IMAR metal skin covers The Frame, Dubai’s unique skyscraper

The Frame is the most iconic and unusual skyscraper in the Arab Emirates, and it bears the unmistakable stamp of IMAR, responsible for developing and manufacturing part of the façade cladding. The building, shaped like a picture frame, is the work of the Mexican architect Fernando Donis. It is 150 metres high and 93 metres across and has already become one of Dubai’s key tourist attractions.

It is a completely transparent building created to frame the city and to allow visitors to admire the best views of the capital of the Arab Emirates from the top floor.

One of the requirements of this 5,000 m² project was that the metallic solution that had to cover the space of the elevators of the two lateral columns of the frame had to be permeable to wind flow for reasons of foundation calculations. In addition, the high proportion of perforated area (51.23%) had to avoid total transparency since its purpose was to hide the interior installations of the building.

For this reason, IMAR opted for an expanded metal solution, RO280, combined with R3T6 3 mm perforation in transparent lacquered aluminium to provide the double function that was sought.

Despite the special nature of the solution, Óscar Crespo, project manager, IMAR, points out that “the uniqueness of this project are the brackets. The reinforced auxiliary mounting bracket we specifically designed and supplied for this project had to withstand a wind load of 400 kg/m².”

The Frame is located in Al Zabeel Park, one of the most popular areas in the city, with shops, information panels, exhibitions and a museum about the city and its history.