Union Properties · DIFC · 25.2130°N, 55.2810°E
The Index Tower is an 80-storey mixed-use skyscraper in DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), delivered 2010. Architectural concept by Foster + Partners — Lord Foster's British firm known for Apple Park and 30 St Mary Axe ('The Gherkin') in London.
326 metres tall. Lower 25 floors — Class A offices; upper 47 — 525 residences (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-bedroom plus penthouses). Sizes 90 to 600 m². Between office and residential sections, on the 25th floor, sits a sky lobby with a large pool, fitness centre and meeting rooms for residents.
The main architectural feature: a facade with horizontal louvres for direct-sunlight protection. Not a decorative element but a functional decision that reduces office cooling load by 30%. Index was among Dubai's first objects with deliberate sustainability thinking.
Location: in the heart of DIFC, next to Gate Village, Financial Centre metro. Pricing: 1BR from 2.2M AED, 2BR from 3.5M, 3BR from 5M, penthouses from 15M.
Architecture by Foster + Partners — Apple Park, London Gherkin.
Sky lobby on the 25th floor separates office and residential.
Sustainability facade reduces cooling load by 30%.
«DIFC must be more than a financial district — it's an ambition about the city of the future. Foster knows how to make those.»
— DIFC AUTHORITY · 2005
In the early 2000s, DIFC was being shaped as Dubai's offshore financial district. Union Properties — a state developer — was tasked with building a knockout object that would set the architectural language for future development. The design contract went to Foster + Partners (Lord Norman Foster), guaranteeing international resonance.
Construction ran 2005–2010, slowed in 2008–2009 by the crisis. The main architectural decision: horizontal aluminium louvres across the entire facade, oriented to block direct sun during peak hours. This reduced office cooling load by 30% — significant savings for a building of this scale.
Today Index Tower is one of DIFC's knockout addresses. Residents are predominantly bankers, financiers and lawyers working in DIFC itself: their office one elevator ride from their apartment. The office portion is fully occupied by international financial firms. Residence prices are stable with slow growth — DIFC is a slow but reliable segment.
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Union Properties
One of Dubai's oldest developers. The Index Tower in DIFC and Motor City.