Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO)

The Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) required a new Dubai Headquarters which also encompassed the Dubai Press and Members Club.

The new headquarter location is the prestigious One Central Development in the Central Business District of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA). Summertown delivered the 4,200 sqm office fit out project in partnership with Bluehaus Group’s design team and project managers from 3Sixty Consult.

Inspired by the design concept ‘Castle in the Sand’, the office reflects GDMO’s vision to create a space that ‘feels like home’, combining a blend of nostalgia and modernity.

The open-plan workspace features free-flowing desk areas to encourage team collaboration and transparency, sound-proof state-of-the-art meeting rooms, as well as a welcoming Majlis that is a modern expression of the traditional Arabic hospitality concept. Designed to facilitate productivity and provide access to the latest media equipment and technology the office incorporates a Master Control Room (MCR), Central Apparatus Room (CAR), and several recording, editing and voiceover booths with acoustic treatments for sound proofing and absorption. Biophilic design elements and plants feature throughout the space including a ‘Contemplation Garden’ and outdoor terrace garden.

Several sustainable systems were implemented by Summertown including a light control system with occupancy sensors that saves unnecessary electricity consumption. LED light fittings were installed which are 80% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent light – and CO2 sensors interfaced with BMS systems.

The high-spec fit out was delivered within 11 months, ready for the official opening in January 2020 for the 20th Anniversary of the Dubai Press and Members Club, attended by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.