‘Islands in the Sky': Bathing ponds and waterfalls design to transform Dubai's skyline
Dubai is famous for its attention-grabbing architecture, whether it's the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, or the actual 'World' — an archipelago of 300 man-made islands in the shape of, as its name suggests, the world.
And now, a new project by Therme Group, a global developer of wellbeing resorts, promises to transform the skyline of the United Arab Emirates' biggest city even further.
Rising to a height of 100 meters (328 feet), 'Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky' will feature botanical gardens suspended from the air, cascading pools filled with restorative thermal and mineral waters as well as spaces for cultural and social events.
Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), the structure will sit in the city's Zabeel Park, beside the Royal Palace.
According to a news release issued by Therme, it's designed to welcome 1.7 million visitors annually, 'setting a new standard for holistic and daily wellbeing.'
'Dubai is a city that understands the future must be built with wellbeing at its core,' said Therme Group's founder and CEO, Robert Hanea, in a statement.
'We are shaping how cities can integrate nature, water and culture to elevate quality of life at scale. Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky will stand as a global model for what's possible when ambition and expertise align.'
The firm behind the design refers to it as 'an oasis in the sky' that rises from the lake as a series of botanical gardens stacked into a tower.
'Each island is a platform for thermal pools, decks, and verdant indoor and outdoor vegetation; each offers a distinctive atmosphere; and each is oriented toward the dramatic view of the Dubai skyline,' said Elizabeth Diller, founding partner of DS+R, in the statement.
'Guests are immersed in unique environments — warm and cool, wet and dry, the intense heat of saunas and steam rooms and the ambient temperature of thermal pools and cool mineral pools. By day, the atmosphere is contemplative and relaxing. By night, the spaces come alive with music, artistic performances and events.'
Therme says the resort will recycle 90% of the water used in its thermal pools, 'while 80% of the fresh air and cooling needs will be met through clean energy sources.'
Construction is set to begin in 2026, with the company predicting it will be completed by 2028.
Therme Dubai - Islands in the Sky is one of a string of major architecture projects opening in the city in the coming years that will be of interest to travelers.
Construction is now underway on the world's second-tallest skyscraper, The Burj Azizi, set for completion in 2028.
With a height of 725 meters (2,379 feet), the 131-story building will feature apartments, a 'seven-star' hotel and a 'vertical' shopping mall.
Azizi Developments says the tower will set several records, including the world's highest hotel lobby, the world's highest nightclub and the world's highest observation deck.
Meanwhile, the Ciel Dubai Marina — set to become the world's tallest hotel — is scheduled to open this year.
At a height of around 1,200 feet (365 meters), it will feature more than 1,000 rooms and suites spread over 82 floors.
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He endorsed the proposal again in his 2024 budget proposal, and although rapper Jay-Z joined in support of the program, it wasn't in the final budget. Shapiro hasn't said one way or the other if he still backs the idea, but it wasn't part of this year's proposal. Pennsylvania already has two programs that allow individuals and businesses to contribute to private school scholarship programs in lieu of state personal income and corporate net income, and other taxes. The programs provided $340 million such tax credits in 2022-2023, according to watchdog group Education Voters PA. The group has criticized the program, claiming it funds schools that are free to discriminate on the basis of religion, disability and LGBTQ status in their admissions policies. Senate Bill 10 nonetheless resurrects the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) scholarship proposal from 2023. It would allow parents of students in the bottom 5% lowest performing school districts to apply for scholarships ranging from $2,500 for half-day kindergarten to $10,000 for high school students each year. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee 8-3 last month to be considered by the full Senate. Isaacson said her bill, which also passed the House last session, is the result of 'repeated and urgent calls' to update the law that remained unchanged as the number of cyber charter schools grew and enrollment swelled to 65,000. 'This proposal is about fiscal responsibilities and aligning tuition to the actual cost of providing cyber education,' she said. Republicans who opposed it said it denied a voice for families that choose cyber charters. 'It will close real schools, displace real students, strip families of the very choices that they depend on to give their children a chance at success,' Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) said. School districts must pay tuition for each student who chooses to attend a cyber charter school instead of their local public school. For regular education students, it's based on the district's per-pupil spending minus costs that don't exist for cyber students, such as transportation and facilities. For special education students, the tuition is calculated based on the district's overall special education spending divided by 16%, the presumed proportion of students requiring special ed service. Critics say that formula is flawed because it underestimates the number of special education students and skews tuition toward the cost of services for students with the most intensive needs. And students with individualized education plans are 27% more likely to attend cyber charter schools, according to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Education watchdog groups say that results in a windfall for cyber charter organizations because the tuition they get has little relation to the actual cost of providing an online education. It also opens the door to waste and abuse, according to Education Voters PA, which catalogued spending by the state's largest cyber charter, Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), that included a posh social club membership and the purchase of a luxury SUV. Republican Auditor General Timothy DeFoor released a report in February during House and Senate budget hearings that examined the finances of five cyber charters and found they had amassed excessive budget surpluses. The five charters' fund balances grew 144% from 2020 to 2023, when they held a combined $619 million in unencumbered funds. DeFoor's report also highlighted 'uncommon' spending practices such as purchasing gift cards, paying bonuses to teachers and the acquisition of 21 physical properties by the state's largest cyber school. House Education Committee Chairperson Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) listed claims from those reports as reasons to reign in payments to cyber charter schools. Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) called it a 'damning indictment' of the institutions. 'We would all get in trouble if we were taking gift cards as part of our compensation … that's a pro tip for anybody who's in the room, don't do that,' House Education Committee Chairperson Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) said. In addition to capping tuition, HB 1500 would establish the Cyber Charter School Funding and Policy Council to recommend changes in how cyber charter schools are funded and how they operate. Isaacson's bill would also require cyber charters to return money to the state, if its general fund surplus is more than half of what it spent in the previous year or its capital fund surplus is more than 20% of what it spent in the previous year. That money would be available through the Commonwealth Financing Authority for public school building improvements, with 25% earmarked for the Solar for Schools program that lawmakers and Shapiro created last year. 'We've all heard stories about asbestos, mold. We had a school district that had a high school that was completely flooded out. It would be great to be able to reinvest those dollars in the children and the teachers that we see each and every day in our actual physical public school buildings,' Schweyer said. Cyber charter schools have also drawn scrutiny for poor student proficiency rates. Schweyer noted only 4.7% of CCA students scored proficient in math on state assessments. 'If any of your public schools had a 95% failure rate for math proficiency, would you be satisfied?' he asked. 'Better question, would we be getting what we're paying for?' HB 1500 would limit increases in enrollment for cyber charters that face 'significant challenges related to academic achievement, student growth, graduation rate and other areas.' And it would place a moratorium on new cyber charter applications through 2030. Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) argued passing the bill would amount to eliminating lifelines for students who are unable to thrive in traditional public schools. 'Outcomes and statistics can be tricky,' Topper, who shared that his parents chose to homeschool him when the noise and disorder of public school proved to be too much. 'Many of the students who are falling through the cracks and who are attending these cyber charter schools are doing so because they are struggling,' he said, adding that success for some might be simply earning a high school diploma. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the value of cyber schools to the point that most school districts have added their own cyber programs, Topper noted. 'We need to continue to talk about how we can do better in all aspects of public education, including funding, including formulas,' Topper said. 'But the toxic nature of this conversation must end, and we must look at ways to move forward together as an entire system.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
