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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)

The structure of the Sustainability Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 is now complete. The Sustainability Pavilion names as Terra represents the planet Earth. The pavilion will take visitors on an immersive and emotional journey through the wonders of the natural world and teach them the way to create a better, more sustainable future. The pavilion, approximately covers 25,000 sqm, with 6,300 sqm of exhibition area. It has been designed as net-zero energy and net-zero water building, which means the pavilion generates all of its own power and water needs. The pavilion has more than 1,050 solar panels installed, arranged on the 130-metre wide canopy and on the locally-designed energy trees that dot the landscape and rotate to face the sun, like a sunflower. Andrew Whalley and his team from the Grimshaw Architects have designed the building as a permanent structure for legacy and then redesigned it as a temporary structure for the six months of Expo 2020 Dubai.

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 and Teshima)

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology was a graduate level, research-oriented university focused on alternative energies, sustainability, and environmental research. In 2017 it merged with two other institutions in Abu Dhabi to create Khalifa University, and its previous structure now hosts the research backbone of the new university, referred as the "Masdar City campus". It was located in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The museum was established on 8 November 2017. It is part of a thirty-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government. The museum is located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District.

It’s an island and a city, it’s the desert and the sea, it’s a holiday and a home, it’s a place to be together, it’s escapism and adventure. It’s one world that offers you endless possibilities. It is a place like no other.

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.

The UAE’s latest cultural landmark, Dubai Frame is an iconic structure that ‘frames’ impressive views of Old and New Dubai, while serving as a metaphorical bridge connecting the emirate’s rich past with its magnificent present. Offering spectacular panoramic views across the city, Dubai Frame celebrates the story of Dubai from its early establishment to its ambitious plans for future development. Launched in January 2018, the project comprises a 150-metre-high, 93-meter-wide structure being built to resemble a huge picture frame, through which landmarks representing modern Dubai such as Emirates Towers and Burj Khalifa can be seen on one side, while from the other side, visitors can view older parts of the city such as Deira, Umm Harare and Karama. Exterior design of Dubai Frame was inspired from the logo of EXPO2020. Dubai Frame is world's largest picture frame by Guinness World Records. (Tripadvisor.com)

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://www.architectmagazine.com/)

Meliha Archaeological Centre is a visitor centre and exhibition based around the history and archaeology of the areas surrounding the village of Mleiha in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. Built around a preserved Umm Al Nar era tomb, the centre details the excavations and discoveries made over the past 40 years at Mleiha and surrounding areas (including Al Thuqeibah, Jebel Faya, Al Madam and Jebel Buhais), particularly the important Faya North East find, which provides evidence that 'anatomically modern humans' were in the Mleiha area between 130,000 and 120,000 years ago. These finds point to the spread of humanity from Africa across the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf region, and onward to populate the world through Iran, India, Europe and Asia.

British architectural firm Hopkins Architects has completed the Buhais Geology Park Interpretative Centre, a new research and education facility highlighting the “prehistoric and geological significance” of the former seabed known as al-Madam Plain, located southeast of the UAE city of Sharjah.

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