ABU DHABI // The first thing people notice about the Yas Viceroy hotel is the most difficult to describe: the grid of more than 5,000 glass panels that drapes around the building.
During the day it reflects the sky. At night thousands of LED lights play brilliant colours across its surface.
Some people say the grid is modelled after a fishing net. Others say it's a veil. It could be the skin of a snake, the facets of a gem or ripples on water.
"It stimulates your imagination," said the hotel's manager, Oliver Bruns.
The same could be said of the entire structure, positioned over the Yas Marina Circuit racetrack. Since the 499-room hotel opened in time for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, the design has gathered accolades from around the world. At home it has become a landmark, the grid glowing so brightly that it is visible from the mainland.
"My first impression was, 'Wow, this is like a spaceship landed'," Mr Bruns said.
The hotel's design was conceived after Abu Dhabi put out a call for proposals in 2007, said Hani Rashid, co-founder of Asymptote Architecture, the New York firm behind the project.
The firm had five days to figure out what sort of design would make the best impression.
Mr Rashid chuckled at the thought that the grid was inspired by a fishing net. In reality it was influenced by several concepts, including the speed of Formula One racers.
"We were inspired by the movement of the Formula One car - its beauty, its poetry," Mr Rashid said.
The design team also searched for regional inspiration.
"The local things we looked at were the notion of billowing tents and local dress, and the idea that the building could act as a kind of mirage on the desert."
They based the grid's geometry on traditional Islamic architecture.
"We looked for a modern equivalent to the mathematics that produced some of the most beautiful architecture in history," Mr Rashid said. "That's what gave us both the shape of the grid shell on the building and also the quality of the diamond cuts that are all different sizes across it, that are based on a mathematical algorithm.
"I like the fact that people see many things in it," he added.
Mr Rashid's father was an abstract expressionist painter born in Egypt.
"He always showed me the kind of beauty of producing abstraction coming from very clear ideas, but allowing enough ambiguity ... that people could read their own meaning in it," said Mr Rashid, who studied architecture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the United States.
The 85,000 square metre hotel is a major feature on the racetrack. Two oblong buildings form a "T," linked by a bridge over the track that offers a close view for fans.
Asymptote worked hard to prove that the building could be ready by the first race in 2009, Mr Rashid said.
"At first people were taken aback," he said. "They thought it would be too expensive or difficult to build in an 18-month period."
As the design process unfolded, it was a "happy accident" that the glass grid also ended up serving as an energy-saving solar shade and "heat sink," Mr Rashid said.
"What it means is the hot air rises off and goes off the top," he said.
The interior spaces are bright, airy and curved, designed partly by the firms Richardson Sadeki and Jestico + Whiles. The palette is almost exclusively white.
"It gives a really calming feeling as well if you're here," said Ilona Welte, the hotel's marketing coordinator. "It's peaceful."
Guests wander the corridors with wide eyes, clutching cameras.
"It's very different," said Alniz Popat, from Kenya, a Dubai resident visiting on a weekend retreat. "It's not like the usual hotel."
Asymptote wanted to create something memorable, Mr Rashid said.
"We went into the region to build something and realised, there's a lot of buildings you would see anywhere in the world - Chicago, Singapore, doesn't matter," he said. "We were trying to find something that had a local flavour and could be of Abu Dhabi, but at the same time on a global stage."
Mr Bruns said, "It will never be copied anywhere."
vnereim@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
Leaderboard
64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
BABYLON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Damien%20Chazelle%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Jean%20Smart%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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