The Dubai Frame expected to be complete very soon

Since construction began in 2013 on The Dubai Frame (yes, that building from that ThyssenKrupp competition), the structure is expected to open to the public "in one month's time" if all goes well, according to a recent report from The Gulf News. Designed by architect Fernando Donis, the project was the first-prize winner of the ThyssenKrupp Elevator Architecture Award competition back in 2008-2009, wherein entrants worldwide had to "design a tall emblem structure to promote the new face of Dubai" that would serve as a tourist hotspot.

Not too surprisingly, the Dubai Frame sparked an ample amount of heated discussion from other participants here on Bustler upon the winning announcement.

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To add to that, Donis himself got into a clash with The Dubai Municipality — the competition organizer — in 2014. His original proposal underwent major edits and he couldn't retain the rights to his work, which he claimed was a breach to the terms of the competition brief. 

Timelapse of The Dubai Frame's construction. Video posted by Al Rostamani Pegel on YouTube.

And yet, the project moved forward. Located in Zabeel Park, the Dh160 million project consists of two 150-meter-tall towers, which are connected by a 100 m2 bridge.

The bridge will include a cafe and offer panoramic views of Old Dubai on one side and the distinctive skyline of New Dubai on the other. Visitors would ride in a glass elevator as they move up and down the structure. They can also stop by the nearby ground-level museum, which will showcase artifacts representing Old and New Dubai, and can learn more about the city's history through multimedia presentations.

In the coming weeks, the final tasks in construction include paneling the photovoltaic tiles and cladding the structure, which local reports state will be an off-white shade.

Update: Check out a conversation our sister site Archinect had with the Dubai Frame's designer Fernando Donis.