Foster + Partners has been invited as part of an international competition to design Phase II of the Dubai Design District, known as the Creative Community, inspired by similar art districts from around the world such as the Meat Packing district in New York and London’s Shoreditch.

The Creative Community includes the first design institute of its kind in the Middle East, the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation.

“Situated at the heart of the Creative Community, the design creates complex visual and physical connections between the various spaces within the building and its surroundings, and symbolises the growing importance of Dubai as a design destination,” said Gerard Evenden, head of studio and senior executive partner at Foster + Partners. Learn more about the design of DIDI here.

Last year, designMENA interviewed Evenden about the Creative Community masterplan.

“There are many art districts [around the world] but they all tend to start up in industrial areas with some dereliction and nostalgia, so to create that environment from scratch with the same ambiance and vibrancy was a challenge and it was what drove us to thinking that the competition was worth entering. I don’t think anyone has attempted to do this before,” he said. Read full interview here.

Emirati scientists, engineers and designers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will work in collaboration with Danish architecture studio Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to design the Mars Science City project, a $140 Million USD (AED 500 million) research city that simulates life on Mars.

The $140 Million USD (AED 500 million) project will serve as a “viable and realistic model” that replicates the conditions for human settlement on the Red Planet.

Images courtesy of Dubai Media Office

Mars Science City will include a museum that celebrates humanity’s greatest space achievements, with the aim of educating visitors on the Dubai’s research in this particular field.

The 1.9 million-square-foot domed structure is set to become the largest space simulation city to ever be constructed. The design will utilise 3D printing techniques – currently leading in Mars habitat construction- with plans to build the walls of the museum using 3D printed sand from the Emirati desert.

The project will also feature a number of programmes for both researchers and visitors such as laboratories for the study of food, energy and water; as well as  landscapes for agricultural testing and food security studies.

Advanced technologies to research and test construction and living strategies under specific Martian heat and radiation levels will be offered as part of the laboratory spaces.

As part of the plan for the Mars-like city, a team will be assembled to undergo an experimental living scenario where they will attempt to live within the constructed environment for a year.

The project was described by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as an “extraordinary national project”.

Sheikh Mohammed said: “The new project is a seed that we plant today, and we expect future generations to reap the benefits, driven by its passion to learn to unveil a new knowledge. The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality.”

BIG has also been commissioned to design a flexible art space for Makers District development in Abu Dhabi, as well as Dubai’s newest high-speed transport system: the Hyperloop. 

Global architecture and design practice Perkins+Will has announced the appointment of its new managing director, Roger Wilson, who will be working beside the studio’s design directors, Diane Thorsen and Firas Hnoosh.

Wilson is taking over from former MD Steven Charlton, who is now assuming the role of managing director of the firm’s London office.

“I’m thrilled to establish my base in Dubai and put my knowledge of the UAE marketplace and wider Gulf region to work for both Perkins+Will and the clients we serve,” Wilson said. “There is so much opportunity in this part of the world, and I look forward to collaborating with Diane, Firas and colleagues around the firm to build on what they have created.”

Perkins+Will’s Dubai studio is particularly well known for its corporate interior designs, but in recent years, has expanded its portfolio across multiple disciplines such as architecture, landscape, urban planning, transportation, hospitality and healthcare.

The firm’s recent and ongoing projects include King’s College Hospital in Dubai, multiple residential and hospitality projects for Emaar, Aldar and Eagle Hills in the GCC, and a Marriott Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The firm, which had previously won Interior Design Firm of the Year at the CID Awards, this year picked up an award for its work on the Adidas HQ in Dubai Design District.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I ‘pass the torch’ to Roger to lead this dynamic practice and take it to the next level,” said Charlton. “The Dubai market is known for rapid change and dynamism, necessitating agility both from a business and a design perspective. Roger brings all of that to our office, as well as great energy and expertise. The team – and most important, our clients – are in safe hands.”

Wilson joins Perkins+Will from another international architecture and design firm, where he built up extensive experience working on large-scale retail, aviation and mixed-use commercial projects within the EMEA region. He also has experience launching successful architectural enterprises in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.

Some of his most notable projects over the years have included city centre regeneration masterplans for Lancaster, Bath, and Portsmouth in the UK; retail master planning and interior design for Critic Square in Shanghai and Landmark Prince’s in Hong Kong; retail design and master planning for the likes of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai; Heathrow Airport T5 and Gatwick North Terminal. Wilson’s clients have included Hammerson, British Land, and Multi Development.

Meanwhile, in London, Charlton succeeds Jack Pringle, PPRIBA, Hon. AIA, who served as the managing director of Perkins+Will’s London office for the last five years. Pringle is now focused on strategic growth and the development of new regional client relationships as Perkins+Will’s regional rirector for the EMEA region.

Pringle said the leadership transition will result in stronger architecture and urban design practices in both the London and Dubai studios, while ensuring a high quality, personalised service for clients locally, regionally and internationally.

“The greatest thing I’ve learned about Perkins+Will is: not only are we a large, extremely capable firm full of world-class design expertise, but we also deliver a personal service with a thorough understanding of each office’s local market. While our reach is great and our numbers vast, we are nimble, adaptable and absolutely committed to serving the local communities in which we work,” Pringle said. “With the fresh, dynamic energy that Steven and Roger bring to their respective offices, there’s a lot for us to look forward to.”

UAE-based firm Abanos has been appointed as the fit-out contractors for the Art of Living Mall (Art Centre) located on Umm Sequim road in Dubai.

The fit-out works of the  510,000ft2  project will include a contemporary organic ceiling and custom-made aluminium Mashrabiya screens.

The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018, with LACASA appointed as main consultants on the project.

The fluid and abstract form of the building extends to the interiors but in a simpler way, according to Patrick Bean, design director at LACASA.

“The architecture of the building is quite unique from the outside, so we didn’t want interiors to be too overpowering. It is not a huge shopping area, so we didn’t want people to feel too enclosed once they walk inside the mall.” Read more about the design of the building and the interiors here. 

At this year’s CID Awards, ALEC Fit won the Fit Out Project of the Year prize for its work on Boutique Le Chocolat in Dubai.

Earlier this year, designMENA showcased Summertown Interiors’ fit out work for Smart Dubai Office, tasked with managing the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, with an expection to reach Gold level.

The Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Awards 2017 has shortlisted 20 photographs, to be named the best architecture image of the year.

Photographs include Zaha Hadid’s Messner Mountain Museum in Italy, as well as a museum by Kengo Kuma as well as a new new gymnasium at Tianjin University, by Chinese architect Li Xinggang, photographed by Shanghai-based Terrence Zhang, who had the largest number of entries.

A panel of judges selected the shortlist, including Royal Academy of Arts curator Kate Goodwin, Klein Dytham Architecture founders Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, as well as photographers Richard Bryant and Matt Emmett, and designer Andrew Chen.

The 20 photographs will be exhibited at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin next month, where the winner of the best building of 2017 will be announced. Buildings from the UAE, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia, among other countries in the Middle East, made it on the list this year.

View the full list of shortlisted images below: 

Black Rock Lighthouse Service at Burning Man, Nevada, USA by Tom Stahl

ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark, by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Olafur Eliasson by David Borland

Baan Mom private residence, Bangkok, Thailand by Integrated Field

Bosjes Chapel, Ceres, Cape Town, South Africa by Steyn Studio by Adam Letch

Messner Mountain Museum Corones, South Tyrol, Italy, by Zaha Hadid Architects by Tom Roe

Choi Hung Estate, Hong Kong by Fabio Mantovani

Derby Arena Velodrome, UK, by Faulkner Brown Architects by Martine Hamilton

Dongzhuang Building Museum of the Western Regions, China, by Xinjiang Wind Architectural Design & Research Institute by Yao Li

Folk Art Museum, China Academy of Arts, Hangzhou, China, by Kengo Kuma by Terrence Zhang

Gymnasium of the New Campus of Tianjin University, China, by Atelier Li Xinggang by Terrence Zhang

Gymnasium of the New Campus of Tianjin University, China, by Atelier Li Xinggang by Terrence Zhang

Frank Gehry-designed Museum of the Pop Culture, Seattle, USA by Conchi Martínez

North wall of the Revel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA by Brian Rose

Office building, Beijing, China by Tom Stahl

Ponte City Apartments, Johannesburg, South Africa by Ryan Koopmans

SALA Ayutthaya Hotel, Thailand, by Onion by Wison Tungthunya

NBBJ-designed Samsung Electronics HQ building in San Jose, California, USA by David Crawford

Selegie House, Singapore, by the Housing and Development Board, by Siyuan Ma

Kazuyo Sejima-designed Sumida Hokusai Museum, Tokyo, Japan by Laurian Ghinitoiu

HHDFUN-designed Tianrenhe Museum, Hangzhou, China by Zhenfei Wang

Design brand BD Barcelona is celebrating creativity in the Arab world through a selection of works entitled the PostCraft Collection, bringing together designers from four countries in the Gulf, including the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Each designer will be represented by a gallery in their respective countries, with a launch date set during Dubai Design Week on 14 November at The ODD Piece , the gallery supporting UAE-based designer, Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Majed Al Qassimi.

Other galleries and designers include Alriwaq Art Space in Bahrain, which will be presenting Maysan Al Nasser; CAP- Contemporary Art Platform in Kuwait alongside designer Loula Al Radwan; and the Gazzaz Brothers from Jeddah, who will be presented by the Athar Gallery in Jeddah. The galleries will each support the designers in developing and producing their pieces, based on a curatorial brief.

The exhibition is curated by Samer Yamani, a Syrian-Spanish designer based in Barcelona, andwill feature works by the four designers, alongside five pieces from Barcelona Design’s permanent collection including designs by Salvador Dali, Antonio Gaudi and Jaime Hayon.

Following the launch during Dubai Design Week, the PostCraft Collection exhibition will tour the GCC, including BD Barcelona Design establishments in Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Read more about each designer’s work below: 

Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Majed Al Qassimi – Dubai, UAE

Sheikha Hind’s collection of vases are called ‘IS-DHER’. The UAE-based entrepreneur is the founder of ‘Designed by Hind’, which focuses on producing collections of bespoke crockery that has become one of the UAE’s leading brands of porcelain.

Her collection is an interpretation of pre, during and post-oil eras that have defined the Middle East, creating a bridge between the three historical periods.

Each era’s impact on the other is expressed through the fluidity and transitional qualities of the vases, where each period is represented through the distinct textures of the vase.

A raw and earthy coral effect symbolises the time before oil was discovered; a luxurious gold foil façade bears testimony to the wealth and prosperity that came with its; discover; and the post-oil world, driven by technology and sustainability, is shown through a glossy metallic finish.

Maysam Al Nasser – Bahrain

The Manana-based architect has created ‘Cabinet Talisam’, a piece inspired by Friedrich Nietzche’s quote, “There are no beautiful surfaces without terrible depth.” It embodies a minimal, all-white cabinet that is drawn back like fabric.

“The details of its history is represented at its core, pealing layers of time to reveal inevitable roots,” according to the designer.

Fascinated by the dialogue between space and culture, Maysam founded her design studio 1:1, dedicated to conceptual architecture, interiors and furniture design in 2012.

Loulwa Al Radwan- Kuwait

Kuwait-based Loulwa Al Rawan is an interior designer and founder of design studio INTERIA. Her installation for the PostCraft Collection is called ‘Lunar Tale’, inspired by the moon.

The installation features interlaced mirrors and brass which are locked into a unique pattern, depicting the different phases of the moon.

Loulwa has recently been involved in an exhibition during London Design Week, organised by the Dubai Design District, called Middle East: Design Now! 

Gazzaz Brothers- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The siblings, Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz, are young architects from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Their installation is called ‘Tawlah’, reflecting their innovative approach to design through a sensitivity in weaving historic and contemporary references.

Tawlah draws inspiration from the traditional joinery of the Hejaz region and weaving patterns from Asir, in conjunction with Japanese woodworking techniques. The table is a product of the cultural narrative of pilgrimage, which assimilates different crafts, ideologies, and backgrounds into a cohesive artifact that attests to a shared humanity.

Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF) has released photographs of the Midfield Terminal for Abu Dhabi International Airport, which is currently under construction, after releasing artistic images of the building on its Instgram page earlier this year. 

Images courtesy of ADAC.

The latest images show that the building is well underway, revealing the terminal’s curving roof, designed to give the appearance of floating in mid-air.

The 50 meter-high Departure Hall is largely column-free through the use of long span leaning arches that gives the building its outdoor quality.

Saudi designer Ayah Al Bitar has unveiled her latest collection, the Y Collection, at this year’s Saudi Design Week, inspired by the letter Y from her brand name, AYA The Art of Living, with the aim of celebrating the brand and logo.

Al Bitar has recently re-branded her company as a result of its rapid growth, with a distinct focus on its font and logo, resulting in a project based around the defining element, the letter Y, which is central to the brand.

The collection started with the Y-Table – a contemporary take on a traditional C-Table, and expanded into five more product designs.

The collection currently comprises six products, all of which include or are derived from the shape ‘Y’. Bordeaux, mustard, salmon and emerald are the four colours for this season, with the aesthetics replicating art deco styles and themes.

After having created the Y-Table, the designer spoke about seeing a gap in the market for tables suitable for floor seating, especially catering to the local Arab market. Perfectly aligned to be utilised with her Wisada, this table is a Y Table that is essentially ‘cut in half’ to sit closer to the ground with the same spacing solution.

Also part of the collection is the pebble tray, inspired by the tabletops of each Y table – this shape is the negative space of two wisadas, Ayah’s classic design. The trays are sleek, lightweight and modern in design.

The Y-Coat Hanger was created with the idea that no matter what culture, background or country, most people need to hang garments or items around the home. The concept was to create a hanger that is incredibly slim but with strong stability at the base. Through in-depth material experimentation, the weighted base is created out of lightweight concrete. The slim neck of the hanger also includes a small tray for additional items such as keys, phones, wallets etc.’

The collection also includes compact Trash Bins which come in four colours and various material combinations and a small mobile piece of furniture called the Small TV Unit. Merging all colours in one design, the TV unit has a smart mobility solution. The legs of the design utilise a special internal structure to give support with a slim aesthetic. The Y shape creates the handle as well as inspiring shapes for the rest of the design.

The Saudi designer had previously revealed The Alef Collection, a Qur’an stand that showcases the heritage and traditions of Ramadan in a contemporary and educational manner, and The Sanctuary collection – a storage solution for Islamic prayer. 

Al Bitar was also recently involved in the 2017 London Design Festival, as part of an exhibition about design in the Middle East entitled Middle East: Design Now! Read full story here. 

London-based designer Adam Nathaniel Furman has created an installation during London Design Festival called Gateway, showcasing the history of Turkish ceramic tiles.

Photography by Hufton + Crow

The designer was commissioned by Turkishceramics – an organisation that promotes the Turkish ceramic industry to the world – to represent the historic timeline of the Turkish ceramic industry.

The Gateways installation is made up of four 4m high tiled structures, each one featuring a different kind of ceramic tile produced by various brands. Each of the ‘gates’ represent a different period of ceramics in history.

The first gate references Islamic tradition, using decorative hand-painted tiles that are commonly used in mosques, by the Iznik Foundation. It represents an Islamic motif of paradise.

The more contemporary second gate is designed to imitate textures found in nature such as wood or stone, while the third structure takes on a more colourful aesthetic with a square tile arrangement that emanates London Underground stations in the 1970s.

The last gate features a monochromatic colour palette, complete with rectangular tiles that are currently common in F&B projects around the world.

An exhibition celebrating traditional materials and design techniques from the Middle East was also on show at this year’s London Design Festival, featuring 18 designers from across the region.

Earlier this week, a Dubai expert told ConstructionWeekOnline that technology is changing facade design in the region.

The following pages outline the top four façade sector practices observed by Abdulmajid Karanouh, head of innovation design, façades, and sustainability at Ramboll’s Middle East and Africa operation.

READ MORE: RERA begins replacement of Dubai façades to boost fire safety

Karanouh said “previously observed and well-documented bad practices and behaviours” in the industry are “becoming even worse”.

He added: “[This is] due to financial constraints, wherein everyone from clients to consultants to contractors are practising false economy under the title of value engineering.”

Refurbishment

Financial constraints are driving select owners and developers away from new construction and towards refurbishments.

“This practice, however – while being more cost-effective and arguably more sustainable – does not come without its challenges, due to older buildings struggling to meet new regulatory codes and standards,” Karanouh explained.

Smart designs

The drive for smart buildings is also changing how façades are designed, Karanouh said.

“The [information technology] boom manifested in the popular use of smart phones and other smart systems, including social media, is giving rise to new interactive, responsive, and adaptive designs,” he continued.

“While so far we have seen many interesting ideas on paper, few become a reality due to investment requirements both in terms of time and cost.”

Costs associated with this initiative relate to research and development (R&D) and experimentation to develop, test, and validate concepts, which is “a difficult sell during challenging economic times”, Karanouh added.

Sustainability

Vegetated green façades are gaining traction in the region.

Karanouh said these systems are fitted with systems that “allow or encourage the growth of vegetation on the external surface of the building”, which thus becomes “an integrated part of the building skin itself”.

He added: “The idea is that biological skins offer many advantages especially in this region if the right vegetation is used; provide natural shading; help in creating cooler milder micro-climates; and create amenity spaces and views that improve the physiological and psychological well-being of occupants”.

Karanouh said these systems require minimal maintenance, “as nature is by default self-maintaining”.

In a comment piece, Middle East Architect editor wrote how the UAE needs to move on from glass and aluminium facades

British architect David Chipperfield is set to restore the Procuratie Vecchie on Venice’s historic Piazza San Marco, which hasn’t been open to the public since the past 500 years.

Imagery courtesy of David Chipperfield and the Human Safety Net

The major restoration works will be completed by 2020, and will be open to the public for the first time in five centuries – the building had been used by politicians and royalty – and will host various art exhibitions and seminars.

The building will also be home to the Human Safety Net, a non-profit organisation funded by the building owners, insurance company Generali Group. The organisation backs initiatives dealing with issues such as the refugee crisis and children in poverty.

“I am delighted to be working on this architecturally and socially coherent project, which will convey and connect ideas and people around the world,” said David Chipperfield.

“Working closely with Generali, we have a vision to transform the Procuratie Vecchie into a more active and engaged space, which embodies the global mission of The Human Safety Net, while retaining the dignified beauty and history of the buildings.”

The restoration will include opening a hidden passageway between Piazza San Marco and the Royal Gardens.

“By opening the Procuratie Vecchie to the public for the first time in nearly five centuries, we are creating new and vibrant spaces where people can meet to discuss some of today’s most pressing social and global issues,” said Philippe Donnet, CEO of Generali Group.

“David Chipperfield Architects was a natural choice due to his love of Venice and shared vision for an architecturally and socially coherent restoration,” he added.

Last year, Chipperfield had also unveiled his design for a museum located in Agra, India which is currently under construction next to the world renown Taj Mahal.

Photographer Iwan Baan has released images of Bjarke Ingels’ recently opened LEGO house in Denmark, where the plastic brick was first invented.

The design feature 21 white bricks stacked on top of one another. The building includes a store, restaurants, conference facilities and a public square on its ground floor.

The basement levels tells the history of the company, with the main gallery- featuring the tree of creativity, which is one of the largest LEGO structures ever built, made up of 6,316,611 bricks – is housed on the upper most floor.

All images by Iwaan Ban

Dr. Khaled Alawadi, an Emirati scholar, architect and educator, has been appointed by the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates – la Biennale di Venezia to curate the UAE’s exhibition at the 16^th International Architecture Exhibition at la Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale).

Dr. Alawadi is the first UAE national scholar to specialise in the design of sustainable cities, as well as being Assistant Professor of Sustainable Urbanism at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, part of Khalifah University of Science and Technology, where he founded the MSc. in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure program.

He is a trained architect, planner and urban designer whose research is devoted to urban design, housing and urbanism, with a special focus on the relationships between the built environment and sustainable development.

Dr. Alawadi recently served as Visiting Assistant Professor at MIT’s Center for Advanced Urbanism, and previously worked as an architect for Dubai Municipality and as an Assistant Professor at UAE University. He holds a PhD in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin.

“Dr. Alawadi is one of the region’s pre-eminent thinkers on urban landscapes and architecture, and we are delighted that he will bring this deep knowledge to bear as curator of the UAE’s 2018 exhibition,” said Khulood Al Atiyat, Manager of Arts, Culture and Heritage at the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE.

“Dr. Alawadi contributed to the publication and research accompanying our 2016 exhibition, which explored the UAE’s early sha’abi housing typologies. The UAE’s ongoing participation in the Venice Biennale is an opportunity to join a global cultural conversation, and Dr. Alawadi is very well-qualified to represent the UAE.”

Dr. Khaled Alawadi said: “Throughout my research, my aim is to develop the UAE’s reputation as a knowledge hub and engine for the transformation of cities and sustainable urbanization. The UAE has a unique architectural heritage which sits in dialogue with rapid urbanization and development, and offers a rich environment for thinking about the future of architecture and urban planning.”

“The Venice Biennale’s architecture exhibition is one of the world’s foremost platforms in the field, and I am honored to have been selected as the curator for 2018.”

The 16^th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale will take place from May 26^th to November 25^th, 2018, under the theme of Freespace, curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.

Each National Pavilion will respond to their overall aim to reveal the capacity of architecture to connect with history, time, place, and people.

On the 50th anniversary of Atkins in the Middle East, 126 of the company’s experts in design, engineering and project management have shared their predictions of what the region will look like in the next 50 years.

Predictions include old cities being replaced by new communities, designs inspired by the natural world, and even ‘breathing’ buildings which will feature vertical gardens to combat pollution.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Atkins was acquired by SNC Lavalin for $2.6bn.

Recently, Atkins had also designed heritage-inspired marine stations for Dubai Canal as well as an integrated community for northern Egypt. 

Dubai and Italy-based architecture firm SUPER FUTURE DESIGN* is set to unveil an installation during Dubai Design Week that focuses on principles of sustainability and materiality.

Images courtesy of SUPERFUTUREDESIGN*

The installation, designed in collaboration with tech-led lighting brand Buzzi & Buzzi and FDC Contracting, invites visitors to rethink the idea of an eco-lifestyle.

BETTair-House is a self sustaining environment that employs the latest in material innovation to demonstrate the importance of clean air to healthy living. Inside the BETTair-HOUSE, a home ecosystem is created with abundant natural vegetation – nurtured by the purifying properties of Buzzi & Buzzi’s light fixtures.

This innovative technology is designed to be seamlessly integrated into the wall, making zero environmental impact and actively improving the air in the environment where it’s installed.  In addition to being eco-friendly, the lights are also eco-active, anti-polluting and photocatalytic and work even when they are switched off.

SUPERFUTUREDESIGN* conceived the installation as part of its ethos for a new generation of sustainable living and continuous research in design innovation.

“The installation is an expression of a positive future,” explains founder, Andrea Sensoli. “The idea is that we can employ these advances in design and technology to live better, healthier lives. In a climate where we spend so much time indoors, our domestic air should contribute to our wellbeing.

Co-founder and design director Cecilia Morosi continues, “We are really excited to be able to launch this concept for the first time here in the UAE, as part of the Dubai Design Week. We invite design professionals and design novices alike, to fully experience and appreciate the beauty and the benefits of this idea.”

Other installations for Dubai Design Week include the new Abwab Pavilion designed by Fahed + Architects in collaboration with Bee’ah. The design sources used bed springs and other recycled materials.

BD Barcelona has also teamed up with four GCC-based designers for an exhibition during Dubai Design Week, taking place at The ODD Piece.

The UAE’s first Memorial Park celebrating martyred soldiers and the nation’s unity is one of the winners of the 2017 American Architecture Prize.

Located in Abu Dhabi, the Wahat Al Karama (Oasis of Dignity) memorial was selected for the cultural architecture category, among projects such as Bahá’i Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile by Hariri Pontarini Architects; Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York by CetraRuddy Architecture; as well as the Da Chang Muslim Cultural Centre in Hebei Province, China.

Oasis of Dignity is one of 13 winners in the cultural category, selected by 36 international judges that included British architects Will Allsop and Graham Morrison; Sadie Morgan, co-founder of dRMM Architects; and Jennifer Siegal, founder and principal of LA-based Office of Mobile Design.

The awards programme was established last year, and spans across fields of architecture, landscape and interior design.

The UAE memorial was completed last year, is symbolically located between Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the General Headquarters of the UAE Armed Forces.

At the heart of the park is an impressive sculpture by British artist Idris Khan which makes up the main Memorial.

The park also features a glass pavilion also designed by Khan in collaboration with Brisbane-based architects bureau proberts and engineering consultancy Robert Bird Group.

The overall masterplan and landscape design was completed by engineering firm AECOM.

We are delighted to present the shortlist for the Middle East Architect Awards 2017. Today, we reveal the line-up of finalists for Boutique Firm of the Year. 

We previously announced the shortlist for:

Commercial Project of the Year

Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year, 

Concept Design of the Year 

Community & Cultural Project of the Year

Sustainable Project of the Year

Public Sector & Education Project of the Year

Residential Project of the Year

Young Architect of the Year

Architect of the Year

Engineer of the Year

We are delighted to present the shortlist for the Middle East Architect Awards 2017. Today, we reveal the line-up of finalists for Large Firm of the Year. 

We previously announced the shortlist for:

Commercial Project of the Year

Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year, 

Concept Design of the Year 

Community & Cultural Project of the Year

Sustainable Project of the Year

Public Sector & Education Project of the Year

Residential Project of the Year

Young Architect of the Year

Architect of the Year

Engineer of the Year

Boutique Firm of the Year 

We are delighted to present the shortlist for the Middle East Architect Awards 2017. Today, we reveal the line-up of finalists for Principal of the Year. 

We previously announced the shortlist for:

Commercial Project of the Year

Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year, 

Concept Design of the Year 

Community & Cultural Project of the Year

Sustainable Project of the Year

Public Sector & Education Project of the Year

Residential Project of the Year

Young Architect of the Year

Architect of the Year

Engineer of the Year

Boutique Firm of the Year 

Large Firm of the Year

Dutch firm UNStudio is set to design a ‘breathing’ skyscraper in Dubai, which features a 300-metre-tall ceramic façade – the world’s tallest, according to the architects. It was announced earlier this year, that the tower is already set for construction.  

Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, in close proximity to the Burj Khalifa, the Wasl Tower is conceptualised in collaboration with German engineering company, Werner Sobek, with a completion date set for 2020.

The building will be clad in glazed clay tiles that will be interlaced to form a curving shape- and illuminated at night to appear as if it is ‘breathing’.

The mixed-use tower is designed with an aim to provide a sustainable and low tech solution to creating tall towers in a region with a hot, desert climate like Dubai.

The architects achieved this with the use of fin-shaped tiles on the façade that are planned to be angled in order to provide shade for the interiors.

Nigh time illumination will be achieved by lighting up the façade in a rhythm programme, where the lights are placed behind the finned part of the tiles. Developed and engineered by Arup, the lights will be solar powered through photovoltaic panels which will be installed on a car park rooftop.

According to the architects, the twisted shape of the building is inspired by the idea of a form in classical sculpture called the counterpose, or contrapposto.

The hotel arm of the building will be operated by the five-star Mandarin Oriental, housing over 250 rooms, as well as containing offices, private apartments, and public spaces.

The building will feature an open seam which will run from ground to top level, forming a ‘vertical boulebvard’ that features balconies and greenery, with an infinity pool at the top.

The four main lobbies at ground level as well as a spa, skydeck and a rooftop will all be vertically connected by three high-speed lifts.

A subordinate building located on the side of the tower will house the car park as well as a ballroom and a roof top pool, all connecting to the main building via a bridge.

The ground floor lobby will include a ‘walled garden’ to be used during the summer months.

“As the project strongly relates to and interconnects with Dubai’s urban experience, the aim is to make a visit to the Wasl Tower as attractive and contemporary as possible,” said UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel.

“As such, a dedicated concept of health, comfort and well-being throughout was developed for the building.”