The moon is no longer a location reserved just for dogecoin or those with pockets deep enough for a SpaceX flight, as a Canadian design venture has shown plans to create a replica of our nearest solar neighbour in downtown Dubai. If successfully financed and approved, the gigantic lunar structure aims to be the next destination resort in the Middle East with hopes to attract two and a half million guests a year.
Designed as a project by Michael R. Henderson and Sandra G. Matthews for their Moon World Resorts Inc venture, the Dubai Moon is projected to take two years to construct and will eventually stand more than 224 metres (735 feet) in the air. With grand plans to sell regional versions of the structure around the world, the spherical building will be home to hospitality and entertainment venues, as well as serving as an attraction to space enthusiasts.
In addition to its commercial and tourist functions, the design duo have also integrated plans for more than 300 luxury residences into the project, to be known as ‘Sky Villas’. Residents and tourists will be able to move within the enormous ball via a ‘moon-shuttle’ that will operate inside the structure.
RELATED: Dubai Architects Reveal Plans For 550-Metre High Circle Around Burj Khalifa
“Moon Dubai will be the largest and most successful modern-day tourism project within the entire MENA region, doubling annual tourism visitations to Dubai based on its global appeal, brand awareness and unique multiple integrated offerings,” explained Mathews and Henderson in an interview with Arabian Business. While the project is expected to attract at least 2.5 million guests annually, it “can comfortably accommodate 10 million annual visitors.”
It might be described as a pie-in-the-sky project in its likelihood of getting off the ground, but if successful, the project would be firmly based on terra firma. Though with Dubai’s reportedly struggling tourism sector and limitless appetite for the bigger and the better, Moon Dubai might be a reality quicker than shuttles to Mars.
