Preliminary Design of a Special Monumental Structure

In late 1970s internationally renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude deigned a Mastaba for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A mastaba (Arabic word for a bench) resembles a truncated pyramid with two vertical walls and two inclined walls. The proposed structure measures 150 meters in height and is 300 meters by 225 meters at the base. It is large enough to house the largest Egyptian pyramid in Giza inside it. The artists designed the proposed monument as an enclosure only with no utilization of the space inside at any time. The Mastaba of UAE is to be located in a seismic zone covered on all four sides as well as the roof with about 400,000 horizontally placed 55-gallon steel oil barrels of varying brilliant colors acting as façade. Given that the entire Mastaba is a work of art, the patterns of barrel colors are established by the artists. The proposed monument is to stand alone with no facilities within the vicinity of the structure.