DMCC, master developer of Uptown Dubai, said it has signed up Dubai-based contractor HLG to build the concrete raft foundation for one of two super-tall towers that will anchor the 10-million-sq-ft premium mixed-use destination.

The first super-tall tower will boast a five-star hotel and branded luxury residences, restaurants, health spas and Grade A offices.

Aimed at delivering the best in smart urban living and mobility with connectivity to public transport, Uptown Dubai is conveniently located close to DMCC’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers, a community of over 92,500 people, as well as major commercial projects in Dubai’s Southern belt such as Expo 2020 and Al Maktoum International Airport.

DMCC began the construction of Uptown Dubai, a mixed-use destination with seven towers atop seven levels of podium, last September.

The district’s main 28-m-high podium features a two-level central plaza that will be larger than New York’s Times Square, circled by world-class outlets, connected to a retail mall below, all with direct access to the iconic towers.

The two super-tall towers were designed by renowned architects Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill from Chicago.

HLG will deliver the project by June this year which will require 12,000 cu m of concrete and 1,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel to complete the foundation raft.

With shoring and piling works well under way for the 10 million-sq-ft development, Uptown Dubai’s first super-tall tower will comprise luxury hotel rooms and suites, high-end restaurants, health spas, extensive conference facilities, and 240 uniquely designed branded residences set for sale in early 2018.

Paul Ashton, the executive director for property at DMCC, said: “Our Uptown Dubai development is well under way as planned with piling, shoring and now raft foundation construction by HLG commencing in March.”

“The HLG collaboration will literally provide the foundation for what will take Uptown Dubai’s first landmark super-tall tower to new heights ready for occupancy by Expo2020,” he added.

Meanwhile, DMCC has signed up New York-based Rockwell Group as the interior architect for one of the two super-tall towers – whose name is to be revealed later this year – that will anchor the development.

Shortlisted amongst six global bidders, Rockwell Group is to deliver the design of the super-tall tower’s first premium five-star hotel and branded residences.

DMCC’s executive chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said: “We are excited to work with Rockwell Group to create a breathtaking experience with global appeal, and what will become one of Uptown Dubai’s two iconic super-tall towers.”