How did Dubai seize the architectural icons of the 21st century?

Willis Tower, The Empire State Building, Sears Tower, The Shanghai World Financial Centre, The Petronas Twin Towers - for years, the pinnacles of architectural achievement have been found in America and Asia, where money has been thrown at some of the most impressive buildings in the world.

However recently, the likes of the United Arab Emirates namely Dubai, have stolen their thunder, green lighting and constructing some of the most impressive buildings the world has ever seen.

Currently, the emirate is home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai standing 2,684ft, the most luxurious hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab and is planning a whole plethora of unique structures including the world's first revolving skyscraper.

But how? Why has Dubai dedicated itself to constructing these unique buildings?

Most of it is down to the country's tourism board. The Dubai government has over the years implemented a unique strategy to keep foreign cash coming into the emirate through business and tourism. For companies, Dubai offers some of the most unique office buildings in the world such as the Almas Tower and the Emirates Office Tower. For tourists, the emphasis is more of shopping and providing sights that no other country has - such as the Palm Islands.

These artificial island complexes provide a unique attraction, with each settlement being constructed in the shape of a palm tree complete with residential, leisure and entertainment centres. Located off the coast of Dubai, Palm Jumeirah can be seen from space whilst the Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira are still currently under construction.

Unlike other Arab countries, Dubai only gets 6 percent of its GDP from its petroleum and gas reserves. Due to this most of the emirate's revenue comes from tourism. It is no coincidence that Emirates Airline has its headquarters located in Dubai, whilst over 260 cities worldwide operates flights there.

Currently construction firms are making Dubai's skyline look more and more like something out of a futuristic science fiction film with buildings such as the Dynamic Tower being proposed. It is not unsurprisingly to learn that 22.6 percent of the economy comes from construction.

This 420 meter, 80 floor tower is expected to be architecturally innovate for several reasons. Firstly, each floor will be able to rotate independently! That's right, if you want your apartment to face west instead of east, you can rotate your apartment at a maximum rate of 6 metres per minute, allowing full rotation in 90 minutes.

It will also be the world's first prefabricated skyscraper with 40 individually-made modules being constructed for each floor. This means 90 percent of the building will be made in the factory as opposed to the building site and allowing full construction in only 22 months. It will also be powered by wind turbines and solar panels.

The emirate will also be home to the world's tallest all-residential building when the Pentominium is finished in 2011. The 2,028ft super-tall skyscraper will contain a Sky Lounge, Sky Pool, Business Centre and a private observation deck along with health clubs and a cigar lounge, squash courts, a banqueting hall and private theatre.

However, these pale to the Dubai Towers. This four tower complex will form the centrepiece of The Lagoons, an artificial island lagoon containing seven 'districts'. The tallest of these towers will top 400 meters, with each tower containing 57 to 94 stories.

With such projects, it is not hard to see why Dubai is destined to a global hub of both business and tourism.

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