The world’s tallest skyscraper is currently rising in Dubai — and the tower-top panorama will be complemented by a design by a Montréal company.

GSM has been awarded the contract to lay out the observation deck at Burj Dubai, the 190-storey giant that will dominate Dubai’s new city centre. This is the biggest development currently under way in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

The observation deck will be more of a “concept” than a lookout, according to GSM president Yves Mayrand. The CAN$20-million contract also includes the design for a welcome centre for visitors to the tower, to be located in an adjacent shopping centre, and the transfer of visitors to the 124th-floor lookout, which will house an exhibition on the history of the emirate and the Burj Dubai project.

The dynamic exhibition will use cutting-edge, HD-telescope technology. “Once you’re up there, you’ll be able to go back in time and see the city as it was at various stages in its growth,” says Yves Mayrand.

According to the president of GSM, the major share of the content for the mega-installation will be developed in Montréal. The company’s involvement in the biggest project in Dubai has already generated positive spin-offs, and GSM expects to be awarded other contracts in the Middle East over the coming months.