Legendary architect Zaha Hadid was drinking whiskey one night when inspiration for an apartment design struck. At least that’s how the story goes according to a sales agent from Locke Lifestyle Properties in Dubai.
At first glance, it is hard to believe that the Opus in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa district is a real building. The twenty-storey glass cube is hollow in the centre, leaving a vast curved void that appears to defy gravity.
Inside the top-floor penthouse, it feels like you are floating in the sky. A glance out the window reveals a dizzying drop down to the roads and footpaths that criss-cross the district.
Residents will be relieved to see hefty steel beams and trusses on view throughout the home, proof that the building is held up by more than a wing and a prayer.
The penthouse is on the market for around $US40 million ($62 million).
There is even a private pool built under a glass ceiling, giving the impression that you are swimming in the clouds. Residents in the Opus apartment building have access to hotel amenities, including a gym, concierge and room service, and a swimming pool. Developer Omniyat described it as a “tribute” to the late architect.
“The Opus epitomises Hadid’s signature aesthetic: it is contemporary, sleek, inspired by the beauty and dichotomy of nature, and firmly focused on the future,” the listing says.
