The Opus wins MEA Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year

Words by BSBG Media Team, Sunday 26 November 2017

The Opus, designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid, last night won the Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year for 2017 at the Middle East Architect Awards hosted by Design MENA at the Ritz Carlton in JBR, Dubai.

Despite not quite yet having reached completion (although BSBG’s handover of the shell and core is imminent), The Opus was able to fend off some stern competition to pick up the accolade, a notable accomplishment for what many view as being a transformative development for Dubai architecture; a project in which creativity knows nothing of boundaries.

BSBG is the Lead Consultant on the project, and in working closely with Zaha Hadid, the practice remained true to the original vision, co-ordinating the design and overseeing construction and the challenging installation of the curved glass that lines the void carving a hole through the heart of the structure.

Dubai's first Zaha Hadid building

The curved glass and clean lines represent something completely unique to the architectural landscape in Dubai and the building has been the subject of great excitement, as Zaha Hadid’s first design to have been built in the Emirate. Although the design studio previously contributed the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi, surprisingly, the rapid profusion of tall buildings in Dubai had never before featured a Hadid creation.

Commenting on the win for The Opus, Project Director Scott Orwin, said: “The Opus is a very special project for us, and it deserves the recognition it was given last night, as well as the recognition I am sure it will continue to get in the future. It’s nice for us at BSBG too, because we’ve been involved in this project from the very beginning and have successfully managed to co-ordinate the design and bring Zaha Hadid’s vision to reality, and we’ve stayed true to the design intent, despite the inherent difficulties in realising it. I think when it comes to statement architecture, The Opus stands alone, and I hope more awards will follow in the future.”

BSBG Media Team

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