If you look out over the Dubai skyline, you're probably admiring Yahya Jan's work.
He is the president and design director of the architecture and engineering firm NORR, which is responsible for some of the city's most recognizable structures, including the Atlantis and Shangri-La Hotels.
He is currently working on one of his most ambitious projects. The Ciel Tower, which is scheduled to open in 2023, will have over 1,000 rooms and suites spread across 82 floors and will be the world's tallest hotel at around 1,200 feet (365 meters).
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A side project
Jan was tasked with designing the skyscraper for the project on a triangular plot of land at Dubai Marina with an area of only 2,500 square meters – small for a building of that height.
"It's a very compressed property," he explained. "It was like being in Manhattan or London; the constraints were enormous, but we had to make it work."
A side venture
Jan was tasked with designing the project's skyscraper on a triangular plot of land at Dubai Marina with a surface area of only 2,500 square meters - small for a building of that height.
He explained, "It's a very compressed property." "It felt like we were in Manhattan or London; the constraints were immense, but we had to make it work."
In addition to appealing to the senses, the project is energy efficient, using 25% less power for air conditioning than is typical for similar buildings, according to Jan.
"This project is about architecture and engineering coming together, not just architecture," he added. "That's why I'm so enthusiastic about the project; it's my passion, the convergence of science and art."
Even though twelve floors have been completed, Jan says he is still "extremely involved" in the construction. "You can never let your guard down when designing a project as complex as the Ciel," he said. "It's an ongoing process."
A prolonged stay
Jan never imagined when he first arrived in Dubai in 1996 that he would leave such a legacy, designing some of the city's most iconic office developments, residential towers, and malls.
He grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to the United States on a scholarship when he was 18 years old. He earned a Master's degree in architecture after studying structural engineering at Princeton. Jan stayed in the US for nine years and had no plans to leave until he was offered a job as a senior designer on the Emirates Towers office and hotel complex.
He grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to the United States on a scholarship when he was 18 years old. He earned a Master's degree in architecture after studying structural engineering at Princeton. Jan stayed in the US for nine years and had no plans to leave until he was offered a job as a senior designer on the Emirates Towers office and hotel complex.
He said, now 57, that he never intended to stay in the UAE for so long. "It's been an incredible 25 years in Dubai," he says. "I got caught up in the excitement here."
Jan hopes that the Ciel Tower, named after the French word for sky, will be seen as timeless, like the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building in New York City.
"I like the name Ciel because I believe that in our own lives, the sky is the limit, and that's certainly the case in my own life," he explained. "I've had the opportunity to grow and do things I never thought I'd be able to do."
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