The National

An architect who meticulously designed and built a 141,971-piece Lego sculpture of the Burj Khalifa wants the model to serve as an inspiration to others. The 2.7m tower of unglued plastic bricks went on display yesterday at Dubai Mall.

The Infinity Tower in Dubai Marina stands out among the more creative buildings across the Emirates with a new twist to architecture. When completed, the high-rise will be the world's tallest twisted tower, at 73 storeys and 307 metres. It may come as no surprise to learn that Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (Som), the architectural firm behind the Burj Khalifa, designed the striking tower.

Thanks to a minimum spend request of Dh450 per person, I knew, even before I had stepped into the sleek, high-speed lift, ready to be whooshed up to the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, that dinner at At.mosphere Grill, the world's highest restaurant, was going to be expensive. What I'd also expected, though, was that it would impress.

High-flying businessmen will be able to host their board meetings on the uppermost floors of the Burj Khalifa when the commercial space opens this year. Emaar Properties has reserved 10 per cent of the space in the tower for its own use, including three floors at the top that it will rent out for events and meetings, the chairman Mohamed Alabbar said last week.

After inspecting the beautiful apartment, a tour of the building was in order and as I was whisked around a maze of floors and rooms it dawned on me that should my pal and I ever became separated, I would probably never find my way out.

It was the promise of goat on the menu that prompted my visit to Asado, the Argentinean steak restaurant at The Palace-The Old Town. We sat outside at a table facing the Burj Dubai lake, the Khalifa looming in the background and every so often, we saw the tail end of the Dubai fountain. Goat or no goat, first impressions were good.

Mark Coady from Australia agrees. "Business Bay is 10 minutes to virtually all the places that one needs." Apart from the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road, he says, the area is quiet. "All the buildings are big and new. The views of the Burj Khalifia are pretty great. There are not too many buildings blocking the views and there are plenty of wide-open spaces." The Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall are a 20-minute walk away. Al Manzil Hotel in Old Town houses the Hayya Gym, which allows non-members to attend classes.

Elisabetta Gucci is determined to plough ahead with her first hotel in Dubai within the next nine months, despite legal action being taken against the daughter of the late Paolo Gucci by the famous fashion house.

Partly inspired by his love of machinery and a cult television show, Sami al Turki has employed his childhood passions to deliver a deeper message about greed and ambition. His latest exhibition, Constructakons, opens in Dubai at The Pavilion Downtown today and documents the growth of the city in recent years through photographs and video.

About 80 per cent of the completed office space in the project is empty, property agents say. And offices are renting for as much as 50 per cent less than space in nearby Downtown Dubai, where the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is located.