Located within Burj Khalifa district of Dubai, the Opus by Zaha Hadid Architects for Omniyat will house the first ‘ME by Melia’ hotel in the Middle East. Standing at 84,345 square meters, the structure is comprised of two separate towers that are linked by a ground-level atrium and an above-ground bridge in order to form a carved-out aesthetic.
The building has been seven years in the making and is comprised of 20 floors above ground and seven floors below. It is distinguished by its central open space that allows for exterior views from the middle of the venue and starkly contrasts with the geometric form of the cube.
The Opus is designed as two separate towers that coalesce into a singular whole— taking the form of a cube. The cube is then ‘carved’, creating a central void that is an important volume within the building in its own right—providing views to the exterior from the center of the building. The free-formed fluidity of this eight-story void contrasts with the precise orthogonal geometry of the surrounding cube.
The two towers are linked by a four-story atrium at ground level with a bridge connecting 71 meters above the ground. This three-story, asymmetric bridge is 38 meters wide. Together with the ME Dubai, the Opus will house 12 restaurants as well as a rooftop bar and 56,000 sq. ft. of office space.
“The Opus will be aligned with Omniyat’s vision of treating each project as if it were a unique work of art,” said Mahdi Amjad, Executive Chairman and CEO of Omniyat. “The design conveys the remarkably inventive quality of ZHA’s work; expressing a sculptural sensibility that reinvents the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior.”
“You always expect to be surprised by ZHA’s designs, but the Opus for ‘ME by Melia’ Dubai goes beyond what we could ever have anticipated. We are proud to have this amazing project in our portfolio,” explained Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and CEO, Meliá Hotels International at the earlier announcement of ME Dubai to be located at the Opus.
ME by Melia Dubai is expected to officially open in the near future, though an official date has not been set.
