These are the (kind of boring) towers that will form the approach to Dubai's jaw-dropping Palm Jumeirah.

Now for such a cool development (it's the one in the shape of a palm tree), I was expecting something a little...more exciting or something. This is architecturally-insane Dubai after all! The plan is for a 14-storey podium to house a terminus station for the monorail that goes out to the island, as well as food and shopping areas and towers with apartments and offices.

Mott MacDonald will provide technical and site assurance services on the towers and car park podium being built by Taisei.

Mott project manager Rod Williams says: "There is a very challenging timescale, the station is due to be open in April 2009 to meet contractual requirements of Atlantis (a hotel). A futher challenge is that the design of the podium, which houses the stadium as an isolated box - the interior of which is being completed by the monorail contractor - is being developed as the project proceeds."