The Marina Torch
A 352-metre residential tower that caught fire three separate times and still ranks among the world's tallest apartment buildings.
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When it opened in May 2011, the Marina Torch was the tallest residential building on earth, edging out Australia's Q1. Three fire incidents — February 2015, August 2017 mid-repair, and January 2019 — give it a history rougher than almost any tower of comparable size. As of 2026 it sits 11th globally among residential skyscrapers and 14th among all buildings in Dubai.
What to look for
- The full 86-floor, 352-metre profile rising above the marina waterfront
- Exterior cladding that has been through three fire events and repeated rounds of restorative work
- The scale of a single address: 676 apartments and six retail units stacked into one tower
Residential building with no public access; the Dubai Marina waterfront promenade gives the clearest unobstructed views.
The Marina Torch is one of 33 sights worth the detour in Dubai, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Dubai pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Dubai
- Burj KhalifaHalf a mile of reinforced concrete, straight up — the tallest structure on Earth since 2009.
- Burj al-ArabA hotel shaped like a dhow sail, planted on its own man-made island 280 meters off the beach.
- Dubai MallIn 2023 it drew a record 105 million visitors — up 19 percent year-on-year from the 88 million recorded the year before.
- 23 MarinaFifty-seven swimming pools stacked into one tower — and since 2026, visible war damage on the skyline.
- Palm JumeirahSand and stone stacked on the Persian Gulf to form a palm shape — only legible from the air, and reportedly still sinking 5 mm every year.
- Rose Tower (Rose Rayhaan by Rotana)A 333-metre hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road that actually outreaches the Burj Al Arab — and most people walk past it.