Dubai’s Only Zaha Hadid-Designed Hotel May Be the Late Architect’s Magnum Opus
Famed architect Zaha Hadid had multiple projects in the works before her death in 2016. One of these projects was the space-age looking Opus, which will house the soon-to-be-opened ME by Melia, the first and only hotel in Dubai to be designed by Hadid. Situated in the city’s storied Burj Khalifa district, the structure stands at 84,345 square meters, and consists of two separate towers that are joined by a ground-level atrium and an above-ground bridge. The result resembles a giant cube with a carved-out centre.
Seven years in the making, the Opus has 20 floors above ground and seven floors below. It’s designed to maximize views and the absorption of natural light. It will feature triplex apartments with facilities ranging from a temperature-controlled swimming pool to a sauna.
The structure will also house the forthcoming ME by Meliá hotel (set to open this September), which will boast an otherworldly floor plan including 12 restaurants, a rooftop bar, and 56,000 square feet of office space. This means you can live, work, eat, and drink all without ever having to leave the building — you may pull a Hotel Chevalier and never leave it again.
