Dewan Architects + Engineers

La Mer by ELIE SAAB is an exclusive beachfront residential development located on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Conceived as a collaboration between OCTA Properties and the ELIE SAAB brand, the project brings together architecture, fashion, and place to create a residential environment shaped by cultural memory and coastal landscape.

The development is composed of three interconnected towers housing 355 residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to expansive penthouses. Rather than imposing a singular formal gesture, the architecture unfolds as a dialogue between regional heritage and contemporary living, translating local references into a refined architectural language.

The conceptual genesis draws directly from the architectural heritage of Ras Al Khaimah. The cylindrical forms of historic watchtowers such as Al Jazeera and Shimal inform the towers’ tapering profiles, which gradually reduce in diameter as they rise. This vertical articulation evokes strength and permanence while maintaining a sense of lightness appropriate to the coastal setting. The surrounding landscape, from the Jebel Jais mountains to the shoreline, informs the project’s spatial rhythm and balcony articulation.

Balconies adopt undulating forms that echo the movement of the sea, mediating between interior space and the horizon beyond. These gestures establish a continuous relationship between architecture and nature, allowing the residences to engage with their environment through light, views, and airflow. Interconnected lobbies and bridges enhance permeability across the development, encouraging fluid movement and a shared sense of community.

Material selection reinforces this architectural intent. High-quality finishes and carefully curated elements from the ELIE SAAB Maison furniture collection are integrated throughout the residences, selected not only for their visual refinement but also for their durability and contextual appropriateness. Materials are used to create continuity between interior and exterior, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on elegance grounded in place.

From an engineering perspective, the project incorporates advanced structural solutions to support the towers’ tapering geometry and interconnected spatial composition. Sustainable technologies are embedded within the design to enhance energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, ensuring the development responds to contemporary performance standards while maintaining a strong connection to its natural setting.

La Mer by ELIE SAAB positions architecture as an architectural response to its geographic and cultural context. The project mediates between heritage and modernity, fashion and function, land and sea, offering a residential experience shaped as much by atmosphere and proportion as by form.