On the artificial island of Al Marjan in the United Arab Emirates, Oystra development, a new residential complex by Zaha Hadid Architects commissioned by developer Richmind, with Dewan Architects + Engineers as executive architects, is about to rise. The project occupies an area of 128,000 square meters and consists of four towers connected by a large suspended structure, destined to become a new landmark of the Ras Al Khaimah coastline. The project will be a new landmark on the Ras Al Khaimah coast.
Central technical and formal element is a 40-meter-long curved steel lattice beam that connects two of the towers. This solution allows maintaining a visual continuity in the skyline, combining structural stability and scenic intensity. The development will house more than 800 apartments, penthouses, sky villas and independent villas facing the sea, composing a housing offer that ranges from compact units to large-scale solutions.
The project reflects the client's stated approach of developing recognizable spaces with a strong artistic component. Richmind emphasized that the goal is not only to propose high-end residences, but to redefine the concept of luxury from an architectural perspective.
For Dewan Architects + Engineers, involved in technical and construction management, Oystra also represents an engineering challenge. In addition to the suspended beam, the project incorporates curved, walkable structural walls, a choice that entailed greater construction complexity but reinforces the coherence of the architectural design.
The composition was created as a "convergence of form, movement and environment shaped by the dynamics of sea and sky." Its undulating configuration evokes an organism in dialogue with the coastal landscape, with the intention of appearing as an element rooted to the site, as if it had always belonged to the artificial island that hosts it.
The construction site will start within the year. According to the developers, Oystra is not only a large-scale residential development, but also signals a transformation in the region's architectural landscape.