Dubai real estate: Inside the $40mn ‘Dragonfly’ villa inspired by Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya’s Dune movie series

The villa spans 2,500 square meters and features futuristic elements, such as a long and flat roofline depicting the wings of a dragonfly

Architecture and design studio ISTO has revealed the new Dragonfly villa, located at La Mer in Dubai.

Valued between $35-40 million, this villa is draws inspiration from the cinematic world of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name.

The core idea of the villa is hidden in smoothly and gracefully dividing the living space into two wings. The design inspiration lies in imitating the structure of the dragonfly wings. The long and flat roofline and this architectural silhouette of two open wings seamlessly copes with this crucial task. And we were also inspired by the world of the Dune movie and delved into its meanings and story.

Inside the Dune-inspired Dragonfly villa in Dubai

Spanning 2,500 square metres, the custom-made Dragonfly villa in Dubai is divided in two parts.

The right wing of the living space is more private and is intended specifically for the client’s family. The futuristic long and flat roofline depicts two dragonfly wings that rise up and seem to be preparing to take off. Lighting installations, metal decorations on the facade, wall-mounted pergola of the inner part of villa fully unveils the characteristics of intricately veined, membranous wings that have coloured markings.

The villa’s amenities include water features that surround the entirety of the Dragonfly, that display the “brutal, accurate, and well-balanced architectural contours with precision in their reflections.”

Complementing the futuristic accents, I would like to pay special attention to the water sculpture in the right villa wing. The stream of water grinds the plane of stones and simulates a deceptive feeling of teleporting to the universe of Dune.

In addition, the materials used in the construction of the Dragonfly villa include metal, stone, glass, plaster, and water.

The residents of the villa can also take advantage of views of the sea through large glass windows, which also allow plenty of natural light into the interior spaces.

There are “many similarities” between the initial idea of the villa’s two wings, the Dune movie and the ornithopters in it. He added that the dragonfly silhouettes are integrated into the architecture, overlapping with the helicopter designs from the movie. These elements are incorporated into the foundation, forming the natural shape of a dragonfly.

The movie, primarily set on the desert planet Arrakis, was filmed in four distinct locations including desert areas near Abu Dhabi. In addition, the Dune world is deeply impacted by Middle Eastern cultures (for example, Arabic inspirations surrounding Fremen language & culture). It became a good basis for ISTO’s architects to depict Dune motifs in project within the La Mer area in Dubai.

Dubai for such a massive project, is “an innovative and fast-developing city, so real estate also has to reply to its futurism and monumentalism.