Themed Malls in Dubai Spotlight Architecture
Wafi, Ibn Battuta, Mercato Malls Offer Education With Their Shopping
Jul 6, 2009
Centering life around air-conditioned venues seems reasonable where daily temperatures are 90 F (32 C) or higher for most of the year. Dubai developers have taken advantage of the situation and made building malls into an art, creating travel-destination virtues out of a search-for-coolness necessity.
Three shopping centers in Dubai have chosen themed architecture to create a sense of place, designing locations that are worth visiting for more than just the shopping. Wafi City reinvents Pharonic Egypt, Ibn Battuta Mall captures the journeys of a famed Arab traveler, and Mercato channels an Italian marketplace. All of the malls are open 10 am to 10 pm daily and to midnight on Thursday and Friday.
Wafi Offers Modernistic Take on Pharoahs of Egypt
The mammoth pyramid-shaped atriums for Wafi Mall and the five-star hotel Raffles stand out as one tools along Sheikh Rashid Road to or from Garhoud Bridge while a dramatic wall-length stained glass window catches the eye of drivers-by. The original themed mall of Dubai since 2001, Wafi’s latest upgrade was 2008.
A walk through Wafi is like exploring a futurist Karnak – statues of Ramses and Anubis greet visitors at the east entrance while inside columns of light brown stone rise ceiling high with carvings of Egyptian motifs. One atrium is filled with stained glass hieroglyphs while another has a more modern design; both add a mystical glow to the concourses below.
The newest addition to Wafi is the Khan Murjan, a bazaar recreated as an “authentic 14th century souk” (with the blessed addition of 21st century air conditioning and restrooms). The inspiration of the souk was the Khan Murjan in Baghdad, although a dash of the Khan El Khalili in Cairo peeps thorough, not surprising given Wafi’s close work with advisors from Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
Dib Bader, General Manager, notes that the materials for the souk and the craftsmen to put them together came from across the Islamic world, including Egypt (the carved stones), Syria (woodcarvings), Morocco (mosaic tiles), and Turkey (ornamentation and marble floors). The stained glass ceiling, which runs the 210 foot (64 m) length of the Egyptian Quarter, depicts stories of ancient Arab traders. The restaurant in Khan Murjan features regional food and music; it was honored in April 2009 by TimeOut Dubai as the best Middle Eastern North African restaurant in the city.
Ibn Battuta Mall Features Six Countries in Journey of Famed Islamic Traveler
Ibn Battuta was a 14th century Tangieri Arab who spent 29 years traveling the world. (Battuta’s journals are available online in English through the Fordham University’s Center for Medieval Studies.) Mall developers at Nakheel decided to honor Battuta by designing “courts” to reflect major destinations in his travels. Exhibits in each court detail Battuta’s adventures and work of Muslim contemporaries who were scientists and inventors, making this mall, located near interchange 6 on Sheikh Zayed Road, a place where education happens alongside shopping.
Tunisia, Andalusia, and Egypt Courts Capture Arab World
The Tunisia Court reflects the North African homeland of Ibn Battuta, creating a feel of the villages of Tunis and Carthage, while the Andalusian Court uses elements from the red brick and white stonework designs of the Great Mosque of Cordoba and Alhambra Palace in Granada. The Egyptian court aims at giving a feel of Cairo during the Mamluk period, when it was the largest city in the world outside of China. The motif used is that of a local bazaar; it is the only court that has the unfortunate feel of “tourist” rather than “culture.”
Persia, India, and China Courts Spectacular Cultural Recreations
The most spectacular courts feature Persia, India, and China. The Persian Court captures the cross-vaulted arches typical of Iran and Iraq with glazed tiles of abstract and arabesque designs. The turquoise dome is a magnificent example of blue-tile art.
The India Court uses elements of the unique Indo-Islamic architecture, soaring with pointed arches, vaults, and domes. The polished white marble columns and ceilings are carved in low relief with floral and geometric designs—the light airiness of this marble work is stunning. A full-sized replica of a mechanical elephant clock, designed by 12th century engineer Al Jazari, dominates the India Court and is definitely worth a visit.
The red-lacquered walls of the China Court match those of the Forbidden City in China and the wood and glazed tiles are authentic elements of traditional Chinese construction. Four ships focus attention center court, a full-sized junk and three sampans. The junk is a favorite with children as its cutout side allows visitors to step inside.
Mercato Mall Captures the Buzz of an Italian Marketplace
Mercato , one of the more intimate malls in Dubai, is located on Jumeirah Beach Road. Open since late 2002, Mercato recreates the feel of interconnected piazzas in an Italian town, with al fresco coffee shops, sidewalk cafes, and a community buzzing between shops and entertainments. It was designed by Italian art historian and architect Daniele Morelli. The glass-roofed arcade, straight out of Milan’s fashion district, dominates the central court and gives an open expansive feeling to the space. The sides of the main piazza are lined with facades of buildings styled from the Italian Renaissance, with murals and bridges to heighten the illusion of being outside.
Tim Mackintosh-Smith, an insightful, irreverent writer of things Arabic, quipped in a 2008 article (“Edutaining Dubai,” The World and I Online) that “judging by the number and acreage of its malls, Dubai’s national sport is not camel racing, but shopping.” He seems to have the right of it, and in the case of Dubai’s themed malls, one can at least pick up a bit of “edutainment” along the way.
Note: For more things to do in Dubai, check out Dubai’s year-round winter sports.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
