Which architectural firm designed the Burj Al Arab?

Atkins designed the Burj Al Arab, with architect Tom Wright leading the project for the British multidisciplinary consultancy.

The sail-shaped hotel was commissioned for Dubai and built on an artificial island offshore from Jumeirah Beach. Atkins handled the structural engineering and design consultancy work, while Wright is widely associated with the building’s architectural concept. Its two curving wings form a V around a vast atrium, creating the profile of a billowing dhow sail.

The building is sometimes misattributed to better-known architecture firms such as SOM or Foster + Partners, but neither designed the Burj Al Arab. The hotel’s architectural style is often described as structural expressionism, while its dramatic interior was led by designer Khuan Chew of KCA International.

Construction began in 1994, and the hotel opened on December 1, 1999. It rises 321 metres, although a substantial portion of that height consists of non-occupiable space, including the distinctive upper structure and helipad area.