This desert marvel in Yas Island, Dubai, is a leisure park that sets new standards in amusement, and architecture. Truly an architectural marvel, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi banishes stereotypes of architecture for amusement parks with its awe-inspiring and stunning design. Conceived by London-based Benoy Architects, the design evokes a Ferrari GT, the motor sport classic from the home of the Scuderia Ferrari. 100-m-wide ‘light eye’ Other than its unconventional architecture, Ferrari World impresses with curiosities such as the world’s largest Ferrari logo (65 m × 48.5 m) on the roof. An impressive eye-catcher is the 10,000 sq m glass funnel at the heart of the 20 hectare roof area. The daylight opening on the top has a diameter of 100 m. In terms of building construction, the funnel presented the planners with a challenging task as it is the primary opening for the entry of daylight into the core of the building. Sophisticated air-conditioning technology and ipasol solar control glass keep the temperature in the building constant at a comfortable 25° C; ipasol neutral 48/27 prevents the interior from heating up excessively. Thanks to the low solar factor (27 per cent according to EN 410), the temperature behind the funnel’s glazing remains comfortable despite the surrounding desert heat. The additional coating of the panes with ipachrome design even reduces the solar factor to 15 per cent on an average. The ‘funnel’ in detail A total of 2,640 solar control glass panes (ipasol neutral 48/27) were inserted into the metal frame of the funnel on 30 levels with various pane dimensions. Additionally, this glazing was coated with a spiral pattern of ipachrome design with a varying degree of coverage—seen from underneath, the huge mosaic looks like a vortex. The coverage of the individual panes with ipachrome design varies from 40 to 85 per cent. The closer the panes are to the upper end of the funnel, the higher the degree of coverage; hence the shading effect of the glazing, measured as its solar factor, increases from bottom to top. With the funnel, the façade builders of JAP, Jungbluth Alu Partners (Belgium), took up a demanding logistical challenge: to ensure the accuracy of the spiral pattern, each of the panes had to be produced and glazed individually, piece by piece. The inclination angle of the funnel varies; therefore, the panes also differ in size on 30 levels: from 2,220×2,029 mm in the lower part via 2,420×2,029 mm in the middle up to 2,618×2,029 mm at the edge of the roof. Inside the glass funnel, a 70 m high ‘G-Force Tower’ has been installed. In this amusement ride, visitors are lifted up to a level just above the roof edge and enjoy a spectacular view over Yas Island, Ferrari World, the adjoining Formula One race track and the open sea. They then plunge down in a 62 m free fall, stopped late but gently by the most up-to-date technology. The world’s fastest roller coaster, reaching a speed of up to 240 km per hour, is a part of this major project, as are more than 20 other amusement rides. Façade in Ferrari red Apart from the roof of the leisure park, its façade too is largely coloured in Ferrari red. The vertical façade of the building is furnished with 6,000 sq m of solar control glass (ipasol neutral 48/27) and individual screen printing. Ferrari-red metal spandrels are interspersed in a mosaic-like fashion. This façade is inclined at an angle of 10° toward the interior. The level of outside light reflection is 15 per cent. The solar factor is reduced further by the screen printing (23 per cent according to EN 410), which contributes to protecting the building from heating up. The mammoth project on Yas Island is a magnet for motor sport fans as well as tourists and enthusiasts of amusement parks. On a total area of 25 sq km, the artificial island located northeast of Abu Dhabi offers a wide variety of attractions. In addition to Ferrari World, the developments to be realised in the future include hotel complexes, golf courses, marinas and a shopping mall with more than 500 stores. Project details: Address: Yas IslandOwner: Aldar PropertiesGeneral contractor: SixconstructFaçade construction: JAP - Jungbluth Alu Partners Ltd, BelgiumArchitect: Benoy, London, UKGlass products: ipasol 48/27, ipachrome design, screen-printed glassGlass processing: Interpane Plattling, Germany