Oystra is ZHA’s sculptural vision for living in the United Arab Emirates

A composition of sculptural geometries inspired by the natural rhythms of the sea and the sky, Oystra is a Zaha Hadid Architects-conceived, mixed-use development that is set to bring the practice’s fantastical boldness to the spectacular coastline of Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Every architectural element of Oystra’s carefully orchestrated environment – which will include over 800 residences – has been commissioned by ultra-luxury niche developer Richmind and executive architects Dewan Architects + Engineers, both based in Dubai, to support a bespoke lifestyle.

Alongside the residential units, the 128,000 sq m, beachfront development will feature shopping, dining and leisure amenities. Wynn Al Marjan Island, the first-ever licensed gaming and gambling facility in the UAE, promises to add gravitational pull – economically, programmatically, and symbolically – to the manmade island, part of the Ras Al Khaimah emirate and backdropped by the magnificent Jebel Jais mountain peak as well as the North-Western Hajar range behind it.

Mohammad Rafiee, CEO of Richmind, calls Oystra ‘a statement of intent, design and pure marvel’. He adds, ‘Exceptional design speaks a universal and ever-lasting language. On Al Marjan Island, we are crafting spaces that transcend fleeting trends, drawing inspiration from nature, art and the human experience.’

Tasked with the project’s structural materiality – translating ZHA’s dazzling concept into a liveable and workable reality – is Dewan Architects + Engineers. It’s a job that requires technical resolution but also what the practice’s CEO, Ammar Alassam, describes as ‘an intellectual and material commitment to the integrity of the design’.

One of Oystra’s core challenges was finding a harmonious engineering solution for the shapes and transitions that define the buildings’ architectural rhythms and ZHA’s sculptural language. Says Alassam, ‘Dewan Architects + Engineers developed a structurally responsive system that could support the curves and liquidity of the architecture. These interventions allowed us to preserve the visual continuity of ZHA’s vision while anchoring it in feasible construction logic.’

This is a hyper-modern environment – Oystra’s architecture is fluid, adapting to the rhythms of daily life. Advanced façade systems optimise daylight and thermal control, layouts prioritise acoustic separation, spatial flexibility, and visual connectivity.

The interiors are being developed in close collaboration with Hirsch Bedner Associates, whose design philosophy complements the sculptural language of the exterior. ‘The integration is aesthetic and spatial, with volumes, thresholds, and sightlines designed to create continuity from façade to furnishing – the synergy between indoors and outdoors, coherent and immersive,’ says Alassam.

Aside from the residential structures, Dewan Architects + Engineers is organising an ecosystem of connected and curated lifestyle spaces, embedded within the design. ‘Shared amenities are not isolated at Oystra; they are integrated into the urban fabric. Promenades, cultural nodes, wellness zones, mobility services, smart technologies and communal pavilions interweaving leisure, luxury and innovation will encourage interaction, belonging, fluidity and a sense of place.

‘We adapt a holistic approach to placemaking where architecture becomes an instrument for lifestyle, identity, and spatial continuity,’ explains Alassam. The aspiration with Oystra is ‘to create a self-sufficient island society, a community elevated by architecture, not constrained by it.’

Residences at Oystra start at AED2.8 million. More information at richmind.com