The Marina Torch

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The Marina Torch
The Torch bottom view, Nov 2014.jpg
The Marina Torch as of November 2014
General information
StatusPartially burnt[1][2]
TypeResidential
LocationDubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates25°05′16.59″N55°08′51.00″ECoordinates: 25°05′16.59″N 55°08′51.00″E
OpeningMay 2011
Height
Antenna spire336.8 m (1,105 ft)[3][4]
Top floor276.3 m (906 ft)[3]
Technical details
Floor count79[3]
The Marina Torch, also known as Dubai Torch or just The Torch,[5] is a supertall residential skyscraper at the Dubai Marina, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The tower became the tallest residential building in the world in 2011, surpassing Q1, in Gold Coast, Australia. The tower reaches 336.1 metres (1,103 ft) in height with 79 floors above ground. It was damaged by fire on 21 February 2015.[6]

History[edit]

The original design by Dubai-based architects Khatib & Alami was 74 floors, with three basement levels and a four-story podium, and had a total planned built up area of 111,832 m² (1.2 million ft²). It was to have 504 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms and four duplex apartment suites. The three basement floors and part of the podium were to hold car parking for 536 vehicles, while floors five and six were to contain aswimming pool, health club, gymnasium, cafeteria, aerobic rooms and sit-out cover seal terraces.[5]
In April 2007, the project was running 18 months behind schedule, with the tower's foundations still under construction. The original expected completion date of June 2008 had been extended to late 2009, with the further extension into 2011.[4] The Marina Torch was opened in May 2011.
As built it has 676 apartments and 6 retail units. [7] In 2015 the price of a one bedroom apartment started at 1,628,000 AED ($443,295 USD).[8]There are many residential towers in this part of Dubai and they are popular with expatriates.[9]

2015 fire[edit]

A fire broke out in the building on 21 February 2015 2:00 a.m. local time, from unknown causes. Although it appeared no fatalities occurred, seven people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.[10] Video footage shows structural debris falling from the burning storeys to the ground.[11]The fire appeared to have started in the middle of the building and spread rapidly due to high winds, causing the flames to flare up, resulting in "massive problems" for the fire department and the backing up of traffic on the nearby highway for several miles.[12] [13]
External cladding was charred from the 50th floor to the top of the tower. Eyewitnesses reported the fire starting in the middle of the tower, and falling debris setting lower levels on fire.[9]

Gallery[edit]

  • 18 May 2007
    •  
  • 20 December 2007
    •  
  • View of Dubai Marinafrom the 64th floor of The Torch

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Marina Torch.

References[edit]

  1. Jump up^ "Fire Rips Through Dubai Marina’s Torch Tower", by Ankush Chibber, Gulf Business
  2. Jump up^ "Fire rips through 79-storey Dubai Marina Torch" The Telegraph
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c "The Torch - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Torch, Dubai". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Torch Tower". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  6. Jump up^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31562099
  7. Jump up^ "The Torch". Select Group UAE. nd. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. Jump up^ "One bed apartments, The Torch". Select Property. nd. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ^ Jump up to:a b "Thousands evacuated after fire engulfs Dubai tower". Al Jazeera. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. Jump up^ "Huge blaze guts 79-floor Dubai skyscraper". Yahoo! News. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. Jump up^ "BBC News - Fire rips through Dubai skyscraper". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  12. Jump up^ "Massive fire engulfs Dubai ‘Torch’ residential tower". RT.com. Autonomous Nonprofit Organization. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  13. Jump up^ "Fire erupts at Torch tower in Dubai Marina". GulfNews.com. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.

External links[edit]