Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi all set to open in October 2009
The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi designed by New York-based practice architect Asymptote Architecture is targeting an opening in October this year. This huge 85,000 square-meter complex will boast of 500 rooms.
The iconic building located in the site of Formula 1 on Yas Island comprises of two towers linked by a bridge spanned over the Formula 1 track. Asymptote’s founders and partners Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture claim this architectural landmark has been inspired by speed, movement and Islamic artistry as well as the celebration of Abu Dhabi as a cultural and technological tour de force. The main feature of this structure is the massive 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear forms constructed of steel and 5,800 pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels. This Grid-Shell is like a veil that covers the entire hotel including the two hotel towers and a link bridge constructed as a monocoque sculpted steel object passing above the Formula 1 track that makes its way through the building complex. The Grid-Shell is not just a design masterpiece but the optical effects and spectral reflections that it produces against the backdrop of the open sky and desert are sure to mesmerize one and all.
The architecture as a whole “performs” as both an environmentally responsive solution as well as an architecture of spectacle and event. The entire jewel-like composition of the project responds visually and tectonically to its environment to create a distinct and powerful sense of place as well as a breathtaking backdrop to the Formula 1 and other events that the building will celebrate. The Yas Hotel is designed to be a significant landmark destination on Yas Island for Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large.
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