One Za’abeel

One Za’abeel stands at the gateway from the Dubai International Airport to the central Dubai, accommodating offices, hotels, residences, and commercial spaces. Its two towers each stand on plots separated by a highway, connected 100 meters above ground by a horizontal cantilevered structure called THE LINK. The linear and asymmetrical silhouette embodies timeless elegance creating a new skyline of Dubai. Located in between the city’s historic Old Town and the emerging recently developed area, THE LINK is designed as an interface of Dubai’s both aspects while amplifying the iconic stature of the project. THE LINK adopts a robust outer tubular structure; major steel components are organized in a diagrid pattern across four faces in a length of 230 meters, curbing torsion, and deformation, and enabling a vast, column-free interior that could accommodate various activities while providing an unobstructed panoramic view of the city. Its six-sided glass curtain wall and façade supporting steel frame are also designed in a diagrid pattern, enhancing the integration of structure and facade. The tower’s exterior offers diverse expressions depending on the viewing angle due to the glass fins positioned outside the glass curtain wall. White dots on the glass fins both enhance solar shading and soften the structure’s mirror effect, adding contrast to THE LINK’s transparent facade. LEED (BD+C) GOLD certification has been achieved through numerous environmental initiatives, such as high performance facade, vast rooftop greenery of podium, energy efficient HVAC systems, LED automated lighting systems, helping to address the U.A.E.’s “net-zero” 2050 emissions target.