This, together with a selection of refined food products chosen specially by Roberto Cavalli to express the best of “Made in Italy”, offers the public a complete Roberto Cavalli lifestyle experience and a new way of shopping at a non-conventional time of day.

On the top floor, guests will have several options and can choose from different gastronomically and sensorial experiences.

A refined and elegant Italian restaurant will be at the centre of the hall, offering unforgettable Italian culinary feats. For those opting for Japanese cuisine, the sushi bar will offer a relaxed atmosphere for dining where guests can recline on sofas in front of low tables. The bar will stock a high quality selection of beverages including the prestigious Cavalli Selection red wine with the uniquely-designed bottles.

Guests will also be able to sample Cavalli-signed chocolates, have a coffee or sip cognac within the lounge area.

Parallel to the restaurant is a lounge bar that offers a chic and trendy environment for those wanting to try some exotic light food such as caviar. In this area, music will play until the early hours of the morning and guests can dance to hypnotic rhythms mixed by the best international DJs around. A suspended platform will host the DJ and the dancers, as well as other entertainment and shows.

With attention to detail, and every element thought out and executed perfectly to create a unique and unforgettable experience, the Cavalli Club will be the ideal place for relaxation and enjoyment. It has an innovative schedule, allowing guests to take in the experience of the club from day to night — serving light lunch, lunch, aperitif, pre-dinner, dinner and disco set.

Cavalli took time out from his busy schedule to talk exclusively to City Times about his new venture.

As one of the most influential designers in the world, how does it feel to be associated with the nightlife scene in Dubai? Dubai is a futuristic town.

Every time I go there I always feel a great energy and it seems to me an open window to the future. The nightlife in Dubai is very sophisticated and selected so I felt it was perfect to open the first ever ‘Cavalli Club’ in Dubai.

What can clubbers and the fashion set expect from the venture? They will discover a club completely different from any other one they have been visiting before. First of all, it is not only a club but the union of different occasions of entertainment in one place. Inside Cavalli Club people will be able to do shopping, have lunch, have an Italian or Japanese dinner, taste oysters and caviar, dance to the rhythm of international DJs, all day long. The venue will be extremely glamorous with the strong presence of Cavalli iconic fashion style elements.

Is the club shaping up to the image you had in mind in terms of styling? Of course, every single piece of furniture and decoration detail has been created especially for the Club and I have been overseeing all the project to be sure it respects exactly my style.

Has hospitality always been a passion of yours? It is a quite new passion for me and I am sure I am going to proceed in this business in the future.

Shopping at a non conventional hour is inspired. Why do you think the concept hasn’t been attempted anywhere else? I do not really know why, but I know that Cavalli often gets there before others with the new things! I love to do experimentations in fashion and I decided to apply this also in nightlife.

As an authority on style what do you think of Dubai’s fashions and tastes and why did you choose to open here first? Women from Dubai love fashion and they are always looking for the best ever: top quality, great design, rich details… To create for them is really inspiring because you have always to challenge the new and to move forward with elegance.

When you started in the design world could you have ever foreseen you would have clubs named after you? When I started in fashion I could never imagine that I could have reached the success I have now. So the clubs with my name were totally out of my imagination.

Will you be residing in Dubai and visiting the club regularly? I will be there for the opening of course and I hope to have the possibility to visit it often during the year, to take all my celebrity friends there and to enjoy it as all Dubai customers will do.

Do you think many of your devoted celebrity fans will pop in from time to time? I hope all of them! You have many dedicated fans in the region, is there a particular person in the Middle-East you would enjoy designing for? I never reveal names because I never want to disappoint my customers and friends — mention ing somebody and not somebody else — but yes, there are many people in the Middle East who inspire me and for whom I create many special pieces.

What are your plans for the future? For the very near future I will sail with my boat on the Mediterranean Sea switching off all my mobiles and try to relax.

‘Ajaaj Adventures’ pavilion is open to public from 10am till 10pm except on Fridays and Saturday when it is from 3pm till 12 midnight until August 22, and is one of the recreational tools targeting children in addition to other initiatives by ‘Watani’ such as the summer camps organised all across the Emirates, and the summer centres for school children with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

Window to Emirati culture Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, Coordinator General, ‘Watani’ said, “We created ‘Ajaaj’ to showcase the true Emirati culture and heritage which we are confident will form an essential platform for the future of our nation. ‘Ajaaj’ and his friends act as our cultural ambassadors to the world as they reflect our values and cultural heritage in everything they say and do.” ‘Ajaaj Adventures’ is an innovative concept based on the latest audiovisual and special effects and shaped in a form of a cave to depict the UAE’s first superhero.

The electrifying journey consists of six stations during which visitors will live the story of ‘Ajaaj’ from the start of its formation in the golden sands of UAE through impressive visual effects and leading them to the second station of breathtaking 3D experience to enjoy the view from the top of the 400-storey-‘Watani’-tower supported by amazing special effects where ‘Ajaaj’ is perched up high.

As for the third station, passengers will visit a museum exhibiting the history of ‘Ajaaj’ and his friends on three giant screens with flash-backs from the ‘Ajaaj’ comic book. Visitors will also enjoy the metro ride at the fourth station, but prior to taking the ride they will have to verify their identity through a biometric hand print device. Visitors will get the chance to view the beauty of Dubai’s landmarks in a finished form and witness the heroic actions of ‘Ajaaj’ in rescuing a passenger who was stuck on the metro rail.

At the fifth station of the exciting journey, visitors will experience the thrilling adventures with foxes and robots attacking them with laser weapons which will lead them to the sixth and last station where adventurers have to hold tight to the ground because ‘Ajaaj’ will interfere to rescue them by forming a real cyclone around them.

Hydropolis is not a project; it’s a passion,” enthuses Joachim Hauser, the developer and designer of the hotel. His futuristic vision is about to take shape 20m below the surface of the Arabian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach coastline in Dubai. The £300 million, 220-suite hotel is due to open at the end of 2007 and will incorporate a host of innovations that will take it far beyond the original blueprint for an underwater complex worthy of Jules Verne.

There are only a few locations in the world where such a grandiose dream could be realised. A high proportion of today’s architectural marvels are materialising like fanciful mirages from the desert sands. We have come to expect extravagant enterprises to be mounted in the Middle East, and especially in Dubai. “This venture could only be born here in Dubai,” says Hauser. “It has a very open-minded, international community - and that’s what makes it so special.”

The land on which Hydropolis is being built belongs to His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. It was his last free beach property on this stretch of coast. The project is a fantastic one, yet Sheikh Mohammed’s success record with comparable schemes instils confidence that science fiction can become fact. With his support, several companies have been formed to kick-start this phenomenal project, and around 150 firms are currently involved.

“There have been many visions of colonising the sea - Jules Verne, Jean Gusto and several Japanese architects - but no one has ever managed to realise this dream,” says Hauser. “That was the most challenging factor, and that’s what makes it so fascinating. Despite being a dream of mankind for centuries, nobody has ever been able to make living underwater possible.”

UNDERWATER HOTEL DESIGN

The original idea for Hydropolis developed out of Hauser’s passion for water and the sea, and goes much deeper than just building a hotel underwater. More than just curiosity, it is a commitment to a more far-reaching philosophy. “Once you start digging deeper and deeper into the subject, you can’t help being fascinated and you start caring about all the associated issues,” he explains. “Humans consist of 80% water, the earth consists of 80% water; without water there is no life.”

Hydropolis reproduces the human organism in an architectural design. There is a direct analogy between the physiology of man and the architecture. The geometrical element is a figure eight lying on its side and inscribed in a circle. The spaces created in the basin will contain function areas, such as restaurants, bars, meeting rooms and theme suites. These can be compared to the components of the human organism: the motor functions and the nervous and cardiovascular systems, with the central sinus knot representing the pulse of all life.

The ballroom, located at this nerve centre, will have asymmetrical pathways connecting the different storeys along ramps. A large, petal-like retracting roof will enable the staging of open-sky events. Staircases, lifts and ramps will provide access to the ballroom, while flanking catering areas will supply banquets and receptions.

HYDROPOLIS LAND STATION

In order to enter this surreal space, visitors will begin at the land station. This 120m woven, semicircular cylinder will arch over a multi-storey building. On the lowest level passengers board a noiseless train propelled by fully automated cable along a modular, self-supporting steel guideway to Hydropolis. A just-in-time and on-demand logistical system will facilitate efficient supply of goods to the hotel.

The upper storeys of the land station house a variety of facilities, including a cosmetic surgical clinic, a marine biological research laboratory and conference facilities. On the lower levels are the staff rooms, goods storage and loading areas, and hotel and parking areas.

The land station also includes a restaurant and high-tech cinema screening the evolution of life in the ocean and the history of underwater architecture. As a finale, the screen will open to reveal the real-life Hydropolis. A viewing platform at the front opening of the spanning roof will allow views of the architecture as well as the light shows of Hydropolis.

MARINE ARCHITECTURE

This structure promises to be a conceptual as well as a physical landmark. While human beings accept the existence of water, we have only a superficial appreciation of its significance. “We waste it, go swimming in it and generally take it for granted,” says Hauser. “Humans could actually live self-sufficiently underwater, generating energy, nurturing food supplies and so on. This is why we are starting a foundation to demonstrate something of the importance of water in our lives.

“My general plan was to create a living space in the sea. My initial proposal was a deep-sea project, which looked very different. I had to adjust to the local reality of the natural surroundings and change to a shallow water construction.

“We want to create the first ever faculty for marine architecture because I believe that the future lies in the sea, including the future of city planning. I am certain that one day a whole city will be built in the sea. Our aim is to lay the first mosaic by colonising the sea.”

Hauser plans to incorporate many different elements associated with the sea. The cosmetics will be ocean-based, the cinemas will screen films that focus on aquatic themes and a children’s seaworld will educate as well as entertain.

He views his creation as a place where those who do not dive - or do not even swim - can experience the tranquillity and inspiration of the underwater world. “We are expecting around 3,000 visitors per day in addition to the hotel guests. The aim is to inspire people to develop a new awareness of the sea.”

As well as emphasising the positive aspects of water, Hauser also believes we are systematically destroying marine life, and thus wishes to draw attention to various dangers and problems, such as the loss of algae and the destruction of the coral reefs.

FUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT

Dreams, however fabulous, remain unfulfilled without the cash to support the commitment. “The hardest part of the process was finding sponsorship to the tune of €550 million,” admits Hauser. “That’s what brought me to Dubai. Still, it was a battle which took two-and-a-half years and proved tougher than developing the project itself. No bank would pay such an amount. It’s a risky investment, as there are no pilots. We had to convince investors that it is safe and will bring returns on investment.”

With official blessing, the Dubai Development & Investment Authority (DDIA) established a framework to handle grants and authorisations. Once the financial backing was guaranteed, the sonar analysis of the seabed complete and 7,000 anchors in place, construction began in summer 2005.

“We are sure that this hotel will set a precedent,” says Hauser. “Crescent-Hydropolis is now planning a chain of underwater hotels, and nine countries have shown interest. Some will be the realisation of my initial deep-sea design.” Hauser has even chosen to make his permanent home in Dubai. “And that won’t change after the project [is finished], regardless of where our next project will be. The infrastructure is exceptionally good here - and it seldom rains!”

KEY PLAYERS

Crescent Hydropolis Holdings LLC were the original intellectual property rights developer and are acting as the project developers, with SIBC Industrial Building Consultants as the global project managers.

Consultation has come from Q3A+D Limited as architecture and design consultants and Siemens I&S IS Facility & Systems Engineering as the technical engineering consultants. OSTSEE-KONTOR GmbH are providing the marine and naval surveying services.

Design, architecture and interior scenery is being provided by 3-Deluxe System Modern GmbH. The underwater foundation, tunnel and access way will be the work of DCN Duik Combinatie Nederland B.V.