WS Atkins produced the winning entry in the Juma Al Majid Group's design competition for the Taj Hotel and Apartment development.

WS Atkins was commissioned to undertake the architectural, structural and building services design as well as to supervise the construction through to handover to the Taj Group.

Commenting on some of the highlights of the project, Allel Hadri, resident director of the company's Dubai office, says: ''This new five-star hotel is designed to offer some of the highest quality and aesthetically-pleasing hotel accommodation within the UAE. Of particular note are the generously-sized guestrooms at approximately 52 sq m each, the sixh floor banquet hall with its dramatic tented roof, as well as the striking cone-shaped atrium, which extends vertically through seven floor levels - an architectural design feature that set this hotel apart.''

The main superstructure houses the hotel and residence complex, restaurants, shops and extensive public areas with panoramic lifts. Two basement levels provide back-of-house service accommodation as well as plant rooms and car parking for 211 cars.

The construction of the hotel was completed within a 600-day programme and handed over to the Taj Group in June 2001.

''WS Atkins' experienced engineers and architects have succeeded in delivering yet another example of the company's innovative approach to hotel design, building on the quality and trend setting examples of other outstanding hotel and leisure projects such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel Wild Wadi and Burj Al Arab,'' Hadri says.

WS Atkins says it was proud to be the consultant for this flagship hotel of the Juma Al Majid Group.