do neighbourhoods all over the world. It should, of course, be said that Palm Jumeirah is not only about the fronds: the apartment buildings along the ‘trunk’ of the Palm house some exceptional apartments. With wide-open views across the sea towards Burj Al Arab, Atlantis or Dubai Marina – depending on the building – most buildings have private beaches directly at their feet, with their own well-appointed beach clubs, swimming pools, bars and cafes as part of the package.
www.luxhabitat. ae
continued on page 16
Current Prices The average listing price, by property type, in Palm Jumeriah for both villas and apartments Average Price (AED/ sq ft) Signature Villas
2,791
Garden Homes All Properties Apartments 0
1,000
1,914 1,524 1,351 2,000
3,000
Source: Luxhabitat analysis, June 2012
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