Tuesday, January 20, 2015

  Largest vertical maze: Dubai breaks Guinness World Records' record (VIDEO)

DUBAI, UAE -- It's just the third week of 2015, but Dubai has notched yet another world record – this time of the world's largest vertical maze; The Maze Tower, an iconic 55-storey mixed-use building, positioned on Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of the Dubai Financial District, has intricate lines of balconies on the front and rear facades created in the shape of a maze which form real puzzles, setting the world record for the Largest vertical maze, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/ .

  Photo: The World's Largest Vertical Maze, iconic 55-storey mixed-use building is positioned on Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of the Dubai Financial District. ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness World Records' record for the largest permanent hedge maze is the Pineapple Garden Maze at the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, USA, which has a total area of 12,745.79 m² (3.15 acres) and total path length of 3.962 km (2.46 miles).

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest ice maze; it is 1,194.33 m² (12,855.68 ft²) in area, achieved by the Arctic Glacier Ice Maze (USA) at the Buffalo Powder Keg Festival in Buffalo, New York, USA, on 26 February 2010.

   The natural stones used throughout the Maze Tower have been hand selected for their aesthetic and tactile appeal. The same stone, Brazilian Verde Bahia is used throughout the exterior.

   The darker greenish hue of the building corner posts is achieved using a water jet treatment which creates an even, matt surface. The lighter hue used to emphasize the Maze is achieved using a flame technique that roughens the surface and creates a lighter, more reflective surface. The natural stone provides the organic warmth befitting the structure.

   "The creation of this unique building was a prestigious project for the Al Rostamani Group which drew its inspiration from the creative and innovative changes taking place across Dubai and the UAE. By achieving the Guinness World Records title, Al Rostamani Group is proud to have contributed to the vision of transforming Dubai into a world city," said Marwan Abdulla Al Rostamani, Chairman, Al Rostamani Group .

   "We always wanted The Maze to look like it was carved out of one massive piece of rock; with the constant play of light and shadow to render it alive," said Hassan Abdulla Al Rostamani, Vice Chairman of the Group and The Maze Tower Conceptualizer.

    The tower also boasts of 4 significant features:
    (i) the Maze Eye – an 8-metre circular video wall at the top of the building which has the ability to beam images to great distances,
    (ii) LED lights built into the exterior façade of the maze pattern which has the ability to display a multitude of colours and patterns,
    (iii) a purpose-built tranquil garden floor strategically situated in the middle of the building and
   (iv) finally a roof top maze patterned garden above the standalone car park.