One Za’abeel Tower / Nikken Sekkei

Architects: Nikken Sekkei
Area: 530,700 m²
Year: 2023
Photography: Koji Horiuchi
Contractors: ALEC ENGINEERING AND CONTRACTING
Landscape Consultants: Cracknell Landscape Design LLC
Interior Lighting Consultant: LPA
Clients: Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD)
Façade Consultants: Inhabit
Signage Consultant: LIMAH
Kitchen Consultants: MCTS
Pool Equipment Specialist: Barr+Wray
Wind Engineering: RWDI
Collaborators: LW DESIGN GROUP, Square M Design, DENNISTON, Rockwell Group, DWP, HBA SOCIAL, Stufish Entertainment Architects, DPA, WELLNESS, BRIMAXX, FARMBOY, CAPSULE ARTS, CROWD DYNAMICS, BRASH
City: Dubai
Country: United Arab Emirates

One Za’abeel Tower, a large-scale mixed-use development designed by Nikken Sekkei in Dubai, integrates offices, hotels, residences, and commercial spaces. Completed in 2023, this project offers a compelling lifestyle experience, highlighted by THE LINK, a sky bridge connecting two towers 100 meters above ground.

One Za’abeel is a significant mixed-use development at the entrance to central Dubai, the world’s leading financial hub. The project seamlessly integrates offices, hotels, residences, and commercial spaces, promising a compelling lifestyle experience for Dubai’s residents. Nikken Sekkei won the commission in 2014 through an international competition. The two towers, each standing on separate plots divided by a highway, are connected 100 meters above ground by THE LINK. The linear and asymmetrical silhouette of the towers embodies timeless elegance, with shining glass exteriors chosen to manage the indoor environment. The development includes One & Only One Za’abeel, One & Only Private Homes, SIRO lifestyle hotel, Michelin-starred restaurants, and a rooftop infinity pool atop THE LINK.

One Za’abeel stands at the gateway from Dubai International Airport to the city center, along Sheikh Zayed Road. This area is home to iconic structures like the Burj Khalifa and Emirates Towers. Amid these landmarks, One Za’abeel projects a bold yet graceful silhouette, distinguishing itself as a new symbol in Dubai’s skyline with its simple Japanese design.

The development area is divided by a highway. The podium, with commercial outlets, hotel meeting spaces, and ballrooms, envelops both plots with a curvilinear design. The space below the elevated highway is transformed into a plaza, making the entire development interconnected. The two towers, One Za’abeel Tower and One Za’abeel The Residences, stand on their respective plots, with THE LINK facilitating functional integration. The cantilevered building and its rooftop offer panoramic views, enhancing the project’s iconic stature.

The tower’s exterior changes appearance depending on the viewing angle due to the glass fins outside the glass curtain wall. White dots on the fins enhance solar shading and temper reflectivity, adding depth. The facade uses highly transparent low-e glass with superior solar shading capabilities. THE LINK’s truss structure and six-sided glass curtain wall enhance its “floating” appearance. The podium, encircled by roads, has a rhythmic design with balconies and bay windows. Multi-colored aluminum louvers hide ventilation equipment, combining functionality and design.

In the tower section, a steel-and-concrete composite structure minimizes column dimensions and optimizes floor space. High-strength steel diagonals integrated within the tower’s concrete walls support THE LINK. THE LINK adopts a robust outer tubular structure with a diagrid pattern to curb torsion and deformation, enabling a column-free interior. It also enhances structural safety by counteracting wind-induced sway in tall buildings.

THE LINK was assembled using the Incremental Launching Method, sliding preassembled blocks into place sequentially to minimize high-altitude work. The structure spans a 40-meter-wide highway in seven steps. At 230 meters long and approximately 9,580 tons, THE LINK was elevated nearly 100 meters in two stages. The first section, weighing around 8,500 tons, was lifted into place over 12 days. The remaining cantilever tip, weighing nearly 900 tons, was hoisted and attached in a four-day procedure.

Nikken Sekkei served as Lead Consultant, guiding the design and construction processes and coordinating with over 60 companies from nearly 20 countries, involving more than 1,000 construction-related personnel.