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BESIX, the region’s leading multi-services company operating in the construction of commercial and residential buildings, sport and leisure facilities, infrastructure and marine-related projects, has announced the completion of LEGOLAND Dubai by its Dubai-based entity, BESIX-Orascom.
The project, which was executed under supervision of Dubai Theme Parks LLC, was completed in 28 months. The official opening of LEGOLAND was announced by the CEO of Dubai Parks & Resorts on 31 October, 2016.
BESIX-Orascom was responsible for completing 53 buildings within the park, as well as the finishing touches and amenities located in between the buildings. Divided into 6 thematic areas, more than 60 sub-contractors were carefully selected to meet the demanding criteria, such as making the themed structures such as fake old stones, artificial wood and slate.
“The scenery had to be lifelike with a flawless finish, and the fact that we were building a project designed to entertain children, created a particularly pleasant working atmosphere,” explained Francois Springuel, Project Manager of Six Construct.
The ‘Miniland Dome’ - a set of emblematic buildings built entirely out of small Lego bricks, located within the dome, includes several of BESIX’s more famous projects such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the Burj Khalifa and Emirates Towers.
“The first stage of the unique project involved the construction of a temporary metal mast (65m high) at the centre of the dome which measures 100m in diameter and 25m in height,” added Springuel.
“Construction was carried out around the mast in different phases. In each new phase, cables were hoisted to the mast. At the base of the dome, a round curtain wall of 90m in diameter closed the space between the floor slab and shell of the dome.”
“The mounting of the frame, as well as the outer cladding in aluminium, including the inside insulation were completed in only six months. The dome is also fully air-conditioned, which was not easy to achieve, as we had to construct underground trenches for air supply made from reinforced concrete which was a challenge in itself.”
LEGOLAND Dubai covers a total area of three million square feet, and features over 40 interactive rides, shows, attractions, and Lego building experiences. There are currently 15,000 Lego model structures in the theme park, comprised of approximately 60 million Lego bricks.
“We are very proud to be a part of the first of many more new theme parks to open in the UAE over the coming months,” concluded Pierre Sironval, Managing Director of BESIX/Six Construct.
LEGOLAND Dubai is the first LEGOLAND theme park in the Middle East, and the 7th LEGOLAND park in the world, joining locations in Denmark, England, California, Germany, Florida and Malaysia.