American design firm, Leeser Architecture recently won an invited competition for a five-star luxury hotel in the Zayed Bay in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Called the Helix Hotel for its staggered floor plates, it rests in the bay, partially floating in the water. With 208 guest rooms and suites arranged around a helical floor, the floor constantly shifts as it rises to the top floor. The curvy floor is meant to resemble winding street in a bustling town. It is designed so that one activity feeds into the next rather than affecting sharp separations between each activity. In this way it develops a feeling of being free to whimsically experience all aspects of the hotel without having to decide on an agenda in advance. Guests can take advantage of the lounges, cafes, meeting rooms, indoor health spa, running track and indoor fountain. In cooperation with environmental design consultants at Atelier Ten, the Helix Hotel will maximize use of local natural resources likes sun, wind, and ocean water. GROW panels made from 100% recyclable polyethylene will be installed on the exterior and will collect energy from both the sun and the wind. Interior temperatures will be managed by a cascading ocean-fed waterfall in the atrium that will help maintain interior climate and humidity levels, while a retractable glass wall will open up to cool sea breezes that constantly circulate fresh air.
