Opulent

BY KASUN ILLANKOON

What makes your company’s offering exceptional?

We embarked on exceptional journey when we established OMNIYAT in 2005, establishing a goal for ourselves to offer the finest experiences. And the pursuit of these outstanding building experiences led us to the process of collaborating with the top architects in the world. Back in 2005, I travelled to visit some of the world's finest architecture firms, including Zaha Hadid, Foster + Partners, Richard Rogers, Rem Koolhaas, Santiago Calatrava, and Renzo Piano. And my goal was to inspire these worldwide design houses to join us in our drive to construct extraordinary and create exceptional experiences.

And now, a few years later, I'm happy to say that I've had the pleasure of working with four of the six people I approached back then, and we've learnt so much from these worldwide design names. And we are here in one of the first partner-designed buildings, on which we have been working for a long period to bring to life. So, I'd say that design focus, and design for the purpose of enhancing life, is at the heart of our brand, and everything we do revolves around that. And that is the path we have taken over the last 17-18 years. And we will continue to innovate with that.

OMNIYAT provides endless curation opportunities, allowing those who inhabit its spaces to customise every detail to fit their individual needs, lifestyles, and visions of themselves.

Our offerings are highly focussed on the elevation of the luxury living experience, with the goal of ultimately reimagining it completely. This is why we pursue elevation in our creations, which translates to the unique living experiences that we provide. Through our partnerships with world-renowned operators, architects and interior designers, we bring offerings that honour the rituals of living, so to speak, creating unequivocal space that truly explores the limits of living well.

Could you please elaborate on your partnership with Dorchester Collection?

Every one-of-a-kind experience now necessitates a one-of-a-kind operator to deliver it. Yes, hardware, architecture, and solution continue to be important pillars of the OMNIYAT, ideology. But the operation was a critical strategic component for us. So, we travelled across the world in 2014-15 to find the appropriate global operator who could resonate with our aim of creating the extraordinary and share the same brand concept and brand principles. That journey has resulted in a strategic relationship with the Dorchester collection, which we have begun. And as a result, we already have a few homes that we have as a collection today, and the portfolio has grown as we continue to construct these unique properties. Partnering with Dorchester Collection is a testament to our dedication to creating invigorating environments for the individuals who choose to be in them. This partnership brings an untapped form of establishment to the luxury real estate market in the region: residential hospitality. Dorchester Collection is the world’s most renowned hospitality operator, and by partnering with them, we provide the level of attention to detail our prospects demand of the luxury estates they seek out, as well as the exclusivity that they expect.

How do you envision VELA contributing to the overall vision and growth of OMNIYAT as a pioneering developer in Dubai?

VELA, Dorchester Collection, Dubai builds on the success of The Lana, a distinctive hotel and residential offering operated by the Dorchester Collection within the same luxury enclave – which is already 100% sold out. The Burj Khalifa District is where it all began for OMNIYAT with The Opus. As another jewel in the heart of Dubai, we believe that VELA’s presence in the Marasi Marina and the wider Burj Khalifa District will be a distinctive indicator of the calibre of offerings and value OMNIYAT brings to the area. This project, in particular, presents itself as a pivot towards more ambitious undertakings that we are excited to bring to the city and beyond. >>>

VELA is inspired by the Latin word for sail –bringing the calm of the waterfront to the heart of the city and merging the dynamism of urban living with tranquillity.

Our offerings are highly focused on the elevation of the luxury living experience, with the goal of ultimately reimagining it completely. This is why we pursue elevation in our creations, which translates to the unique living experiences that we provide.

You have recently launched The Lana, how do you feel about it? Vela, it's a fantastic opportunity for us to have secured this unique site, because it sits right next to the Lana by Dorchester collection, hotel and residents here in downtown Dubai, on the Marina of the Marasi Bay. And as we have developed and invested vastly in creating this destination, in the Downtown Dubai district. It was important that we continue that experience into the other side, this not gives us an opportunity to develop the sights around the Lana in a unique way, but also enjoy the experience that has been created with the first Dorchester collection hotel in Asia.

Lana will be the Dorchester Collection's first hotel in Asia and the Middle East, and 10th globally, And that's a very important milestone for OMNIYAT, as we will open that hotel by end of this year. And VELA as just a few steps away from The

Lana, right on the Marasi Bay. And I think that gives us a very unique location, we use that opportunity to create very limited 38 units in an exclusive setting with a complete views of Marina, Marasi Bay, and the entire water experience. We are trying to incorporate all of the design aspects and components that we have learnt from past palm developments, such as seamless swimming pools and the terrace experience that is normally found in beachfront properties. These elements, I believe, give us a really unique edge in product creation, on top of all of our specific features, comforts, and quality that we drive with the Dorchester collection. And in this project as well, we're collaborating with Foster + Partners, which is our design firm for this district.

Let's speak about collaboration with architects and designers from your perspective. How do you approach them keeping in mind the project vision?

For us from the beginning at OMNIYAT,, we had a very clear understanding of what we're trying to deliver, and keeping our customers and our buyers at the centre of the need. And designing the best life experience possible for them was at the heart of our vision. That effectively required creating the specific design brief that I said before, which is a process in OMNIYAT, for every location, and then choosing the perfect architect who can actually, truly celebrate that brief and create a unique experience.

Then, for each bespoke solution, we identify the correct architect, interior designer, and landscape designer to achieve that goal. And I believe we have mastered the procedure over the last 17-8 years. And as we continue to construct these one-of-a-kind environments, surprising and exceeding the customer's expectations, and producing these amazing spaces.

How do various designers use different architectural languages on different projects?

Each project has its own set of criteria and design philosophy. We under- stand that every partner has their own vision, which allows for highly productive conversations to take place when a collaboration begins. We could not have found a better partner than Zaha Hadid architecture firm that truly developed that experience with us when we wanted to create a very distinctive office building that reflects the future and brings the future to a current time. However, when it came to constructing The Lana, it was more about finding the correct architect who could produce that type of language. And I believe Foster and Partners were the perfect firm, given we have worked with them on this site since its inception.

How is the demand for luxury properties in the region, and do you see it growing in Dubai in the near future?

Dubai is a global city that may attract uber-luxurious, ultra-high net-worth individuals and clients. And we will continue to make products of this nature. This was even before anyone believed that such a high-quality product would be in demand and financially successful. I'm delighted to see that faith and belief, as well as the city's capacity to attract this type of clientele, have proven to be incredibly successful.

And we are now witnessing a phenomenal global demand that is increasing much faster than before. That is arriving and migrating back to Dubai. So, for me, it's been a great success in the last two years, especially since COVID-19.

With the amount of appeal that the city of Dubai is developing to become a magnet for this client base, I believe we will continue to see this growth and in the correct audience that is seeking the Uber luxury product in the city of Dubai. As a result, OMNIYAT continues to invest in this market, we will continue to lead the segment by generating even higher and more elevated items than what we have seen from them thus far. The promise we present our prospects is a life beyond luxury that they curate for themselves, and we believe our projects fulfil that promise.