ME hotel Dubai: Zaha Hadid’s masterclass in hotel design

The new ME hotel in Dubai has not had the smoothest of starts, with the arrival of Covid-19 forcing the establishment to close its doors only a few months after it was opened to the public. But, with lockdown restrictions easing, the hotel is open for guests once more. We take a look at the design.

Images: Laurian Ghinitoiu

Image: Marriott Hotels

A stone’s throw away from the Dubai Water Canal in the Burj Khalifa district of Dubai stands the Opus – home to the only hotel that can claim to have both interiors and exteriors created by the late Zaha Hadid, who first presented the design in 2007.

From certain vantage points, the exterior may look like a complete cube – albeit one with a large amorphous hole pushed through the centre – but it is actually comprised of two separate towers that have been linked in two strategic places.

The first is the four-storey atrium, which links the two towers at ground level. A 38m-wide asymmetric bridge set 71m above the ground completes the illusion of a singular structure and creates the void effect.

The void's 6,000 square metre façade was designed using 3D modelling, which allowed Zaha Hadid Architects to identify areas that would require tempered glass. During the day, it is designed to reflect the surrounding area, including the sun and sky, but at night, the façade comes alive thanks to a constellation of individually controllable LEDs installed within each glass panel.

Directly underneath the void sits the hotel lobby, where guests will be introduced to ZHA’s interior design. Furniture by Zaha Hadid Design adorns the lobby, including the ‘Petalinas’ sofas and ‘Ottomans’ pods, which have been carefully fabricated using materials with a long lifecycle, as well as recyclable components.

Each of the 74 bedrooms and 19 suites inside the ME Dubai hotel include beds designed by Zaha Hadid, as well as a ‘work and play’ combination sofa with desk. Additionally, each guest bathroom is fitted with sinks and showers designed by Hadid in 2015 for Noken Porcelanosa.

The concept of sustainability runs throughout the interior. Sensors installed across the hotel automatically adjust ventilation and lighting according to occupancy in order to conserve energy. Guests are also provided with stainless-steel water bottles, which can be refilled using water dispensers stationed around the hotel.

A stone’s throw away from the Dubai Water Canal in the Burj Khalifa district of Dubai stands the Opus – home to the only hotel that can claim to have both interiors and exteriors created by the late Zaha Hadid who first presented the design in 2007.

From certain vantage points, the exterior may look like a complete cube – albeit one with a large amorphous hole pushed through the centre – but it is actually comprised of two separate towers that have been linked in two strategic places.

The first is the four-storey atrium, which links the two towers at ground level. A 38m-wide asymmetric bridge set 71m above the ground completes the illusion of a singular structure and creates the void effect.

The voids 6,000 square metre façade was designed using 3D modelling, which allowed ZHA to identify areas that would require tempered glass. During the day, it is designed to reflect the surrounding area, including the sun and sky, but at night, the façade comes alive thanks to a constellation of individually controllable LEDs installed within each glass panel.

Directly underneath the void sits the hotel lobby, where guests will be introduced to ZHA’s interior design. Furniture by Zaha Hadid Design adorns the lobby, including the Petalinas’ sofas and ‘Ottomans’ pods, which have been carefully fabricated using materials with a long lifecycle, as well as recyclable components.

Each of the 74 bedrooms and 19 suites inside the ME Dubai hotel include beds designed by Zaha Hadid, as well as a ‘work and play’ combination sofa with desk. Additionally, each guest bathrooms is fitted with sinks and showers designed by Hadid in 2015 for Noken Porcelanosa.

The concept of sustainability runs throughout the interior. Sensors installed across the hotel automatically adjust ventilation and lighting according to occupancy in order to conserve energy. Guests are also provided with stainless-steel water bottles, which can be refilled using water dispensers stationed around the hotel.

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