Think spectacular buildings and Dubai comes to mind. The Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, the twisting Cayan Tower in the Marina and, of course, the Burj Al-Arabia. The list, if not endless, is pretty lengthy.
Few people, though, would probably give a glance at anything as mundane as the Dubai Municipality Building overlooking the Creek on Bani Yas Road in Deira.
When it was being built, in 1977 and 1978, the new administrative headquarters in the city must have turned heads with its distinctive architecture. It was certainly impressive enough for our sister newspaper, Al Ittihad, to send a photographer down to the site to record its construction.
The building was a reflection of the city’s astonishing growth and confidence in the future. Dubai Municipality was first set up in 1954, by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, who was then Crown Prince. It had a staff of three.
The new town hall - if it can be called that - was one of number of mega projects in the city at the time, including Jebel Ali Port and the Dubai Drydocks.
It was completed in time for the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1979, when Her Majesty was presented with the key to city at the building. A plaque commemorating this historic event can be seen at entrance to the municipality to this day.
* James Langton
