Dramatic water features, vertical gardens and an expansive sky bridge are among the defining design features of the much-anticipated Atlantis The Royal.
As the luxury resort gears up for its grand reveal on January 21, its dominating silhouette has already become an integral part of Dubai’s skyline. It sits brazenly on the outer crescent of the Palm, adjacent to its sister property, Atlantis, The Palm.
“We were asked to dream big on this project. To create something unique and iconic for Dubai – and when I look at it now, I’m amazed by the audacity of the whole undertaking,” says James von Klemperer, president and design principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, or KPF, the architecture firm which brought the ambitious project to life.
Spanning 406,000 square metres, Atlantis The Royal is 500 metres long and extends 43 storeys and 178 metres upwards. Its distinctive form consists of six towers shaped like a stack of individual blocks, connected from above by a 90-metre by 33-metre sky bridge. It is home to 795 rooms and suites, countless hospitality venues and no fewer than 90 swimming pools.
While the end result feels futuristic, KPF drew inspiration from the monumental arches and arcades of ancient Roman aqueducts, where the space between structures frame the sun and sky, incorporating these natural elements into the overall design.
“I’m bowled over by what’s been built, with its vertical piling up of outdoor experiences in the pools, outside spaces and remarkable design features at every turn," says von Klemperer. "The gardens in the sky, first imagined in sketches on paper, are now realised hundreds of feet above the ground.”
KPF is responsible for some of the most recognisable destinations and buildings in the world, including New York’s Hudson Yards, the largest private development in US history; London’s Covent Garden neighbourhood; and six of the 12 tallest towers in the world, including the Shanghai World Financial Centre, the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, China, and Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea.
The interiors of Atlantis The Royal were undertaken by GA Group, which drew its inspiration from Bedouin culture. Famed for their resourcefulness, these tribes would traverse inhospitable desert terrain using water wells as a navigational tool.
And so the preciousness of water is celebrated throughout the new hotel, with water features, sculptures and colour palettes that celebrate this essential commodity. A dramatic 11.5-metre tall lobby sculpture, Droplets, represents the first drop of rain in a dry desert, while the Deluge water elevators invite guests to walk through water to reach other parts of the property. Eye-catching light fixtures in the form of cloud bursts hover overhead in the hotel’s elevator banks, while hundreds of raindrop-shaped light pendants stud the ceilings of the lobby.
One of the world’s leading water feature design firms, WET, was enlisted to help. The company behind Las Vegas' famous Fountains of Bellagio and the record-breaking HSBC Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport, WET envisaged a series of water features to sit along the resort’s main axis. From Firefalls to Skyblaze, the evocatively named fountains demonstrate the power of water, but also its capacity to encourage quiet moments of contemplation.
Firefalls consists of two reflective walls of glass, clad in rippling water, interspersed with programmed plumes of fire, while Skyblaze is a 28-metre high fire and water fountain that encapsulates myriad water forms, fire bursts, lights and performative music.
Complementing these tributes to water, the hotel’s design takes traditional resort landscaping and transforms it into vertical forms. The design of the property’s Sky Pool Villas and Sky Terraces are also informed by local culture, taking cues from Mozarabic courtyards, which were traditionally cooled by shading, plants and ornamental fountains. The villas and terraces are shaded from the floors above and ventilated by the oceanic winds and pools, creating passively cooled spaces that aim to extend the time guests can enjoy the outdoors from six to almost 10 months of the year.
All of the resort’s elevated pools are acrylic-fronted, inviting guests to swim up to 43 stories in the air, while looking out to the skyline and beyond.
“This is it. Our moment is finally here to reveal Atlantis The Royal as the world’s most ultra-luxury resort,” says Tim Kelly, managing director of Atlantis Dubai. “Atlantis The Royal is about experiencing something you never imagined could be and the architecture sets this up masterfully, with the six towers joined together by a 90-foot infinity pool, redrawing the Dubai skyline and creating a new icon on the Palm.
“It delivers a bespoke range of breathtaking experiences, inviting guests to swim among the clouds in sky pools and be dazzled by fountains that breathe fire. The unique building reflects the once-in-a-lifetime experiences guests will have inside.”
The hotel has already begun taking reservations for March. Rooms in the opening month start at Dh4,066 for the first two weeks, going up to Dh4,545 from March 19. In April, rooms cost as much as Dh5,951 per night.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results:
5pm: Baynunah Conditions (UAE bred) Dh80,000 1,400m.
Winner: Al Tiryaq, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Abdullah Al Hammadi (trainer).
5.30pm: Al Zahra Handicap (rated 0-45) Dh 80,000 1,400m:
Winner: Fahadd, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
6pm: Al Ras Al Akhdar Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m.
Winner: Jaahiz, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Al Reem Island Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m.
Winner: AF Al Jahed, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
7pm: Al Khubairah Handicap (TB) 100,000 2,200m.
Winner: Empoli, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh80,000 2,200m.
Winner: Shivan OA, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
RESULTS
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The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
