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Ready202093 M20 FLOORSOmniyat

The Opus by Zaha Hadid

Omniyat · Business Bay · 25.1830°N, 55.2720°E

The Opus is Zaha Hadid's last Dubai project — begun during her lifetime and completed by Zaha Hadid Architects after her death in 2016. Delivered 2020. Architecturally, the object is a 70×70×93-metre cube with an organic 'void' — a curved cavity carved through the building's centre. This void is one of Dubai's most recognisable architectural details of recent years.

The structure combines several programmes: ME by Melia hotel (93 keys, opened 2018), 65 residence apartments, office spaces, ground-level retail and several restaurants (including RoKo). The architectural language is full Zaha Hadid: flowing lines, no right angles, organic spatial intersections. Mirror cladding on certain surfaces creates a 'disappearing' effect under particular lighting.

All 65 residence interiors are by Zaha Hadid Design (the firm's interior studio). Every apartment receives custom design elements: flowing-form furniture, luminaires sketched by the studio, fixtures with non-standard profiles.

Location: Business Bay, 7 minutes from Downtown and Burj Khalifa. Pricing: 1BR from 2.5M AED, 2BR from 4M, 3BR from 8M, penthouses from 25M. Yields 5–7% — above the Business Bay average thanks to architectural interest.

  • 01

    Zaha Hadid's last Dubai project.

  • 02

    The 'void' architectural move — Business Bay's most recognisable.

  • 03

    Custom Zaha Hadid Design interiors in every apartment.

HEIGHT
93
METRES
FLOORS
20
ABOVE
UNITS
65
RESIDENCES
YEAR
2020
DELIVERED

Key facts

#Delivered 2020#Zaha Hadid's last Dubai project#Cube with organic central 'void'#65 residences + ME by Melia (hotel)#Interiors by Zaha Hadid Design#Mirror cladding on parts of facade

Story

01Origin2007 — 2012 · CONCEPT

«I want a building where the architecture itself is your home. Not a room with architecture — architecture as space.»

ZAHA HADID · 2012

In 2007, Dubai developer Omniyat invited Zaha Hadid to design a mixed-use object in the emerging Business Bay district. Zaha proposed a radical concept: not a discrete building, but a 'cube with a void' — a mass with negative space carved through its centre in an organic form. The 'void' connects different programmes within: hotel lobby, residence entries, restaurant terraces. The design was approved in 2012, after several years of revisions.

02Construction2012 — 2018 · CONSTRUCTION

Construction ran 2012–2018. The main complexity lay in realising the organic 'void' — every segment of the curving surface required individual formwork and precise 3D modelling. Zaha Hadid died in March 2016; the project was continued by Zaha Hadid Architects without her. Hotel ME by Melia opened in 2018; residences were delivered through 2019–2020.

03Architectural legacy2020 · LEGACY

The Opus became Zaha Hadid's last Dubai project — begun during her lifetime and completed after her death. The object received several architectural awards: Mipim Awards, World Architecture Festival Award. CTBUH included The Opus in its 'significant objects of the century' review as an example of bold pre-parametric architecture in dense fabric.

04Life today2020 — TODAY · LIFE

Today The Opus is Business Bay's most recognisable address and one of Dubai's main 'architectural' objects. Residents split into two groups: architecture collectors (for whom the Opus is a status purchase alongside a work of art) and investors using the short-term programme via ME by Melia (6–8% annual yield).

Price per square metre is 1.5–2x typical Business Bay objects. The most coveted units: penthouses with direct view of the building's 'void' from within.

65
RESIDENCES
5–7%
RENTAL YIELD
ZHA
FULL DESIGN

Architecture and construction

Architect
Zaha Hadid · Zaha Hadid Architects

Standards and finish

BRANDED PARTNER
Zaha Hadid Design
design.zaha-hadid.com
FINISH STANDARD
Zaha Hadid Design
custom furniture and interior elements
LAYOUTS
1BR2BR3BRPENTHOUSE

Amenities and infrastructure

ME by Melia hotel servicePool overlooking the 'void'Spa and fitness by MERoKo — Japanese restaurantMultiple bars and restaurantsUnderground parking24/7 concierge

Timeline and status

2007
FIRST ZAHA HADID CONCEPT
2012
DESIGN APPROVED
2016
ZAHA HADID DIES
2018
ME HOTEL OPENS
2020
RESIDENCES DELIVERY

Location and surroundings

↗ TO BURJ KHALIFA
7 MIN
By car
↗ TO DUBAI MALL
8 MIN
By car
↗ TO DXB AIRPORT
12 MIN
By car

Schools nearby

Shopping nearby

Records and awards

1

Zaha Hadid's last Dubai project.

DELIVERED 2020 · ZAHA DIED 2016

2

One of Business Bay's most recognisable architectural objects.

CUBE WITH ORGANIC VOID

ON THE DEVELOPER'S SITE

www.omniyat.com

We don't sell property. Direct contact only.

About the developer

Omniyat

A premium developer focused on boutique projects with architects of Zaha Hadid's calibre.

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