03 Feb 2021
Zaha Hadid’s surrealist Opus building houses indulgent spa
BY Megan Whitby
In 2020, the Dubai skyline was updated with an 84,300sq m cube-shaped building with a gaping eight-storey-wide void at its centre. One of the late visionary architect Zaha Hadid’s final projects.
Named The Opus by Omniyat, the destination is set apart by being the only project where Hadid was responsible for both architecture and interiors, including select pieces from Zaha Hadid Design’s in-house furniture collection.
The two-tower building is located in the high-end Burj Khalifa district, and encompasses a 93-key ME Dubai hotel, luxury spa and four restaurants operated by Meliá in its first five floors. Offices, residences and additional restaurants occupy remaining vacancies.
Originally introduced by Hadid in 2007, the finished result boasts a striking exterior and interior which make use of deep curves, fluid architectural language, a bold palette and natural light.
After her passing, Christos Passas, Zaha Hadid Architects’ design director, took over as project director working alongside Middle Eastern real estate developers Omniyat.
ME Dubai’s spa and recreation manager, Sayed Salem, told Spa Business Hadid was an architectural legend.
“Known as “the Queen of the curve”, she created ambitious wonders inspired by nature, with sinuous, billowing forms, where the laws of physics appear suspended,” he said.
Salem oversees the destination’s 526sq m Spa by ME Dubai, designed by spa and wellness consultancy The Wellness and featuring five spacious treatment rooms, including one for couples.
The spa menu offers a selection of healing modalities including massages, facials and body treatments, powered by luxury international product houses Natura Bisse, Carol Joy, Voya and Medi-Diamond.
All treatment rooms are equipped with a Gharieni M01 treatment table, ambient light therapy, a shower, changing room, comfortable seating area and a toilet.
Linen supplier RKF Luxury Linen is responsible for supplying the spa with linen and robes.
Spa visitors can also access a sauna, private changing rooms, pool and the hotel’s state-of-the-art gym, spanning 7,000sq ft and home to the region’s first ultramodern Technogym Biocircuit.
The destination initially opened in March 2020 but was shut after 28 days due to COVID. It later reopened its doors to guests in late November 2020.
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