LEGOLAND® Dubai, part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, opened its doors to the public last week. It is the first LEGOLAND® park in the Middle East and the seventh worldwide. The family theme park targets families with children aged between 2-12. Six Construct-Orascom Construction joint venture delivered the full-scale theme park in only 28 months, allowing the highly anticipated opening to visitors. The JV was responsible for the construction of more than 53 buildings in the park as well as the finishing touches and amenities.
Located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali district, LEGOLAND® Dubai is comprised of a wide range of indoor and outdoor attractions. Visitors will discover six themed lands (LEGO CITY, ADVENTURE, LEGO KINGDOM, CREATE, LEGO FACTORY and MINILAND), each unique in their experience and educational offering.
Beyond the perfectly lifelike finishing of different rides and attractions, the construction of the ‘MINILAND Dome’ posed a specific challenge for the JV team.
Situated inside a fully air-conditioned aluminum framework of 100 m in diameter and 25 m in height, MINILAND features a set of iconic buildings and landmarks of the Middle East, all built entirely out of LEGO® bricks.
Constructing the underground trenches for air supply was a challenging task. The Six Construct Design Department in Dubai found an innovative solution for the design of these trenches by building them out of reinforced concrete.
The first stage involved the construction of a temporary metal mast (65 m high) at the center of the future dome. Construction was carried out around the mast in different phases. In each new phase cables were hoisted to the mast. Mounting the frame, the outer cladding in aluminum and the inside insulation were completed in only six months. At the base of the dome, a round curtain wall of 90 m in diameter closes the space between the floor slab and shell of the dome.
“LEGO® bricks boosted our childhood as it still does for the children of today. Six Construct is particularly proud of building this first LEGOLAND® theme park in Dubai. The fact that we were building a project designed to entertain children created a particularly pleasant working atmosphere. We were inspired and motivated to transform this dream area into a concrete project, despite the engineering challenges. We are also delighted to see that several BESIX achievements such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Burj Khalifa and the Emirates Towers are represented in MINILAND,” states Pierre Sironval, General Manager, Six Construct.
Ayman El Gayar, Managing Director of Orascom Construction UAE, commented: “Inspiring and motivating young minds while maintaining UAE heritage and looking ahead to the future has always been a key part of the UAE’s vision. Orascom Construction is a proud partner in the construction of LEGOLAND® Dubai for the enjoyment and advancement of our children. MINILAND is a prime example of the efforts and meticulous work involved into bringing this dream park closer to our families.”
The model of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, breaks records in LEGOLAND® Dubai. It is exhibited as the world’s tallest LEGO® building structure, standing tall at a height of 17 meters.
With this new project, the Six Construct-Orascom Construction joint venture reinforces its expertise as a key player in the construction of leisure parks. Within three years, the company already delivered beacon projects in the Emirates such as Hub Zero, Our Living Planet, and Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi.
Client:Dubai Park and Resorts Contractor:JV Six Construct-Orascom 15,000LEGO®models > 60 millionLEGO®bricks 950Six Construct and Orascom workers 28months of construction 17-m tall Burj Khalifa replica Total area:14ha |