The Journal

Burj Al Arab was built to become inseparable from Dubai’s image. Created by Tom Wright during his time with Atkins, the sail-shaped hotel rises from its own island off Jumeirah Beach, with a form intended to become as closely tied to Dubai as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris or the Opera House is to Sydney. Inside, Khuan Chew’s high-gloss interiors bring together marble and gold with vivid colours and a grand sense of height, giving the hotel the kind of theatrical first impression for which it became famous.