Everything you need to know about Muraba Veil

Responding to its place, culture, and environment, Muraba Veil represents a new era of life-enhancing architecture.
Words by Laura Cherry in Design & Architecture · Jan 22nd, 2025
A focal point among the design community, this ultra-narrow residential tower signals a shift toward sustainable, space-efficient design. Adding to the visual narrative of its surroundings, it honours regional histories and codes while presenting a forward-gazing vision for the future.
Dubai has long been associated with architectural ambition, and Muraba Veil is the latest project to capture the imagination of the design community. Poised along the city’s vibrant canal district, this ultra-narrow residential tower redefines what it means to live and build vertically. Rising 380 metres tall but only 22.5 metres wide, the skyscraper is as visually striking as it is groundbreaking. Developed by Dubai-based Muraba in collaboration with the Pritzker Prize-winning firm RCR Arquitectes, the tower combines cutting-edge engineering with a profound respect for the region’s architectural traditions.
Muraba Veil’s design unites contemporary innovation and cultural heritage. While its pencil-thin silhouette feels distinctly modern, the building draws inspiration from centuries-old principles of shelter, shade, and ventilation popularised in the MENA region. This dialogue between past and future is epitomised by the building’s namesake feature: the ‘veil.’ The semi-perforated screen encases the tower, filtering light and air while reducing the need for mechanical cooling. Inspired by Mashrabiya latticework, a hallmark of traditional Middle Eastern homes, the veil serves both functional and aesthetic purposes. It pays homage to local traditions while adapting them to the demands of a contemporary skyscraper. In blending such historical elements with modern materials and technologies, the tower illustrates how cities can grow vertically while maintaining a connection to their cultural roots.
From a distance, the veil creates an ethereal effect, its edges dissolving into Dubai’s heat haze. Up close, its role in regulating the microclimate becomes apparent. By promoting natural cross-ventilation and shielding interiors from the intense desert sun, the veil exemplifies how architecture can coexist with the environment rather than overpowering it. This philosophy represents a shift away from energy-intensive HVAC systems and hermetically sealed glass facades typical of many skyscrapers. It suggests a future where design embraces coexistence over domination, setting a precedent for more sustainable construction practices.
At just 22.5 metres wide, Muraba Veil is one of the slimmest residential towers in the world. Achieving such extreme slenderness posed immense engineering challenges, met by the expertise of WSP and Arup. High-strength concrete and advanced load-distribution systems were employed to stabilise the structure, while hydraulic dampers and tuned mass dampers mitigate wind-induced sway. These innovations ensure stability while allowing for spacious, open interiors that prioritise comfort and functionality.

The tower’s 73 floors house 131 apartments, ranging from two-bedroom homes to expansive five-bedroom duplexes. Each residence spans the full width of the building, offering dual-aspect views that maximise natural light and airflow. Generous terraces on either side provide distinct perspectives - one overlooking the city’s ever-evolving skyline and the other gazing out onto the vibrant canal district. These terraces are more than viewing platforms; they act as outdoor living spaces designed to encourage an intimate connection to the surrounding environment.
Inside, the residences harmonise with the tower’s architectural vision. Privacy and seclusion are integral, with each apartment extending across an entire floor. Neutral tones of soft greys, warm beiges, and earthy browns create a palette that allows the desert light to transform the spaces throughout the day. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame sweeping panoramas, while sliding screens and overhangs provide shade, ensuring comfort even during the height of summer. Open-plan kitchens flow with ease into dining and lounge areas, while recessed shelving and integrated storage solutions maintain a clutter-free aesthetic, cultivating an atmosphere of calm and rhythms of visual order.

The interiors also reflect an ethos of quiet luxury. Fixtures and materials have been chosen to balance aesthetics with durability, ensuring that the residences feel timeless rather than trend-driven. Integrated smart-home systems provide the conveniences of modern living without disrupting the architectural language. These technological features, from intelligent climate control to seamless lighting systems, are incorporated to enhance the everyday living experience of residents.
The experience of living in Muraba Veil extends well beyond the private residences. Communal spaces are designed to cultivate both connection and reflection, offering residents moments of respite within an urban context. Subterranean amenities include a spa with hydrotherapy pools, steam rooms, and a palm-lined green courtyard that feels like an oasis amid the city’s pace. Calming water features and plant life further enhance the sense of retreat, creating a soothing environment that contrasts with Dubai’s pulsating energy.

Among these shared spaces is an amphitheatre-like venue designed for lectures and intimate performances. In addition to a cinema and a restaurant, these facilities position the site not just as a residential tower but as a cultural hub, offering residents opportunities for engagement and interaction. These areas are carefully planned to evoke the feeling of a traditional Arabian courtyard, where community and privacy exist in harmonious accord.
The architectural language of Muraba Veil reflects a powerful connection to its environment. The design reinterprets traditional Arabian courtyards for vertical living, with terraces and transitional spaces replicating the microclimate created by thick walls and shaded enclosures in historic Gulf architecture. Wind scoops, a feature of traditional Middle Eastern homes, are integrated into the building to capture breezes and redirect them through common areas, reducing reliance on mechanical ventilation. This blend of heritage-inspired techniques and modern engineering underscores the project’s commitment to sustainability and cultural relevance.
Attention to detail is evident throughout the space, from its structure to its interiors. Each façade panel was precast and installed with robotic precision, achieving millimetre-perfect alignment. The semi-perforated outer shell unfolds a conversation between light and shadow, a visual effect that was modelled in 3D software before construction began.
Muraba Veil represents a moment of reflection in an era of rapid urbanisation and architectural ambition. Rising above Dubai’s canal district, the tower does more than add to the city’s already impressive skyline - it offers a vision of what the future of urban living could be. At a time when cities worldwide confront the interlocking challenges of climate change, population growth, and sustainability, Muraba Veil signals a shift in priorities, blending innovative design with a respect for the natural environment and cultural heritage.
The project redefines the skyscraper not as a manmade structure that dominates its context but as a nuanced response to it. This approach reflects a rising demand for spaces that do not overpower their surroundings but work in tandem with them - an ethos grounded in sustainability and environmental awareness. It’s a structure that challenges conventional notions of vertical living, presenting a blueprint for cities navigating the complexities of urban density and ecological responsibility.
In the broader conversation about the future of cities, Muraba Veil is a compelling example of how architecture can address contemporary challenges without losing sight of cultural identity. It suggests that the way forward is not in building bigger and bolder, but in building smarter and more sustainably. For Dubai, a city synonymous with architectural experimentation, this project represents new possibilities, suggesting that progress and preservation are not mutually exclusive.