Think the Mall of America (and its roller coasters) is something? Try the Mall of the World, a $6.8B development in the heart of Dubai, complete with hundreds of buildings, thousands of hotel rooms—even its own full transit system.
Developer Dubai Holdings is building the 48M SF glass-domed city, which will include nearly 300 individual buildings dedicated to retail, hospitality, office and entertainment stress across 8M SF.
The project also boasts 33 roads and 1.6M SF of walkways and plazas, as well as bike routes and gondola rides on the mall's artificial waterways.
Among the highlights, the Mall of the World will feature a massive amphitheater shaped like a disco ball sliced in half—the "Cultural Celebration Center"— as well as the world's largest indoor theme park.
Of course, the whole project—which is slated to be completed in 2020—is mind blowing. Here's some context: It'll be nine times bigger than the Mall of America, the biggest mall in the US. But that's not unusual in Dubai: the Emirate is also home to luxurious underwater homes floating in the ocean. [BI]
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