RAS AL-KHAIMAH
Making a mark
A gateway in the desert is a capital idea for putting the northern emirate on the map
Until now, Ras Al-Khaimah has been relatively unscathed by the frenetic development blazing through the United Arab Emirates. Situated on the UAE’s northern tip, it is a great getaway for those wanting a taste of history, plus desert, mountain and coastal landscapes unspoiled by high-rise buildings and supermalls.
But the Ras Al-Khaimah Investment Authority and developers Rakeen have now commissioned Norwegian company Snøhetta to design a “gateway” to the emirate in the desert east of Dubai. It will be the entrance to the new capital of Ras Al-Khaimah, the plan for which is being designed by Netherlands-based architects OMA.
The main gateway plaza will be marked by a 200m-high tower, the setting for a five-star-plus hotel. Snøhetta’s mixed-use development also contains a conference centre, exhibition halls, retail space and landscaped gardens.
www.snohetta.com
DUBAI
Horse sense
Dubai’s latest spa resort offers an exclusive experience for lovers of all things equestrian
Horses have always held a fascination for people in the Gulf and now travellers to the UAE can share their hotel with equine guests. Dubai’s Desert Palm resort, which opens this month, is set in the verdant landscape of an exclusive polo property. It offers 24 guest suites and pool villas alongside four championship polo fields, stables and a riding school, just 12 minutes’ drive from the airport. Guests can watch matches and go horse-riding on the 60-hectare estate. Other diversions include cooking tutorials and the chance to glimpse rare birds, including the blue king fisher.
There is a spa and the hotel’s show kitchen serves up steaks cooked at a wood-fired grill, plus seasonal game and line-caught seafood. Desert Palm is part of the growing Per Aquum chain, which has resorts and spas in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Seychelles.
www.desertpalm.ae
ISTANBUL
Turkish delight
A branch of one of the fastest-growing luxury hotel brands opens this month in Turkey’s most cosmopolitan city. W Hotels is the centrepiece of the Akaretler Row Houses development in Istanbul’s Besiktas district. It is close to the Nisantasi shopping district and the third floor offers views of the nearby Bosphorus. The hotel’s 136 rooms offer sleek design and feather-top beds, while chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten serves up southeast Asian cooking in the Spice Market restaurant. There is also a 24-hour concierge service.
www.starwoodhotels.com
Terror, comedy, wonder…
A new art project captures nine emotions using billboard artists
Bollywood is a global phenomenon, but Tamil cinema (“Kollywood”) is a distinctive industry – and has its own poster art to prove it. Now, artist MP Dhakshna and authors V Geetha and Sirish Rao have harnessed the talents of Chennai’s hoarding painters for a distinctive art project.
“Nine Emotions” was inspired by the Natyashastra, a second-century Indian theory of aesthetics, according to which superior works of art should evoke and represent nine emotions.
Using film stills and promotional images spanning half a century, a team of young artists – working under Dhakshna – illustrated these feelings, which include the erotic, valorous, furious and disgusting.
The original artwork has toured India and the Netherlands, and is at London’s Rebecca Hossack Gallery from 11 April to 21 June. A US$35 book features background essays by Geetha and Rao.
www.tarabooks.com |
