Alexandria Library

Home to the new ME Dubai hotel, the Opus is located in the Burj Khalifa district adjacent to Downtown Dubai and Business Bay on the Dubai Water Canal. Exploring the balance between solid and void, opaque and transparent, interior and exterior, the design was presented by Zaha Hadid in 2007 and is the only hotel in which she created both its architecture and interiors.
Spanning 84,300 square metres (907,400 square feet), the Opus was designed as two separate towers that coalesce into a singular whole—taking the form of a cube. The cube has been ‘eroded’ in its centre, creating a free-form void that is an important volume of the design in its own right. The two halves of the building on either side of the void are linked by a four-storey atrium at ground level and also connected by an asymmetric 38 metre wide, three-storey bridge 71 metres above the ground.
“The precise orthogonal geometries of the Opus’ elemental glass cube contrast dramatically with the fluidity of the eight-storey void at its centre,” explained Christos Passas, project director at Zaha Hadid Architects.
(Text by Zaha Hadid Architects)

Located next to the historic Union House on the Dubai waterfront, the Union Museum honors the 1971 signing of the document that created the United Arab Emirates and celebrates the rich culture and history of its people. Much of the museum is underground, including permanent and temporary galleries, theatres, event spaces and archival facilities. The dramatic entrance pavilion rests lightly upon a reflecting pool and plaza, its undulating parabolic curves representing the parchment upon which the unification agreement was written and its tapering golden columns representing the pens with which the document was signed. (Text by architects: Moriyama & Teshima)

Designed by Foster + Partners, The House of Wisdom is a newly opened iconic library and a cultural centre in the city of Sharjah, UAE. Celebrations in Sharjah – this year’s UNESCO World Book Capital – kicked-off with the unveiling of The Scroll, a new piece of public art by British sculptor Gerry Judah. The opening event also revealed designs for the new House of Wisdom – an iconic library and cultural centre that seeks to be the catalyst for a new cultural quarter in the city. Both projects are being developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). https://houseofwisdom.ae/

Designed by CAP Chalabi Architekten & Partner, the (SZDLC) is the first building in the United Arab Emirates to earn an Estidama rating of five pearls as well as LEED Platinum certification.
With 1,000,000 visitors per year, the Center incorporates interpretive media, stylized sculptures, specimen collections and a large-scale theatre resulting in an educational landmark for sustainability that allows visitors to experience and build relationships with their surroundings.
The SZDLC has energy efficient, full cut-off lighting that protects the night sky, minimizes light trespass and uses only 48% of the allowable power output.
Overall water demand has been reduced by 59% with the incorporation of native plantings, drip irrigation, rain sensors and the non-irrigation of natural habitats.
In addition to construction jobs created and the use of locally sourced materials, the 137% increase in tourism and creation of nearly 500 permanent jobs at the Al Ain Zoo provide positive economic benefits.
Incorporation of high-albedo materials and shading strategies reduces the heat island effect by 99%.
While conducting valuable research to ensure their future survival, threatened and endangered species are being preserved within a natural context.

The Al- Khalefeyah Library project is situated in the old city centre of Muharraq and is the reconstruction of the original Khalefeyah Library, which was one of the first public libraries to be built in Bahrain. The library will be rebuilt on its original location and is designed by the Dutch firm SeARCH bv in collaboration with the Bahrain- based architects PAD.

The Museum of the Future is a visionary cultural institution currently under construction in Dubai, UAE. Link to project website.

The National Theatre of Bahrain is a waterfront building complex situated in Manama next to the Bahrain National Museum, and consists of a main 1001-seat auditorium and a smaller 150-seat flexible studio theatre. Opened on 12 November 2012 and costing $50 million, the theatre encompasses an area of 11,869 square metres (127,760 sq ft) making it the third largest theatre in the Middle East.