Abu Dhabi has a charming vertical “mood”.
I only recently discovered this cool feature, thanks to our lock-down, which dates back to about a month ago, according to my new candid shatush, a gift by Mother Nature to help me tracking the time, I am also fond of.
No doubt that in the vertical mood of Abu Dhabi the beautiful skyline is the superstar, popular worldwide, dominated by the “chopped off tower” of the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid: this is the tallest skyscraper in Abu Dhabi, with its 382 meters and 92 floors, including the underground levels and includes part of the World Trade Center. Another super cool tower (one of my favourites) is the round skyscraper, Aldar HQ, commonly known as “the oreo” / “the big cookie” / “the dirham coin” which houses the headquarters of Aldar.
Then there are also the “pineapple skyscraper”, the “big pencils skyscrapers”, the “starred skyscraper”, “ the wavy skyscraper”, the “Etihad sisters”, “the gulf-ball Etisalat”: just to give you an idea of how varied and rich the profile of the giants of Abu Dhabi is and why we use them as accurate landmarks.
In Abu Dhabi city, even from a micro-balcony or from a window, it is possible to see at least one of the “giants” and in the end you become fond of it, as of a friend.
You should also know that Abu Dhabi’s skyscrapers often host not only offices and shops, but also hotels and apartments that offer unique spectacular views. At the top of these towers, it seems to be on board of an airplane, at that special moment just a bit before the landing, when you get the overview of whole city, at a glance.
In these superb towers, many apartments with breathtaking views, often don’t have balconies at all and it is forbidden to open the windows as well. Basically, you can enjoy wonderful views from the closed windows, but you have to make do with the air conditioning.
When I asked for the reason of this, I was told that it is necessary not to let hot, very humid air enter in the summer, with the risk of transforming the apartment into an expanse of lichen, and to avoid bringing the whole desert into the house when the wind blows hard. And, above all, it is , of course, a safety measure to avoid extremely dangerous falls.
The vertical mood of Abu Dhabi is made not only by our giant guys, but also by buildings and compounds that, more modestly, stand around 10-15 floors or a little more. In these buildings, negotiating for opening windows and balconies, at least in reasonable circumstances, can be easier.
A couple of months before the COVID-19 outbreak, I had to move in a new apartment and I arrived in this new place, 15 floors in total (only), having 10th floor as my destination. Visiting the room, the first thing that struck my heart was the sea view of the Corniche on the horizon, offered by two balconies. Both sealed. To make it short: in the end, I got to have the opening by signing kind of agreement, in which I undertake not to jump off, and, in the event I can’t help it, I declare to release the owners from any responsibility.
So: if in the vertical way of Abu Dhabi, the “usable” balcony, even before the virus was a conquest, you can imagine now, in our canned everyday life: however minuscule it may be, this option has an invaluable value.
It allows not only to take air, but also to socialize a minimum at a safe distance, and to safely explore the rich vertical planet of Abu Dhabi: a various landscape, made of skylines, buildings, windows and balconies connecting expats from all over the world; made of beautiful skies and even of birds, doves and blackbirds that have suddenly become curious and sociable like the cats wandering along the Corniche.
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