The geometric and virtuous Opus in Dubai
Home to ME Dubai, a five-star hotel opened in March 2020 and owned by the spanish chain Meliá Hotels International, Opus is located in the Burj Khalifa district, next to the city center and Business Bay on the Dubai Canal. Exploring the balance between full and empty, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior, the design is presented by Zaha Hadid, in 2007. The only hostel where she creates architecture and interiors at the same time.
Covering 84,300 m2, the Opus is designed by Zaha Hadid Architects as two separate towers that merge into an eroded cube in the center, creating a free-form void. A large volume dividing the building into two halves connected by a four-story atrium at ground level and an asymmetric bridge 38 meters wide by three floors, 71 meters high. The double-glazed insulating facades of this die incorporate UV coating and a mirrored frit pattern to reduce solar gain. Applied around the building, the latter emphasizes the clarity of the orthogonal shape of the construction, while dissolving it by the continuous play of light varying between reflections and transparency. During the day, the facade reflects the sky, the sun and the surrounding city; at night, the void is illuminated by a light installation of individually controllable LEDs. Zaha Hadid Design furniture is featured throughout the hotel, Petalinas sofas and Ottoman cushions in the lobby, Opus beds are found in every room, and Work & Play combination sofas with desk are featured in the suites. The bedrooms incorporate the Vitae bathroom collection, designed by Hadid in 2015 for Noken Porcelanosa, perpetuating its fluid architectural language throughout the interiors. ME Dubai has 74 rooms and 19 suites, while Opus also houses offices, serviced apartments, restaurants, cafes and bars including Roka, the contemporary japanese restaurant robatayaki, and the Maine Land Brasserie.
