<span>D</span><span>esigned by </span><span>Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, </span><span>The Opus – </span><span>the </span><span>only building in Dubai created by </span><span>Hadid, who died in 2016 – has been shortlisted for this year's World Architecture Festival </span><span>Awards.</span><span> With more than 148 judges from </span><span>more than 68 countries involved in the selection process, the </span><span>awards programme is </span><span>one of the biggest in the world</span><span>. It is part of the World Architecture Festival, an annual three-day event that includes a themed conference, exhibitions and the awards ceremony</span><span>.</span> <span>This year, the festival will be held in Amsterdam and will </span><span>start on Wednesday, December 4</span><span>. </span><span>The 2019 awards shortlist includes 534 works in </span><span>more than 30 categories, with The Opus </span><span>listed in the </span><span>"Completed Buildings – Mixed Use</span><span>" division. It will compete for the prize alongside Bangkok's King Power MahaNakhon skyscraper by German architecture group Buro Ole Scheeren and London's Hawley Wharf by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, among others.</span> <span>Built in Business Bay, The Opus' architectural design was developed in 2013 by Hadid, Patrik Schumacher, </span><span>company director at Zaha Hadid Architects, and associate director Christos Passas</span><span>. The building comprises two 20-storey towers linked by a glass and steel bridge to form a cube</span><span>, while one of the fa</span><span>cade's defining features is its carved centre. This irregularly shaped void recalls much of Hadid's other works, which are defined by fluid curves and forms. </span><span>At </span><span>9</span><span>3 metres tall, the structure appears to float </span><span>above the ground thanks to a concealed base.</span> <span>Run by developer Omniyat, The Opus </span><span>was built to house offices, commercial spaces, a hotel and luxury apartments. </span><span>The office spaces </span><span>opened</span><span> this year, with the hotel and residences </span><span>to open in</span><span> the middle of next year. Spanish hotel chain Melia Hotels International will operate the hotel, which will have furnishings specifically selected by Hadid. </span> <span>In 2004, the </span><span>architect</span><span> </span><span>became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize</span><span>. She established Zaha Hadid Architects in 1980. Since then, the </span><span>company has worked on </span><span>projects such as the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 </span><span>Olympics Games and </span><span>Maxxi</span><span> – National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome.</span> <span>Closer to home, Abu Dhabi's 842-metre</span><span>-long Sheikh Zayed Bridge is also a design by Hadid, who took inspiration from sand dunes to create the structure's curved arches. </span>