
Qiddiya Performing Arts Center
Advisory Services, Fire & Life Safety, Accessibility, Acoustics, Crowd Dynamics
Design Confidence played a crucial role in The Opus by providing expert engineering and advisory services. Given the building’s unconventional form and the extensive use of glass and open spaces, ensuring effective fire protection and smoke control systems was a highly complex challenge.
The Opus, a striking architectural masterpiece in the heart of Dubai’s Business Bay, is a testament to visionary design and engineering excellence. Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, this mixed-use development is distinguished by its fluid, organic form, with a central void that creates the illusion of a structure carved from a single volume. Housing luxury residences, a five-star hotel, and premium office spaces, The Opus required meticulous engineering to bring its ambitious design to life while ensuring safety, functionality, and compliance with stringent regulatory standards.
Design Confidence conducted a rigorous fire and life safety analysis, incorporating advanced modelling techniques to predict fire behaviour and smoke movement within the structure. Their expertise helped optimise evacuation strategies, ensuring the seamless integration of life safety measures without compromising the architectural intent. In addition, Design Confidence worked closely with stakeholders, including developers, architects, and regulatory bodies, to navigate compliance requirements while maintaining the project’s design integrity.
Its advisory input was instrumental in refining system designs, from fire suppression to emergency egress planning, contributing to a safe, resilient, and operationally efficient environment for occupants. By leveraging their deep expertise in specialist engineering solutions, Design Confidence ensured that The Opus not only met but exceeded international safety standards, reinforcing its position as a landmark of modern architecture in Dubai.