An ululating symphony of masses, voids, terraces, solids, and columns, “One at Palm”, designed by the Studio of Michel Abboud (SOMA), is a multidimensional project that has established itself as one of the most relevant buildings in the city of Dubai. New York-based SOMA is headed by architect and designer Michel Abboud, an esteemed figure notable for his groundbreaking designs and provocative projects- of which, One at Palm is one. With construction finalized in 2018, the building is strongly positioned at the beginning of the luxurious Palm Jumeirah, a series of man-made islands and archipelagos. The plot is in one of the prestigious locations in the city, providing full, panoramic views of the man-made islands, the Arabian Gulf, as well as the city’s iconic Dubai Marina skyline.
Given the plot’s esteemed location, it serves a dual architectural-urban condition, allowing for a newfound reformulation of the city’s built design typologies. Firstly, the building acts as its own architectural masterpiece, in and of itself, through its particular arrangement and massing, in which the high-rise typology within the city of Dubai is essentially redefined. This redefinition is further reinforced by the variety of its sui generis architectural elements, including a unique harmony between the horizontality of its striking, white-cast slabs, and the building’s verticality through its twenty structural columns. The building maintains an engaging array of cantilevers and open spaces, in which each of the twenty-five floors cantilevers seven meters on each side, further aided by the aforementioned assembly of columns. And so, through this series of contractions and expansions, the different apartments are pushed and pulled across the floors, and, in doing so, provide varied arrangements of spaces, notably outdoor ones. Secondly, the building responds particularly efficiently to the site, through an established and studied emphasis on surrounding, unobstructed views. Finally, and most importantly, the third aspect that highlights the building’s multidimensionality, as well as its uniqueness, is its relevant iconography in the greater area, in which it serves as an urban marker in the Palm Jumeirah, acting as a beacon for entry to the different islands. And so, given the particular nature of the site, the project acts as both an architectural entity to be utilized- in this case, a residential tower- as well as an urban artifact, establishing itself as a visual marker.
The project is essentially comprised of ninety luxury apartments arranged methodically, ranging from 270 to 2,000 sqm. Every proposed unit has an equal ratio of indoor and outdoor spaces- a unique feature
to One at Palm, being the first building in Dubai to promote such an application of outdoor space. Each apartment is extroverted in its external communication with the surrounding views, outdoor spaces, and interconnection with other apartments, while also introverted and reserved in its privacy. This duality of both extroversion and introversion is further reflected in the interior-exterior relationship, in which the building is essentially transparent, while also maintaining a hegemony on its unique materiality. While this multifaceted interior-exterior relationship in the building is one that essentially redefined the traditional high-rise residential typology, it also deconstructed different cultural and regional constraints: privacy and weather conditions. Within the context of the region, luxury apartments and spaces are often those that emphasize seclusion and quietness. In working with the negative spaces of the buildings’ voids and masses, One at Palm countered the traditional space arrangement of seclusion by providing a new, seamless union of indoor and outdoor. This was further integrated with a careful consideration of the extreme weather of the region, in which outdoor spaces were meticulously positioned to maximize shading, fresh air, and wind flow: Once again, to reiterate, a complete redefinition of the high-rise, residential typology.
Alongside a unique materiality, redefined typology, and urban relevance, One at Palm also sets a newfound standard with its emphasis on ultra-luxury, starting from the plot itself, which is developed by Dubai-based developer, Omniyat, and operated by the hospitality brand, Dorchester Collection. A continuation into the ground floor experience reveals a highly landscaped space, with multiple pools, water elements, and a varied selection of native, regional plants, merging nature with the built environment. Designed by Vladimir Djorovic, this merge of hardscape, walking paths, and nature provides an inviting, interactive experience when exploring these spaces, once again emphasizing a holistic user experience that blends the external with the internal. This is further translated when exploring the upper-level apartments, in which an extensive composition and balance are applied when analyzing the interior design of the residential apartments. To cater to various tastes, two different interior designers were selected to furnish the building, and its different amenities: London-based Elicyon and Super Potato from Japan. The former’s design palette boasts a sleek, luxurious model of modernism, whereas the latter provides a calm, sophisticated interior.
And so, given the relevance of the project, on both an architectural and urban scale, One at Palm has proved its hegemony within the city of Dubai, redefining the nature of the ultra-luxurious residential high-rise in the city of glitz and glamor. This ultra-luxury is evident and has left an essential imprint on the urban fabric of Dubai: As of 2023, the building has broken the record for the most expensive real estate unit sold in the Arab world. This renowned reputation of luxury and explorative design has not gone unnoticed: One at Palm has been nominated for the upcoming World Architecture Festival 2023 in Singapore, in which the project shall be presented- a testament to its cutting-edge architecture. The project, thus, becomes an icon of ground-breaking design, aimed to push the boundaries of space-creation and cultural relevance.
