Emaar Properties, a leading Dubai-based global property developer and builder of the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is unveiling its ambitious 'The Opera District' - Dubai’s answer to the Sydney Opera House - at a special showcase in world-famous Harrods department store in London, UK.

The Opera District, comprising the UAE’s first opera house, and homes within the surrounding arts hub development in Downtown Dubai, is being marketed to UK buyers by Knightsbridge estate agent Harrods Estates at the special Emaar exhibition.

Designed around a magnificent new multi-format theatre, the 2,000-sq-m Dubai Opera aims to create a stylish arts destination and residential address for Dubai, it stated.

Speaking at the event, Ahmad Al Matrooshi, the managing director of Emaar Properties, said: "The Opera District is one of the defining new developments by Emaar Properties; an arts destination that will be Dubai’s new cultural centre."

Located at the foot of the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, within Burj Park and opposite The Dubai Fountain, the opera will form the centerpiece of this exciting development.

The homes for sale within the district will provide an exclusive and exception place to live and enjoy culture and the arts, he noted.

On the launch venue, Al Matrooshi said it was a perfect choice as Londoners "love culture, film and the arts, enjoying access to the Royal Opera House, various museums and arts venues."

"We think people in London will have an immediate affinity and understanding of what we are creating at The Opera District," he noted.

According to him, The Opera District will be a place that UK visitors to Dubai will choose to visit, enjoy the culture and the arts, and buy a home or stay in one of the hotels.

"The project has been extremely well received in Dubai, our version of the cultural venues you find in London’s Covent Garden and the West End. The Opera District will be a place that UK visitors to Dubai will choose to visit, enjoy the culture and the arts, and buy a home or stay in one of the hotels,” he added.
 
The Opera District is located off Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, the main thoroughfare for Downtown Dubai. Combining cultural facilities, residential properties and leisure amenities, the development is designed as the UAE’s new cultural hub.

At its centre will be Dubai Opera, the country’s first multi-format theatre, alongside a museum, two art themed hotels, design studios and galleries. The homes for sale within the district will provide an exclusive and exception place to live and enjoy culture and the arts.

With its striking glass façade and arched roofline, the new Dubai Opera, by international award-winning architects WS Atkins is designed to recall a traditional Emirati dhow boat, which still sail along the Dubai Creek today.

With its nautical styling, the ‘bow of the building’ will house the main stage, whilst the elongated ‘hull’ will provide public spaces, parking and reception/drop-off areas.

Within The Opera District are a series of prestigious residential developments including the Opera Grand; a 66-storey residential tower providing over 200 luxuriously appointed two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments.

The project also features a rooftop pool and health club with unobstructed views of Burj Lake, said the top developer in its statement.

Another prestigious residential project is Forte, a two-tower development designed by award-winning Japanese architectural practice Nikken Sekkei.

The towers - 71-storeys high and 41-storeys respectively - will provide one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 650 sq ft to 2,329 sq ft in size.
 
At the base of the towers is a six storey mixed-use podium which will contain a new museum of modern art, restaurants and retail facilities. There will also be a health club with swimming pool, gymnasium and sauna/spa.

The project is scheduled for build completion in December 2019, said the Emaar statement.

There is also The Address Residences Dubai Opera, a twin tower scheme designed by international architectural practice Skidmore Owings & Merrill – designers of the iconic Burj Khalifa.

One tower will be 65-storeys high and provide residential apartments; the other 55-storeys, containing a luxury hotel and serviced apartments. Within the residential tower, 626 residences will provide one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom apartments, including penthouses, ranging from 793 sq ft up to 5,232 sq ft in size.

According to Emaar, the apartment prices at Forte start from £532,100 ($754,454); at The Address Residences Dubai Opera prices start from £400,844 ($568,349) for a one-bedroom apartment, going up to £888,583 ($1.25 million) for a three-bedroom apartment.

A large scale-model of the new Dubai Opera is currently displayed in one of Harrods’ iconic ground floor windows, said a statement from Emaar.

The marketing suite will be in Harrods until mid August 2016, providing a “must see” attraction for visitors and a UK sales campaign for Emaar, being undertaken in association with Harrods Estates, it added.-TradeArabia News Service