Al Seef ( ar, السيف, al sayf) or Al Seef Khor is a 1.8 km waterfront promenade along the bank of

Dubai Creek Dubai Creek ( ar, خور دبي, Khūr Dubay) has been described as a natural saltwater creek, tidal inlet, and watercourse or waterway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditional ...

in the Al Fahidi neighborhood of

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

History

The promenade was developed by Dubai-based real estate company

Meraas Meraas is a privately held holding company headquartered in Dubai with operations and assets in the United Arab Emirates. As of 2020, Meraas was reportedly due to become a subsidiary of Dubai Holding. History Since its founding in 2007, the Dubai ...

and its construction was completed in 2017.

Reception

Cristiano Luchetti, an associate professor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, called this project a ''"historical fraud"'' based on a critical interpretation of the usage of components taken from the features of the local architecture of Dubai without sufficient interpretative key and the use of artificially aged finishes and materials. Similar sentiments are shared by other academicians as the project completely undermines the municipal and cultural authorities' work in preservation and rehabilitation. Moreover, the Al Seef buildings, are an inflated and inaccurate interpretation of the old wind tower houses in Dubai, built of modern materials and aged theatrically to indicate hardship that is not even visible in the initially maintained homes.

Gallery

References

{{reflist Waterfronts Architecture in Dubai Architectural controversies