Solaya: Where Architecture, Calm, and the Sea Meet

Dubai is a city that has mastered the art of contrast, a place where ambition meets ease, and where the horizon itself seems to have been designed. Within this dynamic landscape, a new coastal address is reimagining what refined living can be. Solaya, developed by Meraas in collaboration with Brookfield Properties, stands as a sanctuary of calm in the heart of Jumeirah 1, where architecture, light, and nature exist in effortless dialogue.

Over the past decade, Dubai has become a gravitational centre for global wealth and talent, drawing those who value stability, access, and a design-led quality of life. It is one of the few cities where finance, culture, and the sea converge so naturally, and Solaya captures that equilibrium in built form.
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A Dialogue Between Land, Light, and Sea
‍Set within one of Dubai’s most established neighbourhoods, Solaya spans forty acres of lush landscape with nine low-rise buildings that house 234 beachfront residences. Designed by Foster and Partners and refined by 1508 London, the development exemplifies architectural restraint, its composition of stone, glass, and bronze reflecting the changing light of the Gulf.
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Inside, natural materials and open proportions create spaces that breathe. Residences range from two to five bedrooms, complemented by duplexes with expansive terraces, eighteen garden houses with private pools and courtyards, and penthouses that occupy entire floors. Each home is accessed through private lobbies, ensuring privacy and calm from the moment of arrival.

The interiors celebrate the play of light and shadow. Ceiling heights amplify space, while floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of the sea and skyline, creating a living work of art. The result is an aesthetic of quiet precision, an architecture that listens as much as it speaks.

Craftsmanship and Composure
‍Solaya’s essence is shaped by a philosophy of wellbeing and discretion. Landscaped gardens connect every building, creating a rhythm of open courtyards and shaded walkways. Within, residents can retreat to a private spa with treatment rooms and saunas, a fitness studio overlooking greenery, or a residents’ lounge and cinema designed for moments of shared connection.

“The way we live has changed,” observes Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate. “Homes today must offer balance, places that are grounded in nature yet refined in detail. Solaya embodies that shift.”

Every element has been considered to evoke serenity, from the muted palette of stone and timber to the way sunlight filters through screens at different times of day. Solaya feels designed not to impress but to endure.

A Collaboration Rooted in Vision
‍The partnership between Meraas and Brookfield Properties unites Dubai’s design-driven creativity with global expertise in placemaking.

‍Omar Karim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Investments, describes it as “a natural evolution of our long collaboration with Brookfield, one that reinforces Dubai’s position as a world city shaped by vision and craftsmanship.”

‍Rob Devereux, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Properties Middle East, adds, “Beachfront living in Jumeirah 1 is exceptionally rare. Solaya offers the privilege of privacy, elegance, and connection to the sea, all within minutes of the city’s cultural heart.”

Where Calm Meets the City
‍Solaya’s location captures the duality of Dubai, the tranquillity of the shoreline balanced with the vitality of the metropolis. Residents are moments from J1 Beach, home to world-class dining and beach clubs, and within easy reach of Downtown Dubai and City Walk, where art, fashion, and gastronomy converge. Nearby landmarks such as Mandarin Oriental Jumeira and Bvlgari Resort Dubai complete the sense of place. Here, life moves at a considered rhythm. Morning light glows across the Gulf, the sound of waves filters through open terraces, and the skyline shimmers at dusk. Solaya is less about luxury as display and more about the refinement of space, proportion, and peace, a home designed for those who see beauty in stillness. 

‍Discover Solaya, a limited collection of beachfront residences by Meraas and Brookfield Properties.
Visit solaya.meraas.com to register your interest.

Originally published in The New York Times.