Inaura, a luxury hotel and residential tower in Downtown Dubai, occupies a critical position in the Dubai skyline and is clearly visible from the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain.

The design features a luminous, jewel-like orb nestled between the building’s floors.

The top portion of the refined, rectilinear tower is lifted to reveal a special feature, a glowing ovoid structure at around three-quarters of the tower’s total height.

The ovoid structure itself hosts a VIP space, while the rest of the floor features a club with spectacular views of the Burj Khalifa and its surroundings.

The building’s four-story plinth hosts a restaurant and lobbies on the ground floor, with a three-story gym above. On the roof of the plinth is an infinity pool, with a spa occupying the floor above. Above this in the lower part of the tower are the 101-room hotel and 105 one- to three-bedroom urban apartments, while the seven floors above the Sky Lounge are home to nine luxurious four- to six-bedroom sky villas.

The design’s facade is characterized by strong horizontal bands created by wraparound balconies, which help to protect the building’s interiors from strong sunlight. Other elements of the facade follow the city-to-sky motif, with a number of features that gradually change from the plinth to the top of the tower.

The rectangular corners at the tower’s base become rounded at the top; mirrored glass that reflects the city at the base becomes increasingly transparent as it reaches the sky; and on the north corner of the building, the balconies flare outwards towards the top of the building.

After winning the design competition with their proposal, MVRDV will continue working on the Inaura project as design guardian, with Dubai-based Dewan Architects + Engineers taking over as lead consultant on the project.