Pier 7

The round tower stands right by the water, so the terraces on its floors open directly onto the canal. In the evenings, restaurant guests sit here, and from the balconies you can see the water reaching the building's base. The far edge of a balcony is held without support underneath: its weight runs back to the tower's concrete core. After an unusual day, one of these terraces once again became an ordinary place for dinner above the canal.

Builders completed the round Pier 7 in May two thousand thirteen. The client allocated seven levels to seven different restaurants and bars. Each received its own floor and a terrace above the water; the tower was connected to Dubai Marina Mall by a walkway.

On October twenty-eighth, two thousand sixteen, the organizers of the world high-diving series held the tournament's first-ever nighttime final here. The location was chosen because of the tower's design: water reaches its base, and the circular balconies make it possible to place a platform directly above the canal.

The men's platform extended three meters beyond the edge of the third-level balcony and rose almost twenty-eight meters above the water. The balcony itself already projected about four meters from the building. Engineer Mohamad Fikre Hajj Hussein was responsible for calculating the additional load and conducting the final inspection. A cantilevered structure has no supporting column beneath its far edge: its weight is transferred back to the tower's concrete cores. After the calculations and inspection, Hussein signed the clearance, and the divers were allowed onto the platform.

American Andy Jones was seeking his first victory in the world series here. Before his sporting career, he earned a living doing high-altitude stunts at Cirque du Soleil and jumped in the dark many times. In Dubai, this professional skill suddenly became an advantage: after sunset, it was harder for the athletes to judge the distance to the water. Jones won the first round, held the lead to the end, achieved the best result of his career, and left six-time champion Gary Hunt in second place. The victory at Pier 7 remained his only victory in this series.

The temporary platforms were removed after the final. The balcony from which Jones started again serves as a restaurant terrace. The seven in the name refers to the tower's original layout—seven establishments, one above another—not a berth number.