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Brad Pitt builds in Dubai
Brad Pitt will break ground in Dubai. The Hollywood actor is designing a 800-room five-star hotel and resort.
- By Kelly Crane, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:32 June 2, 2008
- Selecting this development as my first major construction project has been a simple decision, says Brad Pitt.
- Image Credit: AP
Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt plans to make his mark on Dubai, claiming the new hotel and resort designed by him will be an "incredible attraction".
Announcing the plans for the hotel, Pitt said: "Whilst acting is my career, architecture is my passion. Selecting this development as my first major construction project has been a simple decision. It will underpin not only my values for environmentally-friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment.
"We will be unveiling precise plans in the next few months, but you can expect something that is not only stunning to look at, but will also be an incredible attraction to visit or stay at."
Pitt will be working for GRAFT design team on behalf of Dubai-based Zabeel Properties to design, plan and build the green flagship project.
‘Heavily involved'
Christina Lawson of Zabeel Properties said Pitt's involvement will be hands on, and will bring him to the UAE: "We can expect to see Brad Pitt in and out of Dubai over the coming months as he is very heavily involved in the project.
"He is not going to be the face of the project but will actually be a part of the design and overall feel of the building. He will ‘be' a part of Dubai when it's complete."
The five-star project, of which the location has yet to be revealed, will include an 800-room five-star hotel, which developers hope will eventually play host to the most glamorous events and award ceremonies.
The project will also be socially conscious, something Pitt feels strongly about. "I don't think Pitt would be involved if it wasn't for the fact we are creating an environmentally-conscious project," said Lawson.
"He believes strongly in this, and has been working with the GRAFT team in Berlin and is looking forward to breaking ground in Dubai.
"It's safe to say Pitt will be a regular in Dubai while the hotel and resort is being constructed."
The finer details of the project are expected to be revealed over the next two months but LA-based architecture firm GRAFT have confirmed Pitt will work closely with a team of consultants.
It is set to become a flagship hotel complex for Dubai and a world-leader in environmental sustainability.
The "green" status of the hotel will be measured according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system, and it's aiming for gold status. LEED is certified by the US Green Building Council and provides standards for environmentally-sustainable construction.
Delighted
Robert Norton, CEO of Zabeel Properties, said: "Our master plan and design concept will be world-leading and we're delighted to be collaborating with Brad Pitt and the team at GRAFT, which is recognised for its innovative building design.
GRAFT was founded in Los Angeles and Berlin in 1998, and is involved in a range of activities, from architecture to urban planning, exhibition design and music.
Wolfram Putz, one of GRAFT's founders, said: "This project will become a lead attraction in its own right for Dubai, the region and indeed worldwide. Working in this rapidly expanding location, which is now at the forefront of tourism and commerce in the Middle East, and at the same time collaborating with Brad Pitt makes this a unique opportunity for us all."
Building homes for Katrina victims
Not a stranger to the world of architecture, Brad Pitt is currently building 150 new affordable and sustainable homes in New Orleans for residents of Lower 9th Ward, an area of the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Together with film producer Steve Bing, Pitt pledged $5 million (Dh18.36 million) to the Make it Right rebuilding project which is taking place in an area of the city that once was marked by dense housing but was almost entirely demolished following heavy flooding from the natural disaster.
Did you know?
Early on in his career, William Bradley Pitt expressed a passion for sketching his surroundings. Now, it would seem, four children (and another two on the way) and a still-listering career (out next, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages backwards) are not enough to occupy his time.
The star has turned his hand to more and more design projects over the years, and his Dubai hotel is just the latest in a long list.
Pitt has long said he's "infatuated" with architecture, citing such design greats as Charles Rennie MacKintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright as inspiration.
He's also friends with leading US architect Frank Gehry - who designed the cellar of the house Pitt and his former wife Jennifer Aniston renovated while they were married.
Pitt's relationship with Aniston would also serve as inspiration: He famously designed the couple's wedding rings (with Italian jeweller Damiani).
During his visit to India in 2006, where Angelina Jolie was filming A Mighty Heart, Pitt visited the town of Lonavala, where he helped former US President Jimmy Carter, his wife Rosalynn and other Habitat for Humanity volunteers build two new houses.
The actor mixed the cement, carried it to the house, laid it on the bricks and then placed the bricks on the wall that was being built.
"Brad just believes in doing his part to draw attention to the fact that so many people around the world lack adequate and affordable housing," the actor's philanthropic advisor, Trevor Neilson, said.
In total, 100 houses are being built in association with Habitat for Humanity for low-income families in the Lonavala area as part of the 23rd annual Jimmy Carter Work Project.
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