Dubai is set to redefine urban architecture with its latest ambitious project that promises to transform the skyline of the city. According to CNN, Therme Group, the architecture firm behind the new project, has revealed that the revolutionary structure, dubbed “Islands in the Sky”, will feature botanical gardens suspended from the air, cascading pools filled with restorative thermal and mineral waters as well as spaces for cultural and social events. The structure, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), will sit in the city’s Zabeel Park, beside the Royal Palace. It is expected to welcome 1.7 million visitors annually, “setting a new standard for holistic and daily wellbeing,” the firm said.
The company refers to the new project as “an oasis in the sky” that rises from the lake as a series of botanical gardens stacked into a tower. “Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky brings together Dubai’s ambition to advance its landscape and become an urban oasis with Therme Group’s leadership in wellbeing-driven infrastructure,” the architecture firm said in a press release.
“Dubai is a city that understands the future must be built with wellbeing at its core,” said Therme Group’s founder and CEO, Robert Hanea, in a statement. “We are shaping how cities can integrate nature, water and culture to elevate quality of life at scale. Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky will stand as a global model for what’s possible when ambition and expertise align,” he added.
According to the press note, the structure will be 100 meters (328 feet) high. The design concept envisions floating platforms, each serving as an island with distinct environments, ranging from thermal pools and verdant terraces to saunas and cultural spaces.
“Each island is a platform for thermal pools, decks, and verdant indoor and outdoor vegetation; each offers a distinctive atmosphere; and each is oriented toward the dramatic view of the Dubai skyline,” said Elizabeth Diller, founding partner of DS+R, in the statement.
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“Guests are immersed in unique environments – warm and cool, wet and dry, the intense heat of saunas and steam rooms and the ambient temperature of thermal pools and cool mineral pools. By day, the atmosphere is contemplative and relaxing. By night, the spaces come alive with music, artistic performances and events,” she added.
Moreover, the company has said that the resort will recycle 90% of the water used in its thermal pools, “while 80% of the fresh air and cooling needs will be met through clean energy sources.”
The construction of the structure is set to begin in 2026. The company expects it to be completed by 2028.