In 2013, ArtsArchitecture was appointed to work in collaboration with Theatre Projects Consultants on the auditorium design of a new 1800-seat Opera House in Downtown Dubai, adjacent to the Burj Khalifa tower. As well as accommodating conventional opera and musicals, the auditorium acoustics can be adjusted to suit symphonic orchestral concerts. The whole auditorium and stage house can also be transformed into a 1200-seat banquet hall using a whole series of mobile components. The transformation is achieved by means of a pair of box towers which rotate and translate into side storage areas; two 20m wide drop walls, which descend to close off the stage wings; a combination of unfolding and lowering lattice ceiling panels; elevators and seating wagons enabling the whole stalls seating area to be cleared to produce a flat floor; and adjustable lighting. This complex manoeuvre can be performed in four hours to convert the auditorium and stage house into a large rectangular room suitable for grand wedding ceremonies, banquets and other spectacles. The interior design uses a combination of stained ash slats, marquetry panels and metallic fret-cut screens, echoing the forms of Dubai’s sailing dhows as well as a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional mashrabiyah screens. The acoustic design has also been completely integrated, enabling the reverberation time to be adjusted from that suitable for classical orchestral music to one required for amplified music and speech. This is achieved with curtains and banners concealed behind the mashrabiyah screens, inflatable acoustic absorbers and loose-laid carpet. In addition to the main auditorium, we have designed the interior of a 250m2 flexible space, panelled with oak veneered acoustic diffusers and equipped with a hanging grid for studio performances and rehearsals as well as corporate events. This spaces is directly accessible from both the public foyers and the backstage facilities and is serviced by a large goods lift. A double-skin glass wall gives views from the room through the exterior glazing to the skyline of Downtown Dubai.