A destination shaped to redefine contemporary luxury
A resort designed to challenge convention and create a new language of experiential luxury.
Atlantis The Royal marks a new chapter in Dubai’s hospitality landscape. GA Design helped craft an experience that celebrates imagination, artistry and the elemental power of water, bringing design and storytelling together at a scale rarely seen.
The resort demanded an approach that blended technical excellence with narrative clarity. GA Group created a coherent design story that resolved immense planning complexity while ensuring every space felt connected, fluid and visually compelling.
Approach
Water shaped the central narrative. Drawing inspiration from the Bedouin tribes who navigated the desert by wells and seasonal rains, GA Design developed a conceptual framework that explored water not just in its liquid state, but in its reflective and weightless forms. This idea informed the architecture of movement and pause throughout the resort.
Public spaces were choreographed to create a sequence of water-based moments, from sculptural installations to reflective surfaces that shift with light. The Destination Stair captures the idea of weightlessness, while the resort’s many features celebrate water as a rare and vital presence within the desert landscape. The design connects guests to a sense of renewal, energy and discovery at every stage of their journey.
Droplets
Standing 11.5 meters tall and crafted from 5.5 tonnes of stainless steel, Droplets is the striking centerpiece of Atlantis The Royal’s lobby. Designed, conceptualised, and modelled by G.A Group, the sculpture symbolises the first drop of rain in a desert, embodying renewal and complementing the resort’s cascading waterfalls and trickling pools. Each smooth, hand-pounded droplet - originally a flat steel sheet - was meticulously shaped and attached to a central ‘tree’ using a crane, creating a dramatic stacked effect. First modeled in 3D and then handcrafted, this engineering marvel took a year to complete, blending artistry with precision craftsmanship
Atlantis The Royal has quickly established itself as one of the most significant hospitality openings of the decade. The resort elevates Dubai’s global profile while setting a benchmark for experiential design. GA Group’s narrative-driven approach has shaped an environment that is visually striking yet deeply considered, offering guests a sense of wonder that evolves from moment to moment.
The project demonstrates how large-scale luxury can feel both theatrical and thoughtfully grounded, supporting operational needs while creating a destination that is genuinely unique.
