Jumeirah Gate in Dubai and the US embassy in London are among the properties to be honoured by a leading international organisation dedicated to big buildings.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Annual Awards 2021 recognised Jumeirah Gate in the Best Tall Building 300 to 399-metre category.
The gallery above depicts the tower at night and reveals some of the other sky-scraping winners.
Jumeirah Gate is the 30th tallest building in the UAE and the 170th tallest in the world.
Located among a crowd of towering edifices in Dubai Marina, the Emaar Properties-owned development was completed in 2020 – one of 12 buildings taller than 200 metres to be built in the emirate last year.
Architects Killa Design have form in grandiose buildings, with the Bahrain World Trade Centre and the Millennium Tower in San Francisco.
Jumeirah Gate accommodates a 182-room five-star hotel, 479 residential apartments and 496 serviced branded apartments.
Killa Design describe it as an "ellipse in plan with a void in the centre that serves to increase daylight penetration and views to the Palm, JBR beach and the horizon".
In the shortest of the tallest awards categories, for those less than 100 metres, the US embassy in London was recognised "for its exceptional environmental leadership and energy-efficient design".
The council said that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ structure "incorporates energy conservation strategies including daylight-responsive lighting and shade controls, passive and active chilled beams, efficient mechanical systems, and combined heat and power generation".
It is powered through photovoltaic technology and ground source heat pumps that work by harnessing the Earth's energy.
The embassy "sets a new standard for the design of diplomatic campuses overseas", the council said.
A list of the winners in every category can be found on the council's website here.
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10 tallest buildings in the Middle East – in pictures
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ALMAS TOWER, DUBAI, 360 metres: Part of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Almas tower was briefly the tallest in Dubai when it was topped out in 2008. It is the headquarters of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, with high security vaults and safe deposits to protect clients' assets. Gabriela Maj / Bloomberg -
ADDRESS BOULEVARD, DUBAI, 370 metres: Opened in March 2017, Address Boulevard boasts sells itself as a "city lifestyle resort". Residents and guests do not need to step onto the balmy streets to access Dubai Mall, which is it connected to with an air conditioned bridge. Not to be confused with the 300 metre tall Address Downtown, which was built in a similar modernist Art Deco style and opened in 2008. Courtesy: Emaar Hospitality -
ELITE RESIDENCE, DUBAI, 380 metres: Opened in 2012, at an estimated cost of Dh1bn, the 91 floors have nearly 700 flats with views over Palm Jumeirah. It boasts a distinctive design and is recognisable on the marina skyline. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
BURJ MOHAMMED BIN RASHID, ABU DHABI, 382 metres: Abu Dhabi makes it into the top 10, with a building named in honour of the Ruler of Dubai. Completed in 2013, the capital’s tallest building is part of the World Trade Centre which includes a mall and souq. Mona Al Marzooqi/ The National -
23 MARINA, DUBAI, 392 metres: Briefly the world’s tallest residential tower, 23 Marina opened in 2012. It includes 57 swimming and plunge pools, with 62 high speed lifts, including one for each of the 23 four bedroom duplexes, and boasts views over Media City's lake and amphitheatre. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
AL HAMRA TOWER, KUWAIT CITY, 412 metres: Kuwait’s tallest building is marked by its curved sculpted concrete exterior, which is also the world’s tallest of its type. It was completed in 2011 with offices, a shopping mall and a rooftop restaurant. AFP -
PRINCESS TOWER, DUBAI, 413 metres: The tallest residential building in the world until it was overtaken by 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan five years ago, Princess Tower was opened in 2012 with 763 residential units. There are 107 storeys, including six underground, with an observation deck on the 97th floor. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
MARINA 101, DUBAI, 425 metres: The second tallest building in Dubai is also the 27th tallest in the world. Construction began in 2006 and, although it was completed in 2017, the building remains unfinished and unoccupied due to financing issues. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
MAKKAH ROYAL CLOCK TOWER, MAKKAH, 601 metres: Part of the Abraj Al Bayt complex, the tower over looks the Great Mosque of Makkah and the Kaaba and was completed in 2012. It includes the highest and tallest clock faces in the world – the minute hands alone are 23 metres long. AFP -
BURJ KHALIFA, DUBAI, 828 metres: The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2010, Burj Khalifa actually took the title a year earlier when it surpassed Taiwan’s Taipei 101. It boasts several world records, including the building with the most floors (163), the world’s longest elevators at 504m, and the world's highest restaurant. It is so tall the sun sets three minutes later on the observation deck than on the ground. Tarek Fahmy / Reuters
