Dubai’s skyline will claim another architectural world title in 2020 when construction completes on the world’s tallest building with a ceramic facade. The twisted mixed-use Wasl Tower will rise 300 meters and comprise a five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel, private residences, and a variety of restaurants. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will manage both the hotel and residences.
257 guestrooms, suites, and serviced apartments will be located on floors 16 to 38 and provide views of the nearby Burj Khalifa. 144 residential units will be located on the tower’s top floors. They will have their own private access and dedicated facilities, such as a Resident’s Lounge. Residents will also benefit from the Mandarin Oriental’s service and direct access to the hotel.
Courtesy UNStudio.
A variety of restaurants and bars will be featured in the building such as a rooftop skybar, an all-day dining venue, a poolside bar and restaurant, a lobby lounge, a club lounge, a cigar room, and a Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop. A double level sky lobby on floors 35 and 36 will include the club lounge, the all-day dining venue, a lifestyle lounge, and a tea lounge. Banqueting and meeting spaces will accommodate social and business events.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, a two-story facility, will feature 12 private treatment rooms, a fitness center, vitality pools, heat and water therapies, and an outdoor swimming pool set within a landscaped garden terrace.
Courtesy UNStudio.
At night, solar-powered lights will be programmed to make it appear as if the ceramic-clad building is breathing (see video below). The tower’s structural system consists of a central concrete core plus outriggers on four levels.
UNStudio designed the building in collaboration with German engineering firm Werner Sobek.
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 29, 2020
The reenvisioned Sazerac House: A delectable cocktail that's just perfect for the Big Easy
The 51,987-sf Sazerac House is an interactive cocktail museum, active distillery, corporate headquarters, and event venue, all under one roof, next to the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.
Mixed-Use | Dec 28, 2020
BIG designs new mixed-use development in Harlem
The project, dubbed The Smile, has recently completed construction.
Urban Planning | Dec 6, 2020
Ford lays out plans for mobility innovation district in Detroit
Its centerpiece is an abandoned train depot whose architecture and decay reflect two sides of this city’s past.
Mixed-Use | Oct 19, 2020
Commonwealth Pier revitalization project begins construction in Boston’s Seaport
CBT, in collaboration with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects designed the project.
Mixed-Use | Oct 2, 2020
Zaha Hadid Architects unveils 2 Murray Road in Hong Kong
The project reinterprets the structural forms and layering of a Bauhinia bud about to blossom.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Sep 30, 2020
SOM reimagines former Cook County Hospital into mixed-use destination
The project is the first phase of a proposed $1 billion redevelopment plan for the area in Chicago.
Sustainability | Sep 29, 2020
Heatherwick Studio creates a new concept for San Francisco’s Piers 30-32
The new vision is dubbed The Cove.
Mixed-Use | Sep 23, 2020
SOM-designed waterfront neighborhood will include 1,045-foot-tall tower
The project will focus on harnessing the sea and the sun to create a low-carbon waterfront community.
Mixed-Use | Sep 7, 2020
Google proposes 40-acre redevelopment that includes nearly 2,000 housing units
Lendlease will manage the design and construction, as a partner in a multi-development deal struck last year between the two companies.
Mixed-Use | Sep 3, 2020
10 Design will redevelop the Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport
The old military airport will become a contemporary mixed-use destination.
