The World is coming back to life in Dubai

2018-02-14T14:26:00-05:00

Underwater bedrooms, ‘Lohan Island’ and snow all year round – a decade after it was scuppered by the financial crash, the fantasy archipelago of 300 artificial ‘countries’ is back in business. Has anybody learned anything?

Remember The World? Dubai's lofty vision a decade-and-a-half ago to recreate the globe's map with artificial, celebrity-owned islands dredged from the Gulf floor that was just as grandiose and monumental as its financial crash in 2008? Well, it appears to be back in business again.

The Guardian's Oliver Wainwright takes a trip to the long-abandoned and now-bustling-with-development-again artificial archipelago of 300 islands 2.5 miles off Dubai's coast and confirms: "After a decade in limbo, The World is back – with more ambitious plans than ever before."

And yes, Lindsay Lohan is designing her own island, too.

Luxury Anthropocene: Dubai gets its first private floating islands

2015-06-11T13:25:00-04:00

Completely stable on the water, the base of the island is built to last for far over 100 years and will create a new underwater habitat for sea life, the company states, adding, it is building similar islands in Maldives and in Miami in the US.

Dubai's "The World", a man-made archipelago of islands arranged like a world map, is now spawning private floating homes. The "luxury floating private islands" will be designed to specific client wishes, and reportedly will all come with a pool. Developed by Amillarah Private Islands, these aren't in fact the only floating-homes being developed in The World – Kleindienst Group is selling "floating seahorses", with submerged bedrooms and bathrooms. Just don't call it a houseboat.

Archinect - News

The World is coming back to life in Dubai

Luxury Anthropocene: Dubai gets its first private floating islands