Downtown Dubai, a 500-acre mega-development owned and operated by Emaar Properties, contains some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and WET’s very own Dubai Fountain, the world’s largest performing fountain, which attracts millions of visitors annually. At the heart of this cultural epicenter is the Opera District—Downtown Dubai’s newest addition, set to open in 2016, and home to modern art museums, residences and lofts, retail space, art hotels, and most prominently, the Dubai Opera House.
WET created two artistic water experiences designed to enhance this architecturally stylish destination. Named Allegro and Tide, they are designed to reflect the opera’s architecture by Atkins, which is inspired by the dhow, an Arabian sailing vessel. They each honor Dubai’s maritime heritage by evoking the fluid poetry of a dhow’s wake.
Within the main outdoor plaza is Allegro, from which jets of water, in two fluid groupings of dense arcing rows, emerge from the plaza floor. Along the wake-like lines of the plaza’s paving pattern, the water surges and swells, rolling like waves following a ship. WET’s proprietary technology, used in these jets, employs a refill time of unparalleled speed, allowing each jet to be individually turned on and off for complete choreographic control. Beautiful water-canopy expressions spring to life and like a company of ballerinas, alternate between synchronized movements and solo performances. Rhythmically alternating pulses of water form chases that delight and entertain gathered crowds. Lit with both bright white and deeply saturated color, the water is illuminated at night, thereby presenting a completely different visual experience using WET’s highly advanced lighting technology. And as magically as they appear, the jets can disappear below the plaza pavement to accommodate a variety of events held in this mixed-use space.
Along the grand staircases that border the sides of the opera house is Tide, a series of symmetrical pools that flank the structure and act as mirrors, reflecting the building’s sweeping architecture during the day and enhancing its glowing interior at night. The profile of each step evolves, creating a variety of water textures from smooth and glassy to cascading white water. A resulting water pattern emerges within the stepped expanse and flows alongside the building, representing the water surrounding a sailing dhow and creating the illusion that the Dubai Opera is sailing toward the neighboring Dubai Fountain at Burj Khalifa.
The Dubai Opera House is the first of its kind in the UAE and is positioned to become the region’s newest cultural icon. Adding to its luster, Jasper Hope of London’s Royal Albert Hall is overseeing its artistic direction. WET, which has been very prolific in the Middle East and in Dubai alone has features at Burj Khalifa Tower Park, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Marina, Al Musalla Towers, and Burj Al Arab, is thrilled to add its magical creations to this historic project.