More than 3 years after Zaha Hadid passed away, she can finally be satisfied when her passionate work is about to open to the world and mark one of the special creative legacies she left for humanity in the rich land of Dubai.
Designed by Zaha Hadid, The Opus will be the first of the "ME by Melia" hotel series in Dubai.
The Opus was first proposed in 2007 as a commercial and retail development. Zaha Hadid Architects said the project would be designed as two separate towers, merging into a cube-shaped whole. The two towers would be linked by a four-story atrium at ground level and by a three-story, asymmetrical bridge 71 meters high. The hollow core would also allow those in the center of the building to have expansive views of the surrounding landscape.
The interior of this unique cube has been “carved out” to create a central void – similar to the Morpheaus Hotel in Macau that Zaha’s firm has designed. Known as the “Queen of the Curve,” Zaha Hadid has transformed her projects around the world with bold, fluid designs, such as London’s Olympic Aquarium and the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, with graceful curves that contrast seemingly solid forms, demonstrating her sculptural sensibility to recreate the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, inside and outside.
The sleek design of the lobby of The Opus - part of Melia International Hotels International, Dubai. This will be a common reception area for guests to the building's accommodation, which includes a combination of office space, a nightclub, 12 restaurants and a rooftop bar.
Zaha Hadid's Opus "Curve".
The hotel's interior design was also closely supervised by Hadid's team. "You always expect the unexpected from ZHA designs, but Opus - 'ME by Melia' Dubai goes beyond what we could have anticipated," said Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and Managing Director of Melia Hotels International.
Located in Downtown Dubai, Opus is close to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the city's Jumeirah Beach. ME Dubai Hotels Group is taking its first steps into one of the world's most crowded, opportunistic and competitive accommodation markets.
The Opus glows seductively at night.
Opus is one of four projects by Zaha Hadid Architects shortlisted for the 2019 World Architecture Festival Awards. It is the only project that Zaha Hadid has personally led from start to finish in Dubai.
