A New Level of Hospitality and Luxury Living

You will be able to experience the city from a very different vantage point, says Mansoor Kazerouni, the key architect of the project

Suneeti Ahuja-Kohli

In the architecturally rich environment of Dubai, where every building has a distinct look and feel to it, new projects often test the talent and creativity of engineers and architects.

“There’s always a question of whether something new that hasn’t been done before can be achieved to make it stand out in the skyline of Dubai that is dotted with signature projects,” said Mansoor Kazerouni, Global Director Buildings, IBI Group, while talking about the role his firm has played in the construction of Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeriah in Dubai. IBI is the lead architect on the project. The Canadian firm collaborated with New York-based KPF architects, who are the design architects for Atlantis The Royal. “KPF is the one who envisioned the concept.

It was their idea since the inception. Our role was to deliver the project as the lead architect,” said Kazerouni. IBI Group has been instrumental in the design development of the project. “We played multiple roles. We worked on the interior design of the functional areas, designed some of the standalone pavilions, cabanas and restaurants. The key role as a lead architect was to coordinate the efforts of the entire design team and to advance the design concept that KPF had put forward,” he added.

The latest iconic structure on the Palm Jumeriah has been in the making since 2016, and is likely to open doors to guests and residents later this year. “This project speaks to you at multiple levels. The building is unique in its voids that it has created on each floor. The floors are like boxes that sort of pull out, like drawers. There are some incredible sky gardens that integrate nature and

Mansoor Kazerouni Global Director Buildings IBI Group

It has been a tremendous privilege to be involved in what will become one of the most iconic projects in the region, if not in the world. It will contribute significantly to Dubai’s already very impressive list of architecturally significant buildings.

architecture in quite a sculptural, dramatic and beautiful way.

And this, essentially, has broken down the traditional form of the building, creating a lot of visual and physical permeability,” noted Kazerouni. The structural design of the business is reminiscent of screens that are seen in many different scales and contexts in the Middle East, mediating sunlight in a beautiful way and capturing light and shadow.

“Besides, if you step back and squint your eyes, Atlantis The Royal makes a very strong reference to the traditional classic Atlantis form that has strongly become the identity of Atlantis. But it does it in a highly contemporary way. The project reflects the personality of both the palm island and the city of Dubai,” he said.

Atlantis The Royal features a series of cascading ‘sky-courts’ that open up to the sea and double talents. He says that in the end, the project is always better for exploring different points of view.

“Working with other highly talented people creates a dynamic design process that brings out the very best in everyone. We bring this collaborative energy to each project in which we are involved,” added Galloway.

40North Design and SKS Studio have their main studios located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA with branch offices in Dubai, UAE. Reach them via their www.sks-studio.com www.40northdesign.com

— ali@khaleejtimes.com

Steven Foster Managing Director Schindler MENA highlights the Swiss engineering company’s mobility expertise on the project

Briefly explain the philosophy behind Schindler and its journey in the MENA region.

Schindler is a 150-year-old Swiss family company. Our core philosophy is to do business around a set of values that are non-negotiable. These values include Safety, Quality, Delivering Customer Value, Integrity and Trust and People Development. Our view is that if we take care of the core values, the business growth will take care of itself. The MENA region is one of the key growth markets for the Group, and therefore, we aim to be the best service provider in the industry by continuing to develop highly innovative and user-friendly mobility solutions specifically tailored to this market.

Tell us about Schindler’s role in the futuristic Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences on Palm Jumeirah. The Royal Atlantis is an extraordinary building with a unique design and complexity. At the peak of its making, there were around 14,000 people working on site. The project required a set of very clearly set out procedures for planning, installation and execution. As a global pioneer in the elevator and escalator industry, Schindler Group sets itself apart through its rigorous practices, uniquely designed in Switzerland and consistently applied throughout the world — be it in Switzerland, South Africa or Vietnam, we install a lift in the same manner. This ensures quality throughout in a safe manner. A vital role that we play in any project of this size is auditing on a regular basis as part of a clearly defined process.

For instance, for Atlantis, The Royal, we had several independent checks at regular milestones to ensure compliance and quality. as landscaped terraces attached to executive suites. Some of these terraces contain infinityedge pools and trellis-shaped decks. The structure features two buildings seamlessly connected with the hotel tower to the west and residential tower to the east, linked by an arch spanned by a connecting bridge and topped by a pool. Hotel rooms and apartments are organised as a series of discrete modular blocks. The building also features a four-storey podium, which will be home to specialty chef restaurants, spa and meeting facilities flanked by a ballroom. There are eight townhouses.

Secondly, it is important to have clear and open communication with the main contractor to make sure that the complexities at any stage could be worked through.

Thirdly, it is important to appoint the right project leadership and staff that is technically welltrained and motivated and matches our ambitions. It’s important to highlight that all our technicians on this site have been fully certified to the Schindler standard.

What are some of the challenges in sharing public spaces and how were you able to ensure that in this project?

Safety is one of our core values.

Therefore, whenever we look at a project, we also do a safety assessment first to make sure that the main contractor has the right safety protocols that are aligned with our own. On this site, there were many people working in the same shared space, and it was important to stick to a set of clear methods and processes, but also to provide additional levels of intervention.

For instance, we made sure to have a daily risk assessment meeting. Before beginning work in the morning, the team would get together and discuss any issues on site, what may have moved overnight, the plan for the day and how we would achieve it, safely. This was an important change in culture, allowing our fitters and technicians to speak up and address their areas of concern and how to overcome them before commencing work. Our commitment is that every day our colleagues get home safely to their families.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to be involved in what will become one of the most iconic projects in the region, if not in the world. It will contribute significantly to Dubai’s already very impressive list of architec turally significant buildings. It is a great testament to what can be achieved when a visionary client with great ambition and strong ideas brings together the best talent from across the world to build something that is so auda cious and hasn’t been done be fore. We are humbled, thankful to be invited, and to have been a part of the team creating this incredible building,” said Kaze rouni, who has a strong connec tion with Dubai, having lived there throughout the 90s. “I was in Dubai from 1992-99, and worked as one of the designers of the Emirates Towers. That proj ect represents four years of my life. Watching that project come alive and the impact it had on the early development of high-rise buildings in Dubai is so heart warming,” he said.

IBI is a global multidisciplinary firm and practices in infrastruc ture, building and technology. “We are a highly technology driv en design firm, and have projects and offices around the world. Our practice in Dubai is focused on infrastructure, urban planning, and transportation. We have in frastructure and urban planning projects in the region with a lot of work in Saudi Arabia. We have significant healthcare work in the UK with very large hospitals,” he concluded.