One Za’abeel Inaugurated in Dubai

The innovative real estate project will greet visitors as they travel to the city centre from Dubai International Airport

Leading Japanese architectural consulting firm Nikken Sekkei celebrated the official opening of its One Za’abeel project, wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, with a ceremony at the site recently. The site is one of the first major real estate projects to greet visitors as they travel to the city centre from Dubai International Airport and marks a new era for the city’s skyline while adding a must-see world-class travel destination.

We wanted to create an elegant building that both represents the spirit of Dubai and provides a strong gateway to the city.

Koko Nakamura, Chief Architect, Nikken Sekkei 

The Link, the project’s marquee feature, offers a plethora of restaurants and bars and a rooftop infinity pool with 360° unobstructed views of the city from dawn to dusk. It was created using a robust outer tubular structure system with its main steel members arranged in a diamond grid pattern along four sides -- a design that minimises torsion while yielding one large, column-free interior space. The resulting shape offers the illusion of floating in mid-air.

Features of One Za’abeel Project

• Twin-tower structure connected by a cantilever skybridge.
• Tower measures 305 metres in height, while The Residences is 235 metres tall
• The Link, a horizontal sky concourse spanning 230 metres, joins the two buildings, attached 100 metres above ground
• The Link’s cantilevered section extends 67 metres over empty space

The skyscrapers’ exteriors are made of low-e glass with high transparency and high solar shielding performance. Glass fins attached to them offer a variety of optical expressions to observers depending on the viewing angle. The fins’ dotted white pattern provides solar shielding that softens the structure’s “mirror effect”, creating a sense of depth.

Mixed-Use Development

One Za’abeel is LEED Gold certified, and contributes to the UAE’s 2050 Net Zero Strategy for greenhouse gas emissions. It provides 530,000 square metres of mixed-use space, including 12,000 square metres of retail space, 26,000 square metres of Grade A office, hospitality space and residences ranging from one- to four-bedroom simplexes and duplexes, as well as a five-bedroom penthouse.

Strategically located in Dubai’s central business district with easy access to the downtown area, the One Za’abeel symbolises Dubai's continuous growth and vision for the future while offering residents and international visitors an immersive environment with world-class dining, unparalleled retail experiences, dynamic workspaces, and superior urban hotel accommodations.

“A marvel of engineering and design, One Za’abeel is redefining Dubai’s skyline,” said Director of One Za’abeel Holdings Issam Galadari. “The development embodies the pioneering spirit of the Emirate, exemplifying ambition and innovation in its architectural excellence. Reimagining the way we stay, work, dine, live, and thrive, it is a one-of-a-kind lifestyle destination that offers the very best in mixed-use development.”