Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi shares how his team translated this into timeless design, overcoming challenges with OMNIYAT to create a truly elevated living experience
Vela Viento: Sand Meets Wind
Vela Viento: Sand Meets Wind

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Founder and CEO of Banda, discusses the studio’s creative partnership with OMNIYAT on VELA Viento, Dorchester Collection, Dubai by OMNIYAT, revealing how timeless design, close collaboration, and a shared vision shaped an elevated living experience

  1. What inspired your design approach for the Horizon Residences at VELA Viento by OMNIYAT?

The design concept: Sand Meets Wind — was inspired by the natural environment surrounding the building: the softness of the desert landscape and the movement of air and light across it. Our aim was to translate that rhythm into architecture and interiors that feel sculpted, serene, and fluid. The goal wasn’t just to create a luxurious space, but to craft a sanctuary in the sky,  one that feels grounded, refined, and emotionally resonant.

2. How did you merge traditional craftsmanship with modern minimalism in this project?

Rather than pursuing minimalism in the strict sense, we focused on restraint, allowing form, material, and craft to speak without distraction. Every element within each residence is the result of refined workmanship, from the hand-finished travertine to the finger-jointed oak panelling and sculptural joinery. Traditional techniques are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, not through ornate gestures, but with precision and material clarity.

The spaces are intentionally neutral and calm, providing a quiet canvas where selected focal points carry deeper meaning. In these moments, we introduce traditional craftsmanship or detailing that speaks to heritage and technique, elevated to the highest standard. The result is a design language that feels warm, highly crafted, and enduring.

3. What key features of the Horizon Residences reflect “elevated living”?

The entire experience is designed around a sense of quiet elevation. Residents arrive via a private lift lobby into sculpted entrance halls featuring silver travertine floors and textured plaster ceilings. Kitchens are treated as standalone design pieces, with bronze detailing, curved volumes, and architectural stone elements.

Kitchens are treated as standalone design pieces
Kitchens are treated as standalone design pieces

While the volumes are expansive, they are never overwhelming; spaces are composed to emphasise softness and proportion. Carefully integrated art, collectible furniture, and handcrafted finishes reflect a lifestyle of intention and refinement, rather than ostentation.

4. How did you consider the surrounding Marasi Bay destination and views of the canal and Dubai’s landmarks in your interior layouts?

VELA Viento’s site offers a rare duality: on one side, the full skyline of Downtown Dubai; on the other, the tranquillity of Marasi Bay and the desert beyond. This contrast became a guiding principle in our design. Spaces are carefully arranged to frame these views and allow natural light to move freely throughout.

The material palette responds to this softness; natural stone, textured timber, and warm plaster finishes create a calm counterpoint to the dynamic cityscape beyond the glass. The terraces are conceived as genuine extensions of the interior, enabling seamless, uninterrupted living between indoors and out.

5. What challenges did you face designing for simplex and duplex units?

The main challenge was maintaining consistency without repetition. Duplexes are naturally more segmented, shaped by ceiling heights, staircases, and thresholds. Simplexes, with their open flow, required a more refined approach to proportion and zoning. We used the same core materials, eucalyptus, silver travertine, and bronze,  but adjusted layouts, lighting, and rhythm to suit each spatial experience. Nothing was simplified, only distilled.

6. How does your collaboration with OMNIYAT and Foster + Partners influence the project’s overall vision?

Collaborating with OMNIYAT and Foster + Partners created a unique synergy between architecture, interiors, and intent. The building’s sculptural form inspired many architectural interior details, influencing shapes and curves within the spaces, from ceiling coffers to curved walls. This freedom allowed us to craft equally expressive interiors, shaped by the flow of volumes and the movement of light.

OMNIYAT’s dedication to quality and detail aligns perfectly with our own. There is a shared understanding that every decision counts. Foster + Partners aims to create buildings that are both distinctive and iconic, and Banda shares the same goal of designing spaces that are unexpected yet timeless. This common ambition enabled us to create not just a home, but a complete spatial experience.