Volante — a residential complex where the main appeal is inside

Recently, I stopped by Business Bay to photograph an intriguing residential complex that I overheard brokers mentioning in conversation.

The developer handed over the residential complex back in 2017, and by the time Whitewill opened in Dubai, all apartments here had already been sold out. Still, I asked to be shown how the project is arranged inside.

Meet Volante. From the outside, the structure resembles an unassuming business center with yellowish stone cladding on the facade and dark blue glazing. Moreover, the right bank of Business Bay hasn't yet come to life compared to the opposite side, which adjoins the city's main artery, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Downtown.

But the most interesting part is inside. On the fourth level, residents are greeted by a fully equipped club floor.

Having your own pool and fitness center in Dubai doesn't surprise anyone, but here there is also a private spa center with a sauna, hydrotherapy tub, and massage rooms; an 8-seat private cinema; a small business center; a fully equipped beauty salon designed for visiting specialists; and a private restaurant with an Italian chef that is accessible only to residents and their guests.

The apartments are generously sized — either 470 square meters occupying half a floor, or 1,000 square meters covering the entire floor. Half a floor costs $5.5 million; a full floor — $10 million.

Over the past year, 7 secondary market transactions have been completed here. Currently, the only unit available for sale is a three-level penthouse, which I photographed separately.

Interestingly, the developer purchased two plots of land to the left and right of the residential complex and is now constructing Volante II. According to the developer, they didn't even launch it for public sales — instead, they sold all units to friends of existing residents who missed out on buying an apartment in the first residential complex.