Thousands take part in Emaar's contest to name Burj Lake fountain

With less than a month to go before the competition closes on September 15, Emaar has gained several entries that seek to capture the sheer aesthetics and lifestyle appeal of the fountain.

Emaar has announced a cash prize for the winner of the contest, to be selected by a panel of judges comprising Emaar's senior management, architects and brand consultants. Individuals can suggest one name each on-line at a dedicated web page for the competition that can be accessed at Emaar website.

The participant's name, age, nationality and contact address must be provided. The terms and conditions are also listed on the website.

Mr Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director - UAE, Emaar Properties, said:

"The fountain on Burj Dubai Lake is a true musical and visual spectacle. As Emaar's contribution to the city's attractions, we wanted the public to play a key role in its development. The response to the naming competition demonstrates the overwhelming public interest in the fountain and their keenness to be associated with such a landmark project."

He added: "The entries also highlight remarkable creativity amongst the participants. We have received names in several languages - all trying to reflect the true magnificence of the fountain."

Envisaged as one of the world's finest water features integrating musical and attractive visual elements, the fountain is over 900 ft (275 metres) in length - equivalent to that of over two football fields. It is about 25% larger than The Fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas in area. Powerful water nozzles shoot water sprays to heights of over 500 ft (150 metres) - equivalent to that of a 50-storey building. Over 6,600 lights and 50 colour projectors create a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions. When operational, the fountain will have over 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any given moment. Different combinations of water-forms perform to selected musical pieces - chosen from a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.

The fountain will be operational in 2009 and is located next to Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building and free-standing structure. Also in close proximity is The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations that features a large indoor Aquarium. The fountain adds to the leisure appeal of the Dhs73bn ($20bn) Downtown Burj Dubai development, a mixed-use project with homes, offices, hotels and a vibrant Boulevard.