St. Regis Financial Road - The Residences is a 60-story tower located in Downtown Dubai.
It has stunning views of Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Canal. It includes 232 units ranging from 1 to 5 bedroom apartments and amenities such as lounge, library, boardroom, cinema, and games room are included in the building. Inspired by traditional areesh houses, ghaf trees, falaj systems, pearl diving and arabian coffee, the St Regis project is linked to UAE from historical, physical and social perspective.
Good design is routed in a deep understanding of the land, its culture, people and traditions, integrating historic building techniques and materials to inform the structure, narrative and direction of both architecture and interiors.
Marc Roca, managing partner and lead designer on the project offers some insight into the project’s success.
“Storytelling was at the heart of it, inspired by a native journey that takes its momentum from icons of the regional landscape. We wanted the St Regis Residences to be an icon of conscious luxury that stems from a considered evolution, a wealth that has developed generationally, that cannot be compromised or taken for granted.”

XBD’s approach pays significant homage to the region’s heritage, using historical and social insights to inform the direction, while the aesthetic truly represents the UAE’s commitment to its natural environment, cultural unity and ancestral wisdom.
Honouring this approach, details of the design scheme were inspired by indigenous crafts and techniques such as Safeefah, a form of weaving with palm fronds that has been passed from generation to generation. Ancestors of modern Emiratis employed this craft to create Aresh Houses, formidable structures that continue to withstand the harshest of climactic conditions and inspire contemporary designs from structures to furniture.
Community and connectivity are key pillars of the design throughout. The Ghaf tree, omnipresent in the UAE landscape, is known for being a source of shade and hence a gathering place for people and animals. As the national tree of the UAE it symbolises unity and tolerance, and is integrated into communal and private areas of the Residences, infusing meaning into
Accents in living spaces are inspired by the UAE’s history of pearl hunting and fishing, subtly playing out within lighting fixtures, surfaces and materials. While lifestyle elements are inspired by social etiquette, Emirati coffee culture and traditional gatherings which directly influenced the space planning, evoking the spirit of the Bedouins’ warmth and conviviality.

2023

Area: 800,000 sq ft
Configuration: B G 59
Type: Residential and Commercial Tower
Status: Under Construction
Collaborators: Eumada, The Design Company
Planned year of completion: 2026

Marc Roca
Ana Marie Dizon
Tracy Haupt
Marie Krisma

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XBD Collective