A well-versed profes sional expert in the field, bringing many years of architectural design across the world to the UAE, Michael Magill has pioneered the establishment of RSP’s branch (a well-established Singaporean based architectural firm that is well known in Asia with over 65+ years of experience in 2500+ projects) in the Middle East. Over the last decade, Magill has successfully led and designed a multitude of exciting and iconic projects, successfully showcasing and growing RSP’s skill and talents to its current growth and reputation in the MENA region. A personal brainchild of his is the newly opened tourist hotspot of the Palm Jumeirah – The Palm Tower.

Magill’s refined approach to design has been showcased over the years with many beautifully crafted concepts ranging from a variety of sector types – from hospitality, residential developments to masterplanning, and educational projects. Many of his co-workers, fellow architects, and designers have been inspired by his mesmerising and innovative approach to design, and his amazing visions and creations have captivated the hearts of many of RSP’s clients. Magill says: “In this modern world of fast access to the media, wherein with the press of a button or a flick of a finger, you can instantly view and experience everything through your devices, people and clients nowadays have become much more difficult to please as they have already seen everything that is new and avant-garde online. With this in mind, the way that we approach architecture and designing space in general has changed, focusing on the ‘experience’ even more now than ever before in our industry. When designing for clients and for people nowadays, it is crucial in today’s society, that from start to finish – the experiential journey of the user is always taken into consideration, and to always ask yourself as a designer, ‘like on Instagram, how many of these experiential moments will my client get out of this project? How many Instagrammable moments will each user go through?’” With COVID-19 changing the world, Michael is constantly planning for the future of RSP, ensuring that the company’s design and attitude to the business remain innovative.

Magill explains: “The world has always been gradually moving to a cyberspace focused one, however, COVID-19 has drastically reduced its transition period, making the online world much more prevalent in today’s society. Thus, companies nowadays need to have an online presence in order to be able to compete in the market as the demand to find work internationally has become easily accessible to clients worldwide.”

He has successfully continued RSP’s growth throughout the pandemic, successfully landing projects in Cambodia wherein RSP designed a massive masterplan with an area of 35 million km2, and many luxurious villas, as well as building ties in Indonesia with ambitions to open a studio in Jakarta on the horizon.