founders Ahmed Al Ali and Farid Esmaeil have partnered with Architecture Hunter to release a highly curated digital guide to Dubai, framing the city where their practice began in 2003 as an ongoing, evolving architectural project. Moving beyond predictable tourist landmarks, the guide maps Dubai’s distinct urban layers across six specific categories: Stay, Dine, Drink, Shop, Visit, and Observe.

The carefully selected locations reflect the complex duality of the city’s built environment. It highlights grassroots neighborhood mainstays like Ijaza and Antar Cafeterias, alongside beautifully preserved historic landmarks such as the Al Fahidi district’s wind towers and the Shindagha Maritime District. These traditional sites are contextualized alongside bold, sculptural monuments of modern ambition like the Atlantis The Royal, the immense urbanism of the Dubai Mall, and low-impact ecological landscapes like the Al Marmoom Lagoons and the Sedr Trailers Resort in Hatta. By exploring the intersections of heritage, vernacular street culture, and contemporary innovation, the guide serves as both a study of regional memory and a masterclass in site-responsive urban exploration.

Read more: https://architecturehunter.com/guide/dubai-united-arab-emirates/