Large dimensions: 30 inches high by 24 wide and 191 pages, do not expect to read in bed because it is heavy and too big. Better off being comfortably seated at your desk or a chair to handle with more ease and without damaging it (sorry, but I’m obsessive and very cautious with the books).

The hardback rigid bright green had not been my choice, but this aspect is secondary because it’s still inside that counts, it is covered with a jacket on which appears in the photo famous Burj Al Arab Dubai.
The inside pages thick glossy paper are also green, choice certainly justified by a nod to the film version of The Wizard of Oz. Indeed, the architect of the Burj Dubai, Adrian Smith admits to somehow found her inspiration in the Emerald City the movie “The Wizard of Oz.”

Very many pages of pictures constructions of different color, photos of models and detailed drawings punctuate the book, deepening his interest. Even if you’re not passionate about architecture, this book presents magnificent buildings so original and innovative, however, it should capture your interest.

“Small States and the Gulf Arab emirates along the eastern Arabian Peninsula are building  to an astonishing speed of new cities in the desert of Bahrain to Doha and further south in the UAE. Compounds of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quaïwaïn, these countries with their gas and their oil, known in recent years an unprecedented architectural explosion. It is not surprising that the emergence of this amazing armada of ultramodern towers have attracted some of the most famous architects of the world as Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid and Jean Nouvel. Every design in this time of revolutionary projects for the ambitious cultural district of Saadiyat Island, opposite Abu Dahbi. Through these achievements and many others, equally remarkable and gigantic scale, completed or under construction, the Gulf emirates are perhaps become a Mecca for architecture today. ”

After studying art history and economics at Harvard,” ‘Philip Jodidio”’, American New Jersey native, born in 1954, was editor of the leading French art magazine ” Knowledge of the arts “for over twenty years. Author of numerous articles and several books, including monographs on artists from Taschen.

The economic growth of UAE’s Gulf triggered” ‘a fever of construction”’, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dahbi where towers set themselves up with a vengeance. Obviously, the ostentatious side of many of these buildings and a display of luxury”outrageous” ‘where the predominant gigantism, inescapable.
The Emirates have used some architects stars whose fame is worldwide, such as Chinese Pei, the French architect Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and a woman whom I admire especially his genius Zaha Hadid. These last four are involved in more architecturaland cultural project in the world, you have probably heard: Saadiyat whose translation is the island of happiness on the coast of Abu Dhabi. The project should be completed in a decade. On an area of 27 square kilometers, an area of 270 hectares will be devoted to Culture: The Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Classical art in the Louvre with co-management, conference center and entertainment, the Maritime Museum. The cost is in excess of the project: 27 billion dollars. The goal is to make the emirate a global culturaldestination that will compensate for the depletion of oil resources provided to local 2046.D other projects are underway in Abu Dhabi as the realization of a new town on 156 hectares. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the center of the largest projects.

Western architects such as Carlos Ottto whom we owe the Opera Bastille in Paris are causing a lot of local achievements such as the National Bank of Dubai, spectacularly shaped building wave reflective glass.
The amazing Burj Al Arab hotel built between 1994 and 1999, the work of Britain’s Tom Wright, the more star in the world as it is the only seven stars, the highest (321 m) was only a beginning in this desire to pharaonic constructs. There is a frenzy to build buildings higher and higher. Thus the tower BurjDubai or Dubai peak at 553 meters, making it the highest in the world, Taipei 101 reaching only 509 meters. Creating a gigantic international financial center, plans abound to create cities that can compete with Western capitals.

There are of course negative criteria as demonstrated by the WWF has highlighted the adverse effects on the global ecosystem. The immigrant labor is particularly exploited. An orgy of luxury not always the best taste of tinsel, a growth of prostitution, and finally all defects related to money flowing streams.
The intelligence of the Gulf countries is still to project into the future and not to have a short-term, recurring failure of our successive governments almost everywhere in the world besides, and to provide an alternative to the shortage of fossil resources by creating structures like no other, based on a massive tourism development, capital flows and cultural venues.

Some projects you will discover while leafing through the book

Photos for Architecture in the Emirates – Philip Jodidio
The book in question …..*********

- Dancing Towers, the center of Abu Dhabi in the words of the architects’ tilt, swivel, twist and drape them to talk … “.
- The Pentominiumin Dubai, the highest residential tower in the world.

- The Maritime Museum by the architect Tadao Ando you find plans and spectacular model.
- The Burj Al Arab built on an artificial island 15 km south of Dubai, sail-shaped, surely one of the highest profile buildings. Despite his respectable height (quoted above 321 m), there are only 28 double levels. The hotel contains approximately 200 duplex suites ranging from 170 to 780 m², the panoramic restaurant is 200 meters above sea level a riot of marble (30 varieties) and sheets of 22 carat gold ( 8000 m²) were used for decoration, this does not really taste the West seems to me there but the glitter of a world of thousand and one nights. It is surmounted by a platform for helicopters.

- The Signature Towers in Dubai, a complex of three towers extremely surprising in their nesting in the Business Bay in full development, a project designed by the Anglo-Iraqi Zaha Hadid I mentioned above. It is one of the most famous architects of “deconstructionism, a movement that rejects the excessive rationality and linear order of modern architecture.” He must include the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, the terminus tram in Strasbourg, the Guggenheim Museum in Taiwan, an opera in Guangzhou in China, little insight into his accomplishments.
A small nod to ciaonaute Muuss made me discover-as many others probably, the Pet Shop Boys after reading his opinion, Zaha Hadid, a fan of this group, developed the staging one of their tour.

This book is really fascinating as long as you have a natural curiosity on the world. There is no need to have studied architecture for wanting to explore constructions “crazy” completely atypical and innovative. The texts are not boring to read but informative, clear and concise, they are supporting the very many photographs. The book will also help you discover some architects to see the outstanding achievements of these hexagons. But if the architecture of the Persian Gulf does not interest you, you will find in this collection several other books on architecture in China, USA, Spain, etc. …
This book can be an excellent gift idea at very low prices