Opening Opus
Omniyat Properties head of commercial Mark Phoenix outlines construction progress on Dubai-Business Bay development The Opus, due to be completed in Q1, 2012
TheOpus, an AED 1.7 billion (US $0.8 billion) commercial and retail towerin Dubai Business Bay is on track for completion in quarter one of 2012,Omniyat Properties head of commercial Mark Phoenix told The Big Project.
Speakingfollowing the completion of the first phase of the development, Phoenixsaid in spite of some minor challenges the construction works weregoing to plan with enabling works finished and the second phase alreadywell underway.
“Thereare over 400 construction workers on site at The Opus and we expectthis number to increase as we continue through 2010. Our progress onOpus is in line with Omniyat’s mandate to deliver all launched projectsto investors. We look forward to partnering with Brookfield Multiplex on
thesecond phase of construction.” Having erected the four largecapacitytower cranes and completed piling works and first basements, BrookfieldMultiplex will now move forward with structural works towards the groundlevel.
Thisprocess has already commenced; it took the contractor 22 consecutivehours to pour more than 5000m³ of concrete for the first two largefoundations, reinforced with around 1000 tons of steel.
Thetower, which was designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, coversa built up area of 85,000m² across 23 levels; five floors for retailuse and 18 for commercial use.
TheOpus won the LiveCom External Experience Award in 2007 from the UK’sInternational Visual Communication Association, Europe’s largestprofessional body for business and public sector communicators. OmniyatProperties added that it has already completed and handed over twocommercial towers, Bayswater and One Business Bay in addition to thefirst two phases of The Square in Al Mamzar, Deira.
