How this Dubai tower was inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar: welcome to Eywa, a boutique waterside development next to Burj Khalifa mixing sci-fi futurism with natural wonder

Jul 24 , 2023

Want to live in Eywa, the opulent new Dubai residential tower inspired by James Cameron’s film Avatar, close to Downtown Dubai. Photo: Eywa Dubai

Architecture and design

Anyone who has seen James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster will remember the indigenous Na’vi and their revered Tree of Souls – the closest connection they have to their deity Eywa

European real estate developer R.evolution also cited Avatar Hallelujah Mountain as inspiration, a jutting, forested column in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China

Remember film director James Cameron’s 2009 magnum opus Avatar – one of the highest grossing films of all time? In particular, recall the beguiling Tree of Souls, the closest connection that the Na’vi indigenous people have to their deity Eywa?

The Eywa intentionally tries to capture something of the appearance of the Tree of Souls in the film Avatar. Photo: Eywa Dubai

Now European real estate developer R.evolution is aiming to make that dream world a reality with its first residential project in the UAE, named Eywa.

The Eywa sits right on the waterfront of the Dubai Water Canal. Photo: Eywa Dubai

The boutique residential development aims to be the acme of luxury living, styled to recall the tree in the film, with root-like designs and waterfalls around the podium at its foot, and greenery draped around every floor – at least as seen in the company’s renderings.

The skyline of Downtown Dubai lies just across the water from Eywa. Photo: Eywa Dubai

Sat on the bank of the Dubai Water Canal, with views across to Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa, Eywa will boast 48 individual residences, ranging from two- to five-bedrooms and between 3,064 to 16,256 sq ft in floor area.

The Eywa is inspired by landscapes from the film Avatar, planted close to Downtown Dubai. Photo: Eywa Dubai

The most eye-catching aspect of the development is its structure, inspired not only by the sacred tree but also by Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, formerly known as Southern Sky Column, in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China.

Natural tones in the renderings of the Eywa connect with the project’s ethos. Photo: Eywa Dubai