The work of RCR Architects, designers of Muraba Residences on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, has been recognised with the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered to be one of the world’s premier architecture awards. The prize honours architects who have a significant impact, knowledge and interest in advancing great building design and humanity through the art of architecture.

Past winners of the award include such luminaries as Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid, Frank Ghery and Sir Norman Foster. Their work in the UAE has seen some of the region’s most outstanding architecture with designs for Abu Dhabi’s Louvre, Bee’ah’s headquarters in Sharjah, the Guggenheim on Saadiyat Island and Index Tower in Dubai.

RCR’s recent work has included the Musée Soulages in Rodez, France; the Waalse Krook, Urban Library of the Future and Centre for New Media, Gent, Belgium; and Muraba Residences Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

Commenting on the award, Ibrahim Al Ghurair, Founder, Muraba Properties, developers of Muraba Residences Palm Jumeirah said: “The Pritzker Architecture Prize is often cited as the ‘Nobel’ prize of architecture and is recognition for the great work RCR has done. We knew that RCR was the right partner for us to develop the vision for Muraba Residence Palm Jumeirah and this award cements that decision.” 

RCR’s designs for Muraba Residence closely followed the unusual brief from its Mr Al Ghurair; to design the apartments from the inside out. Rather than design using the traditional approach, which is to design the outside of the building and then ‘fit’ the apartments into that space. Al Ghurair wanted the building to be more about the living space and its waterfront aspect.

“We wanted a design that looked good from the outside but didn’t follow the usual architecture rules in designing the building on the plot and then shaping the apartments to fit the building. Muraba has an amazing waterfront aspect on the Palm Jumeirah and the whole building has been designed by RCR so that each apartment really makes full use of the panoramic view across the water to Dubai’s skyline,” said Al Ghurair. “Not only that, we wanted the apartments to be more about the living space, creating an environment that worked for each apartment’s resident. The brief we gave the architects has resulted in us developing a truly different living experience for Dubai and particularly, for the Palm Jumeirah.”