It has been a decade in the making. The Opus by Omniyat Properties is finally nearing completion. The 23-storey, cube-like structure is a landmark in itself and architecturally unique. To be precise, it is two different structures joined by a central core. Standing outside the building, you get to see the free form void as if in motion, trying to rise above ground level.
The Opus can well be termed a masterpiece by the late renowned architect Zaha Hadid, the 2014 winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the first woman to win the prestigious award. The jury members of the award committee noted that The Opus “defied convention – conventional ideas of architectural space, of practice, of representation and of construction”, and moved away from existing typology, from high tech, and shifted the geometry of buildings.
Located in the heart of Business Bay, the project consists of three segments: commercial, residential and hospitality. That was not the original plan though. When it was conceived in 2007, the project included a retail area on the ground floor. Following the global market conditions in 2008 and beyond, the project was taken back to the drawing board with significant changes to the interior design. The retail component was completely removed and residential units were incorporated.
The building has a total built-up area of 186,000m² with seven basement levels. The office units are almost ready and will be handed over within the next few months.
The interiors of the shell-and-core offices will be customised by the tenants. This apart, almost every other design element of the building, the corridors, furniture and even the bathroom fixtures, bear the signature of Hadid.
The site tour included the already finished commercial block, the ongoing work on the food and beverage section, a space dedicated to what is being called one of the largest nightclubs in Dubai and a sneak peek into the massive three-storey glass bridge that connects the two towers.
As Mohammad Hmeid, general manager of sales and marketing at Omniyat, who accompanied the site tour, points out, “The most challenging task was the building of the glass bridge. We had to customise 4,500 different pieces of glass, each designed separately and assembled here. The panels weigh about 800kg each and were shipped separately and assembled here.”
The two separate structures are interlinked to each other by the 40m-long bridge that connects from the 13th to the 16th floor and at the ground and basement levels. Right at the entrance is a massive canopy with cooling pipes with mist inside to cool down the temperature for arriving guests.
The hotel segment will be managed by the Spanish hospitality chain ME by Melia, which runs other signature properties in Mexico, Barcelona, London, Vienna and Paris.
Talking about the exclusive features of the hotel, Hmeid says, “The complete experience of a visitor will be customised. We have incorporated the latest technology to create an environment that fits the mood of the person, be it in terms of ambience, music and lighting.”
The residences consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments, duplexes and triplexes, which are in a way unique as they have a rooftop terrace, three bedrooms, two kitchens and different living experiences. The price of the remaining residential units start from Dh3,800 per square foot.
“It is all about creating that perfect moment,” says Hmeid, explaining why it took time to complete the project. “In 2008 we had a rethink and a redesign in terms of the interior structure and composition. The exterior elements have almost remained the same. Initially the lower floors were dedicated for retail units and there were no residential units. During the [global economic] slowdown we took that opportunity to redesign, improvise and innovate.”
In reimagining the project, he says construction and readjustment costs were never deciding factors. “It was all about creating a totally unique feature. And we have succeeded in doing that.”
