Marina Crown

Intro:


The Marina has lost its Crown!
(More about this in the Commentary below.)

The Marina Crown will rise to 207 meters with 53 floors (including 51 residential). It adds one more luxurious property to the row of towers lining Al Sufouh Road. It stands between the very exclusive Le Reve and the plot of the yet to break ground Ocean Heights tower. It will offer a range of apartment sizes from 1 bedroom to 5 along with penthouses, and according to the literature "villas." In addition to the usual fitness center, pools and 24-hour security, the tower will house shops and restaurants. Notably, in a move to be especially family-friendly it will offer nanny service in apartments along with housekeeping and a day care center--for a fee it may be presumed. In the words of one advert, services include "24-hour babysitters."


Construction on the tower began in March 2004 with completion perhaps by mid-2006. The tower has already topped out with its outer cladding being steadily applied. It has a particularly attractive facade in a soft tan shade with generous white trimming. It features columns in relief and other surface gradations. Its facade resembles that which might be found in a colonial-style hotel.

Construction photos by AltinD, 26 Dec 05

Floorplan:


Marina Crown's floor plans are particularly interesting. Each floor consists of only one or two bedroom types, for example 1 & 2-bedroom units on one floor, only 4-bedroom units on another, and so on. The units spread out symetrically from the elevator lobby which forms a square at the center of the building. The result is that each unit, whether twelve to a floor as in the case of the 1 and 2-bedroom arrangement or two as in the case of the penthouse suites, appears to be centrally positioned, with all entrances generally at equal distance from the elevators--there is practically no corridor to navigate even with 12 units distributed on one floor.


Not all units offer balconies, while many provide maid's quarters. The 2-bedroom unit above is attractively laid out with 2 balconies.

With Reference to MAG 218:

Located on Al Sufouh road this tower will be "around the corner" from the MAG 218. It will block some sea views that would otherwise have been visible at an angle from westward facing units. The restaurants and shops that are to be located in the Marina Crown ought to add additional retail and leisure options to surrounding tower residents including MAG 218's. In this sense it will be another welcome addition to the neighborhood, and for its attractive architectural features as well.

Resources:

• The Developer's website has no information of relevance to the project. Tel: 04-282-1414.
  
• Real estate agent site, Gowealthy.com, with extensive details.
  
• Ocean View Investments displays additional floorplans.
  
• Skyscrapercity.com's Marina Crown forum.
  
• Emporis' construction update info.

Commentary:

It must be lamented that this tower has lost its crown. The words of one forum contributor at Skyscrapercity.com reflect the feeling of disappointment that many who are familiar with the original design have. His words offer blunt criticism directed toward the developer:

Mr. Al Zarooni should realise this building carries his name...this re-design will definitely not do him any favours!

Well, the tower is Marina Crown, not Zarooni Crown, and many may, in fact, never come to know who the developer is--the Al Zarooni Group of Companies. But the criticism could hardly be more on target. A decision of this sort--for a significant design change midway through construction--is obviously one that the developer makes and it reflects on his level of commitment to the project.

The controversy surrounds the removal of the green roof (as seen in some of the images posted here) from the summit of the tower. There were signs that changes of some sort were at hand when the project billboard was removed from the building site in mid-August 2005. It was replaced with a billboard displaying the tower's re-design (minus its roof) in October. This roof, one can be certain, is the very Crown referred to in the moniker.

So, how could and why would this important design feature be eliminated? One can speculate that there were financial and perhaps time issues at play. Certainly one cannot think of it having been for technical or aesthetic reasons. Is it too late for investors (purchasers of units) to effect a reversal of this decision, should they wish to? I can't imagine why any investor would not want to see the crown restored and try to do something about it. 05 Jan 06
Quick Data

• Building/Project Title: Marina Crown
  
• Developer: Al Zarooni Group of Companies, 04-282-1414
  
• Architect & Consultants: Architectural & Engineering Consultants (ARTEC), 4-221-6460; S. Mehboob & Co. (SMC), Pakistan, +92-21-5870515
  
• Contractors: Zetas Foundation Technology, 04-227-8077; Trans Emirates General Contracting, 04-282-5844, Sendai Eversendai Engineering Group, Malaysia , 04-221=6460, et.al.
  
• Construction Start/Finish: early 2004, mid-2006
  
• Height & No. of Floors: 207 meters (with/without crown?), 53 floors
  
• No. & Type of Units: 1-bed (769 sq.ft.-886 sq.ft.), 2-bed (1431 sq.ft.-1772 sq.ft.), 3-bed (2180 sq.ft.), 4-bed (3019 sq.ft.-4619 sq.ft.), 5-bed (5616 sq.ft.-6079 sq.ft.) and villas (1772 sq.ft.-5330 sq.ft.)
  
• Purchase Prices (USD): 1-bed (106,800+), 2-bed (197,200+), 3-bed (403,250+); 4-bed (620,720+); prices vary greatly by floor.
  
• Maintenance Fees ( AED/sqft):
  
• Location: plot #392/189
  
• Highlights: Wide-variety of room plans, family-friendly, attractive floor layouts, attractive facade and design, includes shops & restaurants, has lost its crown!

Itallics indicate uncertain data. Please post comment to offer corrections.

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