One Za’abeel Adds to Dubai’s Skyline and Hospitality Offering

7 Mar

Preview

The new building is marked by its distinctive cantilever, but is intended to become much more

Architecture, according to writer and architect Todd Reisz, made Dubai. And indeed, our images of the city are inimically tied to the built form and its continual reach for breadth and height. As Reisz says in Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai, ‘One might say a plan gets you on the map, but constant transformation keeps you there.’

Often, this transformation is tied to the superlative: the tallest building, the biggest mall. And when Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei was asked to submit a competitive design for One Za’abeel, it informed their response to the brief of designing something new that stood out: the world’s longest cantilever. But while this is a marker of the project and is immediately visible as an elongated bar on the building’s H shape, it’s also a jumping-off point that gives way to a little more.

The building was to become an anchor in a developing district between downtown and the airport. And similarly but at a micro level, the connectivity with the surrounding noodle soup of roads and the need for multiple functions with separate entrances made for a puzzle the architects had to solve. Still, the main engineering feat was the horizontal piece, which is cantilevered a full 66 metres beyond the tower’s edge, and took 12 days to lift into place. It’s no small feat, and does indeed induce wonder and not a little apprehension (in my case, at least) in person.

But for the visitor, the key attraction is the building’s hospitality offering, provided by South African company Kerzner International and anchored by its premium resort offering One & Only. This is the brand’s first urban resort, in contrast to its beachier offerings, and Denniston was tapped for the guestrooms and public areas. Rooms are generously proportioned, with abundant light and a palette that privileges calming colours and textures. There’s a definite resort influence, but with details that lend a contemporary urban edge.

Those who prioritise wellness in their travel or who are looking at cutting-edge sporting recovery might go for SIRO, a new Kerzner brand that brings state-of-the-art wellness and recovery design, equipment and expertise to the hotel world. Here, rooms are designed for wellness activities, with space, equipment and a full-wall projector with pre-loaded videos.

As for the cantilevered structure, it will be experienced by most visitors as The Link, which from the inside provides a surprising amount of space over multiple levels. This is the home of the F&B offering, and it is a highlight, with high-quality cuisine available throughout. The largest of the spaces is all-day destination Aelia, a breezy restaurant with high ceilings and city views; adjacent is Sphere, which caters to the cocktail set. Downstairs you’ll find Arrazuna, a bazaar-like collection designed by HBA at which each outlet offers a contemporary take on pan-Middle Eastern cuisine. Renowned chefs Anne-Sophie Pic, Paco Morales and Tetsuya Wakuda celebrate their roots in Rockwell-designed spaces La Dame De Pic, Qabu and Sagetsu, while Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones of Bangkok institution Bo.Lan offer modern Thai at DuangDy. The structure’s roof is home to restaurant-bar Tapasake, which offers Nikkei cuisine enjoyed next to the stunning cantilevered infinity pool.

Offerings are completed on the fourth floor, which is the roof of the building’s podium and home to the excellent contemporary Indonesian fare of Andaliman, global street food-inspired StreetXO and a family-friendly pool bar.

The hotels are less targeted at the business traveller, but the overall offering means it’s a pleasant space to stay and entertain guests, as well as being closer to the airport than most of its competition. For the pleasure traveller, it’s a short skip away from the Museum of the Future, and its location also makes it a simple stop for a few days on a tour of the region or further afield.

Text by Philip Annetta