Sheikh Zayed Bridge / Zaha Hadid Architects by Hufton+Crow
Becoming a destination in itself and potential catalyst in the future urban growth of Abu Dhabi, the Zaha Hadid designed Sheikh Zayed Bridge was conceived in a highly mobile society that requires a new route around the Gulf south shore, connecting the three Emirates together. Hufton+Crow shared with us their photos as they capture the many viewpoints of this sinusoidal waveform structure. A complete gallery of images after the break.
Bulgari Pavilion / NaNA
The Bulgari Pavilion, a temporary installation commissioned by prestigious luxury jewelry brand Bulgari, was designed by NaNA for the Abu Dhabi Art 2012 event held Saadiyat al Manarat, Abu Dhabi November 5-10. The architects were given a prominent outdoor space at the entrance of the event to create a lounge for VIPs and dignitaries of the art fair. Their design was conceived as an exclusive and private venue with live music, a bar, and a specially curated selection of Bulgari’s high end jewelry. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum / Ateliers Jean Nouvel
The Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, aims at creating a welcoming world which associates lights and shadows as well as shimmers and calm places in a serene atmosphere. Its objective is to belong to its country, to its history, to its geography, avoiding being either a dull translation of this reality or a pleonasm meaning boredom and convention. It also aims at emphasizing the fascination generated by rare encounters. More images and architects’ description after the break.
In Progress: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi / HDR Architecture
Architects: HDR Architecture
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Interior Design: AEDAS
Completion Year: 2013
Photographs: Courtesy of HDR Architecture
Al Hilal Bank Commercial Tower / Goettsch Partners
Challenged to define a distinctive image that would reflect Al Hilal Bank’s unique brand while also setting an international aesthetic, Goettsch Partners designed a bold, contemporary tower that shifts in massing as it rises. The flagship commercial development, located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island, formerly known as Sowwah Island, conveys a timeless image through its distinct architectural form. With an expected competition in the last quarter of 2013, the new 24-storey speculative office tower will be a key element for the central business district. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Al Bahar Towers Responsive Facade / Aedas
A quick glimpse at the upcoming weather for Abu Dhabi will show a week of intense sunshine, temperatures steadily above 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 0% chance of rain. In such extreme weather conditions, even architects listing environmental design as their top priority are up against a tough battle. Never mind that the sand can compromise the structural integrity of the building, the intense heat and glare can render a comfortable indoor environment relatively impossible if not properly addressed. For Abu Dhabi’s newest pair of towers, Aedas Architects have designed a responsive facade which takes cultural cues from the “mashrabiya”, a traditional Islamic lattice shading device.
More about the towers’ shading system after the break.
Guardian Towers / LAB Architecture Studio + ERGA Progress
Architects: LAB Architecture Studio in association with ERGA Progress
Location: Danet Abu Dhabi – Al Qudra, United Arab Emirates
Design Team: Donald Bates, Oliver Hunt, Peter Davidson, Joseph Sawaya, Faris Hammady
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 53,800 sqm
Client: Guardian Real Estate
Photographs: Javier Callejas Sevilla
Al Dar Headquarters / MZ Architects
Architects: MZ Architects
Location: Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Owner & Developer: Al Dar Properties
Project Manager: Al Dar Laing O’Rourke Construction
Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: ARUP
Facade Design and Construction: Josef Gartner
Total built-up Area (including basement): 123,000 sqm
Cost: AED 1,000,000,000
Completion: Jan 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of MZ Architects
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi / SOM
Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA), has unveiled plans for the new three-million-square-foot, 838-bed Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC). The new complex, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in a joint venture with ICME and Tilke, will replace the existing Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and provide expanded medical, pediatric, and trauma care for the residents of Abu Dhabi.
Mustafa K. Abadan, Design Partner for the project, says “The new Sheikh Khalifa Medical City balances the technical demands of a world-class medical center with the psychological well being of its visitors. The design allows for the flexible integration of next generation medical technologies, while the incorporation of amenities, such as trees and hanging gardens coupled with restaurants and retail, provides tranquility, relief and a sense of normalcy for patients and their families.”
Continue reading for more images and the architect’s description.
Sheikh Zayed Bridge / Zaha Hadid Architects
Archtitects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Design: Zaha Hadid
Project Architect: Graham Modlen
Project Team: Garin O’Aivazian, Zahira Nazer, Christos Passas, Sara Klomps, Steve Power
Completion: 2010
Photographs: Christian Richters
Abu Dhabi International Airport / KPF
The new Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport was just approved by the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi. Within master plan, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the terminal is conceived as a gateway to the city. The design creates large, unimpeded internal zones that will enhance the passenger experience, and can accommodate long‐term adaptability to industry demands. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Infinite Free Iraqi Constitution Proposal / Manhal Al Habbobi
How can you condense more than ten thousand years of civilization into a single project that faithfully tells the story of a great nation? The answer is in the winning design of a prestigious architectural competition, to design the new compound for the General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers in Baghdad. Zaha Hadid and more than 30 other international architects participated in this competition, won by the Iraqi Architect Manhal Al Habbobi (Master in Philosophy of Architecture) with his ‘CAP Emirates’ design. More images and project description after the break.
Yas Island Yacht Club / Omiros One Architecture
Architects: Omiros One Architecture
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Year: 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of Omiros One Architecture
Federal National Council’s New Parliament Building Complex / Paul Stallan Studio
Paul Stallan Studio’s response to the competition brief for the Federal National Council’s New Parliament Building Complex was to promote a monumental Islamic architecture that had both gravitas and iconic potential. A huge cubic form was proposed that held within it a major assembly space suspended within an enormous courtyard. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Land Art Generator Initiative – SOLARIS / Predock_Frane Architects
Critically engaging the emerging Abu Dhabi context of Masdar City, Zayed University and other tabula rasa territories, Predock_Frane Architects’ project proposes an antidote and refuge to the frenetic future-scape internationalism of the rapidly developing Arabian coast. In proposing a new abstract art space that allows for escape and contemplation Predock_Frane Architects’ project positions itself as a hybrid landscape/environmental machine that can both deliver power and engage the radical phenomenon of the desert. Along a path connecting Masdar City to Zayed University, a low-slung, energy producing sensitive field beckons public engagement.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Could Face Boycott by Artists
Over 130 artists are continuing to call attention to the working conditions at the site of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, despite the recent intervention by the Guggenheim Foundation and Museum and changes from the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC). The $800 million museum designed by Frank Gehry is just beginning construction on Saadiyat Island.
The group of artists talking boycott, including key figures within the Middle Eastern art world, are threatening to withhold their work as well as refusing participation in museum events, which could be detrimental to the museum as they are essentially building a collection from the ground up. In response to the artists proposed boycott, Foundation Director Richard Armstrong issued the following statement, ”While we share the artists’ concern for the workers, we believe that, in light of the steady progress that has been made with respect to recruitment fees, the prompt payment of wages, the ability to retain passports, the provision of health insurance, good living accommodations, and the imminent appointment of an independent monitor in May, their statement is misinformed. We believe that the Guggenheim Foundation’s work with TDIC has been instrumental in bringing about this progress. We will continue to remain focused on this critical priority.”
More on this story following the break.
Ehrlich Architects Wins International Design Competition for the Federal National Council’s New Parliament Building Complex
The grand prize in the international architectural competition to design the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Federal National Council’s (FNC) New Parliament Building Complex has been awarded to Ehrlich Architects, the Los Angeles, California, design firm. More images and complete press release after the break.
Zayed National Museum / Foster + Partners
Featured here on ArchDaily are the recently unveiled designs by Foster + Partners for the Zayed National Museum. The monument and memorial to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE, is located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and will be the first museum completed for the island.
Architecturally, the aim has been to combine a highly efficient, contemporary form with elements of traditional Arabic design and hospitality to create a museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place. Celebrating Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and love of nature, the museum is set within a landscaped garden, based on a timeline of his life.
Architects: Foster + Partners
Location: Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Foster + Partners Project Team: Norman Foster, David Nelson, Gerard Evenden, Toby Blunt, Martin Castle, Ross Palmer, Dara Towhidi, Karsten Vollmer, Barrie Cheng, Ho Ling Cheung, Sidonie Immler, Joern Herrmann, Andrew King, Gemma Owen, Jillian Salter, Marilu Sicoli, Daniel Weiss, Bram Van Der Wal, Simon Wing
Engineers: WSP/BDSP AKT
Local Architect: Planar
Landscape Architects: Atelier Dreiseitl
Lighting Designers: Claude Engle
Cost Consultants: RLB
Facade Access: Lerch Bates
Specification Writers: Schumann Smith
Air Flow Consultants: RWDI
Environmental Engineers: Transsolar
Auditorium Consultants: Shen Milsom + Wilke
People Movement Consultants: Intelligent Space
Programme Managers: AECOM
District Master Planners: TDIC Master Planners
Museography: The British Museum
Client: Tourism Development + Investment Company
Project Area: 66,042 sqm
Renderings: Courtesy of Foster + Partners
Prism Cloud / Logan + Johnson
Architects Matthew Johnson and Jason Logan shared with us their project “Prism Cloud”, their entry for the Land Art Generator Competition near Abu Dhabi. It’s a cable-net structure that would hover over the desert and generate energy at the same time that it splits or diffracts light. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi to Open October 28, 2010
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Ferrari theme park and largest attraction of its kind, has announced that it will open its doors to the public on October 28, 2010, three weeks ahead of the second Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will pay tribute to the passion, excellence, performance, and technical innovation that Ferrari has established over the years and represents today. Its iconic sleek red roof is directly inspired by the classic double curve side profile of the Ferrari GT body, spanning 200,000 m² and carrying the largest Ferrari logo ever created.
More images, a video and information after the break. Seen at designboom.
