With its unique design, it is considered among the most beautiful bridges in the world
In pictures ... an untold story about the twisted Dubai Bridge
Ismail Karamoglu and Tamer Ismail a story of success, friendship and a tragic ending.
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The UAE is synonymous with rapid urban development and bold and innovative architecture.
While many of us can quickly name impressive buildings and architectural developments on the cityscape, we are often ignorant of the names of the engineers, architects and planners behind them, regardless of whether they designed the tallest tower in the world, the first sustainable city in the desert, or the coolest. Mosques of the world.
The development of the Dubai Water Canal was completed in 2017. Since then, millions of UAE residents and tourists have passed through the stunning series of pedestrian and car bridges that connect the city, including the "Twisted Bridge", which was created by the leading travel magazine "Condi Nast Traveler" from Vogue Publishing House in London named it among the most beautiful bridges in the world earlier this year.
However, many of us have never heard the story behind these bridges, which represent the legacy of two architects who are best friends: Ismail Karam Sharifoglu and Tamer Fawzi Ismail, who started their careers 20 years ago in the design studios of the American University's College of Architecture, Art and Design in Sharjah.
Their moving story sums up a story of success, friendship, and a sad ending, which is the death of Ismail after a period of completion of the bridge.
Karam, born in the United Kingdom, and Tamer, who was born and raised in the Emirates, met his Egyptian family in 2001 at the age of 18 when they joined college to study architecture, and they became best friends throughout five years of intense study.
Karam and Tamer were among the first few batches of university graduates, and together with their wives Yusra Mazen Saleh and Lamis Muhammad Khaled Hamo, who are also some of the best interior designers and visual artists, they won several awards in the region.
After their graduation in 2005, the two friends got a job with Lamis, Tamer's wife, at the Dubai Autodrome, a mixed-use development and showroom project with Burt Hill, an international architectural and planning firm.
The team has become a formidable force, as they continue to design and implement healthcare, commercial, residential, hospitality, retail, education and planning projects across the Gulf region.
Tamer said: “Since 2005 we have worked on more than 30 projects, many of which exceeded our customers' expectations in terms of the way they were designed and implemented.
Our team is often known for the unusual design solutions that we provide for large projects. ”
Record time
One of these mega projects was the Dubai Water Canal Development Project, which they started working on in 2014, that is, only 10 years after they started their career, and completed it in record time in 2017. The joint venture of the Roads and Transport Authority and the developers of my company, Meydan And Meraas, linking Dubai Creek to the Arabian Gulf.
The development processes had separated one side of the city from the other, which required a series of new bridges to reconnect the city, to facilitate the movement of motorists and pedestrians.
While it is true that all three pedestrian bridges are individually stunning and impressive, the third twisted bridge (officially known as "Bridge 03") has received the most attention, as the bridge's common name refers to the twisted gable, a design feature that represents the future and dynamic vision of the city.
Intense and meticulous work
Tamer said: “The twisted bridge (Bridge 03) is entirely of our design. We were inspired by the design experience of this architectural model from the time we spent in the design studio with Professor George Catodretes.
Karam and I have worked intensively and meticulously to execute every detail until it is built, and we count the Three Bridges as the largest collaborative work between us in our professional lives.
It must be noted that it was really amazing to build the Twisted Bridge in just six months.
It was a great privilege for us to be part of the decision-making process with leaders from the Roads and Transport Authority, (Meydan), (Meraas), (AE7) and the Jacobs Engineering Group. ”
Last project
This bridges project was the last of Karam and Tamer's work together.
Shortly after Karam married and announced with his wife that they expected their first child, the young architect died of a sudden illness.
“The death of Karam was a great tragedy,” Tamer said.
However, his legacy will remain forever with the support of all of us - me, Yusra and Lamice. ”
He added, "We are the three, one family, and we will remain so for life.
We are a team that will face all of life's challenges together.
When Karam's parents learned that his story would be told, they were happy. ”
An inherited friendship
Today, Tamer and Lamis lead large architectural and design projects in Dubai, while Yusra works for the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia as Director of Urban Design.
Tamer and Lamis had two daughters and a son named (Karim), and he is a friend of (Yusef) the younger son of Karam.
The bridge project was the last work of Karamoglu and Tamer together. Soon after, the young architect Karam died of a sudden illness.
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