shangri-la, saadiyat beach, abu dhabi, uae

Scope: Master plan and Architecture (325-key suites and villas)

Saadiyat Island Paradise, Shangri-la beckons
The beauty of Saadiyat is its natural environment, from protected mangrove forests in the east of the island to a 30-kilometre stretch of pristine coastline - the location for the stunning new Shangri-la Resort. Saadiyat Beach will be home to the first of two championship golf courses planned for Saadiyat Island designed by golf legend Gary Player. It will also be a cultural magnet for arts aficionados, as the home to the Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a Maritime Museum and a Performing Arts Centre.

Nearby Guggenheim and Louvre
The 325-key Shangri-la sits in close proximity to the upcoming Louvre and Guggenheim museums. And for those who love the outdoors, the resort is bound by two Gary Player-designed golf courses, as well as direct access to a 9-kilometre stretch of natural beach with infinite views of the Persian Gulf.

Evoking sinous lines of a Bedouin tent
The concept for this 325-key hotel is a series of cascading volumes with a silhouette reminiscent of a desert city. The Hotel is designed with a careful balance of arabesque motifs and sophisticated chic, resonating a modern idiom. On arrival, the glassed main lobby floats on an elevated reflective pool platform at the start of the site, its roof evoking the sinuous lines of a Bedouin tent - capturing extensive views to the hotel, gardens and sea beyond.

Saadiyat Island is just seven minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and one hour from Dubai.