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The tower among the Abu Dhabi skyline, seen across the water
The Emirates Pearl tower lit at night above the hotel entrance
Glazed entrance hall behind the concrete frame, approached across striped lawn
The university block seen obliquely against a blue sky
Long, low concrete roof over a fully opened living space and garden
Terrace with a hammock beside a tree trunk and a brick wall
Radiating timber spokes against the sky
Hall hung with long white textile curtains, a figure walking through

Dennis Lems · Josep Ferrando · Architects

(Featured) Emirates Pearl Abu Dhabi View project
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Two architects, Vienna and Barcelona, joining forces for hospitality in the Middle East

From a 240 m hotel tower in Abu Dhabi to 17 first prizes in public competitions

240m

Emirates Pearl, height

130,064m²

Emirates Pearl, area

AED1.8B

Emirates Pearl, cost

17

First prizes since 2005

ViennaAbu DhabiBarcelonaBuenos AiresDubai
Entrance pavilion at the foot of the tower
The Emirates Pearl tower lit at night above the hotel entrance
Hotel atrium with a gold, wave-formed wall and spherical lights
Reception desk of backlit onyx under a curved ceiling

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Emirates Pearl

View project

(01)Hospitality · Completed

Courtyard with stone walls, plane trees and a red steel frame
Red steel portico along translucent, saw-tooth roofed pavilions
White hall beneath a glazed truss roof with a long dark counter

Barcelona, Spain

From Prison to Social Centre

View project

(02)Transformation

The university block seen obliquely against a blue sky
Concrete grid facade lifted on a deep colonnade
Glazed entrance hall behind the concrete frame, approached across striped lawn

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Universidad Torcuato Di Tella

View project

(03)Public buildings · Competition, 1st prize

Long, low concrete roof over a fully opened living space and garden
Terrace with a hammock beside a tree trunk and a brick wall
Hammock under the deep concrete eaves

Paraguay

Casa Asunción

View project

(04)Houses

Open timber lattice pavilion on a lawn under a vast cloudy sky
Hall hung with long white textile curtains, a figure walking through
A large wooden wheel on a dune above the Pacific coast
Meadow and orchard crossed by lines of red thread

Buenos Aires · Barcelona · Chile

Pavilions and Installations

View project

(05)Installations

Rendering of the curving, banded glass facade lit white and blue
Rendering of the Al Mutawaa Tower at night over dark water
Daylight rendering of the tower above the shoreline

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Al Mutawaa Tower

View project

(06)Towers · Study, unbuilt

HospitalityTowersTransformationPublic buildingsHousesInstallations

(We do)

View all projects
Visitors moving through a white gallery of architectural models

(Practices)

Dennis Lems Architects Associates

Vienna · Abu Dhabi

Dennis Lems founded his practice in Eindhoven, working on urban planning and sustainable architecture, and later opened an office in Vienna. In the Middle East he was design architect of the Emirates Pearl tower in Abu Dhabi, completed in 2017, and designed the Al Mutawaa Tower in Dubai.

Josep Ferrando Architecture

Barcelona

Josep Ferrando’s studio builds public buildings, houses, refurbishments and installations in Spain and Latin America. With its partners it has won 17 first prizes in public competitions since 2005, among them a university in Buenos Aires, health centres, housing and a concert hall.

Work across three continents

(Competitions)

17 first prizes
2005–2024

Show all
  1. 2024Concert HallHuarteJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Stefan Kasmanhuber, C. Garmendia
  2. 2024HousingBarcelonaJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Stefan Kasmanhuber
  3. 2024CAP Health CentreTarragonaJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Stefan Kasmanhuber
  4. 2020Public HousingFornellsJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Stefan Kasmanhuber, Ferran Vizoso
  5. 2019Local Police StationManlleuJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Stefan Kasmanhuber
  6. 2019Social CentreReusJosep Ferrando, David Recio, Xavier Gallego
  7. 2018Sports CentreSant Cugat del VallèsJosep Ferrando, David Recio, AC arquitectura, BT
  8. 2018Construmat 2019BarcelonaJosep Ferrando, David Recio
  9. 2017Civic CentreSantpedorJosep Ferrando, MARS, Domigno-Ferré
  10. 2017Fire StationMoiàJosep Ferrando, Pedro García, Mar Puig, Manel Casellas
  11. 2016Universidad Torcuato Di TellaBuenos AiresJosep Ferrando, David Recio
  12. 2014CAP Health CentreVilafrancaJosep Ferrando, Estrella Ordóñez, Pedro García
  13. 2011Police StationSalt, GironaJosep Ferrando, Sergi Serrat
  14. 2011Campus Terres de l’EbreTarragonaJosep Ferrando, Pere Joan Ravetllat, Carme Ribas
  15. 2010CAP Health CentreMatadeperaJosep Ferrando, Estrella Ordóñez, Pedro García
  16. 2007Restaurant LluçanésBarcelonaJosep Ferrando
  17. 2005Escuela SuizaBarcelonaJosep Ferrando, Terradas Arquitectos
Dennis LemsJosep Ferrando

Let’s talk

Vienna

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Abu Dhabi

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Barcelona

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Dennis Lems Architects Associates

Vienna, Austria · Abu Dhabi, UAE

dlarch.eu

Josep Ferrando Architecture

Barcelona, Spain

info@josepferrando.com · josepferrando.com

DLAA + JFA · Images: the architects