The façade for this 914,932 ft² (85,000 m²) luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi features an innovative expansive encapsulating grid shell, which acts as a climatic device helping to cool the building through a combination of the stack effect and evaporative cooling. The grid shell is composed of approximately 5,000 panels, each entirely unique and measuring approximately 8.2 to 11.5 ft (2.5 to 3.5 m). The welded aluminum frames of each diamond panel mechanically restrain the white fritted glass units and are supported at the corners, where they connect back to the structural grid. The grid is composed of a combination of major structural steel members and secondary members and the massive v-shaped wind-struts provide added lateral support. Front’s scope included all façade systems throughout the project, including a sloped glass fin curtain wall at the pedestrian bridge between the two buildings, all other cladding systems, window walls, balustrades and screens. Front collaborated on the project from schematic design through construction administration phases and developed extensive rule-base associative digital models to facilitate design and fabrication of the numerous unique façade components. Structural analysis models and visual and performance mock-ups were also utilized to ensure that the aesthetic design intent and structural loading requirements were met.