MAY 2013 / VOLUME 07 / ISSUE 05
An ITP Business Publication
NEWS, WS S , DATA, DATA DA TA , ANALYSIS A AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC
INTERVIEW
Christopher Lee of Populous discloses the secrets of world class stadium design /p28
MOVERS & SHAKERS MEA’s first roundtable of the year covers starchitects and earthquakes
FEATURE THE LATEST TRENDS IN BATHROOM DESIGN CASE STUDY FOSTER + PARTNERS’ AIRPORT IN JORDAN
p2// FRONT
p4// PEOPLE
p64// LAST WORD
AGi unveils shimmering civic scheme in Kuwait
Ramboll’s new MD targets Middle East growth
David Stanford of Leigh & Orange on equestrian design
MAY | CONTENTS
MAY 2013 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 05 2
FRONT
Top stories in the world of architecture, including a civic scheme in Kuwait
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PROJECTS A round up of the latest project news from MENA and the rest of the world
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PEOPLE Key regional appointments, famous architect news and top quotes
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THE BIG PICTURE
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ROUNDTABLE
A group of the region’s top architects and engineers go head to head
A beguiling art installation with polycarbonate at Bloomingdales Dubai
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INTERVIEW
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FEATURE Discovering the latest trends and hottest designer products for the bathroom
Christopher Lee of Populous, one of the world’s top stadium architects
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CASE STUDIES
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THE WORK
A detailed reference section covering all the best projects in the world
Foster’s Jordan airport, a university in Oman and AFR’s London refurbishment
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CULTURE
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LAST WORD
A snapshot of funky furniture, books and other accessories in the market
David Stanford, principal director, Leigh & Orange, on equestrian design
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FRONT | MAY
60
Duration of roundtable in minutes (Page 14)
AGI DESIGNS SHIMMERING KUWAIT CIVIC SCHEME Kuwaiti-Spanish firm creates metal-clad complex alongside Bonyan Design
135,482m2 AREA OF COMPLEX
TOP STORY
The façade is
AGi architects, in collaboration with Bonyan Design, has won a competition to design the General Department of the Information System in Kuwait, notable for its shimmering metal skin. The 135,482m2 complex is conceived as a strong civic icon representing Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior Affairs, while providing offices for the government body. Its striking façade is made up of metal louvers with a shiny mirror fin-
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made up of metal louvers with a shiny mirror finish.
ish, which is shaded to deflect heat while allowing views. According to the architects the overall design is based on three principles: representativeness, security and functionality. The aesthetics are shaped by the superimposition of two contrasting layers: a large stone plinth at the lower level and lighter glass structures on the upper floors. From afar the building is perceived as a light volume elevated from the ground, while the immen-
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sity of the stone plinth will become apparent from close-up. Ground floor level will contain a plaza acting as an inner urban space which provides access to all four departments in the building. The lower section is open to the public through the main gates, while the upper levels house the offices of the various departments. The transparent glass envelope of the offices is wrapped with the metallic second skin that protects the building from direct sun.
MAY | FRONT
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1970s
Months to build Technical College Oman
First construction on 123 Victoria Street
(Page 48)
(Page 52)
RIBA h helps l sett up Libyan equivalent
home of Middle East Architect • Dubai’s older buildings at risk of
• Emaar launches new gated community in Dubai • Pictures: Technology University, Oman • Lebanese firm completes $20m London penthouse
WEIRD PROJECT OF THE MONTH
The third place entrant in eVolo’s 2013 skyscraper competition, Light Park by Ting Xu and Yiming Chen, is a floating building for Beijing which features a capped helium balloon.
DATASTREAM CONTINENTS WITH MOST SKYSCRAPERS Data: Emporis
ASIA (incl Middle East) 4,484 (53%)
A $926m contract to develop the Dubai World Trade Centre district was signed in 2008 with Al Jaber Engineering & Contracting. Work was initially meant to complete in 2011, but the project was put on hold due to the economic uncertainty in the region.
stadium for Qatar
AFRICA 83 (1%)
The redevelopment of a 146,000m2 site between Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Emirates Towers is underway, according to news agency WAM. Approval has already been granted by Dubai’s deputy ruler and Dubai World Trade Centre chairman HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum for construction to re-start. The first phase of construction includes a 588-room, mid-range hotel and three new commercial buildings. Construction work is due to start on site later this year, and the first of the commercial buildings is set to complete in 2015.
• Tangram unveils ‘wind sculpting’
NORTH AMERICA 2,683 (32%)
Work re-starts on Dubai Trade Centre district
earthquake damage
EUROPE 594 (7%)
government, academia and construction industry. Phil Graham from Cullinan Studio also attended the visit, as well as local partner, architect Sami Jaouda of the Libyan Engineering Office. Marcus Deeley of RIBA said: “Our Libyan mission is in support of the newly established Libyan Board of Architects and Libyan Institute of Architects with the intention of establishing long-term, institutional, educational and practice-to-practice partnerships that are the necessary foundations for a sustainable and community-focused future for Libya’s built environment.”
SOUTH AMERICA 306 (4%)
RIBA officials ventured to Tripoli.
This month’s top stories from the online
OCEANIA 304 (4%)
Senior officials from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) were in Tripoli last month to help set up the Libyan Institute of Architects (LIA), according to BD Online. Led by the RIBA’s head of international Marcus Deeley, the foreign team met key figures in Libya’s
DESIGNMENA.COM
Work is set to be complete in 2015.
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FRONT | MAY
PEOPLE
Facebook tells Gehry to “tone down” HQ
Abidi heads new markets unit.
Ramboll’s new MD targets Middle East Yaver Abidi has joined engineering and design firm Ramboll as managing director for the new markets business unit, which includes the Middle East and India. Based in Dubai, Abidi will assume responsibility for the main business lines and local units for new markets, which covers activities in regions outside Ramboll’s Nordic and UK home markets. He will also oversee the development of new services and sectors. Abidi said: “Today, Ramboll Middle East and Ramboll India are the main business units that make up new markets. “Our strategic goal is to develop our presence in these growth markets significantly, as well as expand into new regions, including Russia, South East Asia, North America and Africa.” Abidi joins Ramboll from Halcrow and CH2M Hill, where he most recently held the position of regional managing director for Middle East & Africa.
“Leadership in sustainability can only be seen in Abu Dhabi and Qatar — the only two states that have mandated ratings for new buildings.” ARVIN DAEIZADETH, Alpin Limited Masdar City
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Facebook has asked Frank Gehry to “tone down” his original design for the company’s new Silicon Valley campus, according to a partner at the architect’s firm. The early proposal for the campus displays a form in Gehry’s signature deconstructivist style. Craig Webb, partner at Gehry’s firm, told the Mercury News: “They felt some of those things were too flashy and not in keeping with the kind of culture of Facebook so they asked us to make it more anonymous.” Webb continued: “Frank was quite willing to tone down some of the expression of architecture in the building.” The new plan is to disguise the white stucco building with a rooftop garden. Gehry was enlisted to design Facebook’s campus last summer, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg specifying an office with “the largest open floor plan in the world”. An underground tunnel will connect the new building with Facebook’s existing campus over the road.
60 SECOND INTERVIEW HUGH HENDERSON, DIRECTOR CONSULTANCY, MACRO INTERNATIONAL How can architects and FMs How can architects and FMs work together? For architects the challenge is to balance design with sustainability, function and overall appeal. For FM the challenge is primarily about the efficient use of space and cost management. By working together we create a relationship that adds value to a project and has a huge impactnot only design and appeal, but also on the long-term costs and functionality of a building and the performance of end-users.
Is this happening? Without doubt, the market is waking up to the value of collaboration between architects and FM. The more FM can be a part of any project team, the less pain there will be at the handover stage. Starchitect given frank order.
“I think the design standards have just improved from a consultant’s perspective. There are still gaps on the construction side.” ROBERT DAVIES, associate director of fire and life safety, WSP Middle East
MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
“Competitiveness for new contracts is intensifying. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on higher-margin sectors and new geographic areas.” HASAN ABDULLAH ISMAIK, CEO, Arabtec
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FRONT | MAY
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MENA PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1 QATAR
2 DUBAI
2 ABU DHABI
Tangram unveils ‘wind sculpting’ stadium
Meydan’s $325m luxury scheme set for 2015
Premier Inn pioneers grey water reuse system
A proposed design of a sustainable stadium for the Qatar 2022 World Cup was unveiled by Tangram Gulf. The stadium is oriented to limit solar gain and utilises the movement of air to assist with passive cooling. The design is said to ‘sculpt the wind’ to provide natural ventilation, while site water is also used for cooling purposes. Internal circulation routes will contain ceilings that bring in diffused light.
Meydan and G&Co announced the launch of 198 luxury villas in Millennium Estates, with delivery scheduled for late 2015. The $325m luxury residential development, covering 35ha, is set to occupy Meydan’s South Extension and will be available on a freehold basis. Villas will range in size between 500m2 and 630m2 of livable space, with gardens, double-height ceilings and the use of large glazing panels.
The Premier Inn Hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport — currently nearing completion — has achieved a Pearl 2 rating, partly due to its pioneering grey water reuse system. The facility is the first in the emirate to recycle used wash basin, bath and shower water, which is treated and later reused in toilets and for watering the landscape. Additionally, solar collectors on the roof provide 25% of the complex’s hot water production.
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FRONT | MAY
4 DUBAI
5 ABU DHABI
6 DUBAI
Emaar launches new community in Dubai
Souk-inspired housing unveiled by TDIC
Largest conservatory in UAE built for students
Emaar Properties has launched its first residential development at Reem — a gated community development close to Arabian Ranches in Dubai. The company said that it will begin selling 188 townhouses in Mira, which is the first residential site to be developed at Reem. It will feature a desert botanical park, camping sites, camel riding trails, go-karting and dune buggy tracks, sand surfing and climbing walls.
Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) launched the second phase of its Eastern Mangroves residential component in Abu Dhabi — the 170-unit Promenade Apartments. Units are set across two buildings, one of which is now available to lease. The Promenade features a loose interpretation of a souk avenue with an arch-fronted open colonnade providing a pedestrian zone for a retail area.
Swiftrooms LLC has recently completed the largest conservatory project in the UAE for the School of Architecture, Art and Design at American University in Dubai (AUD). The 35m x 10m conservatory will be used by students for lessons, seminars, art exhibitions and presentations. The undergraduate programmes offered by the school are Architecture, Interior Design and Visual Communication.
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FRONT | MAY
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GLOBAL PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1 THE NETHERLANDS
2 JAPAN
3 FRANCE
Rijksmuseum reopens after 10-year renovation
OMA-designed Coach store opens in Tokyo
BIG wins Europa City development near Paris
A 10-year refurbishment project on Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum was completed on April 13, 2013. Architects Cruz and Ortiz were commissioned to lead the design team, with a joint venture between Arup, Royal Haskoning /Van Heugten and DGMR handling building services, building physics and lighting design. The renovated museum is expected to attract up to two million visitors each year.
Designed by Shohei Shigematsu and OMA’s New York office, Coach’s latest flagship store opened in Tokyo. The design features a façade of 210 stacked, translucent display boxes in a herringbone pattern which displays the brand’s products. In addition to the façade, OMA designed a “floating” tower of 105 illuminated acrylic units that encase the store’s central stair, drawing pedestrians to the upper level.
Danish practice BIG has won an international competition to design Euro City, an 800,000m2 cultural, recreational and retail development in Triangle de Gonesee, France. Europa City combines city development with an open landscape, situated along the route from Charles de Gaule Airport to Paris. It is created as part of a larger initiative to attract international tourism into the northern parts of the capital.
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FRONT | MAY
THE BIG PICTURE
PLASTIC FANTASTIC This image captures a beguiling temporary installation ‘City Within’ by Italian designer and architect Antonio Pio Saracino. Each translucent polycarbonate sheet contains the shape of a city landscape with different building forms. It was installed at Bloomingdale’s Home in Dubai until the 16th of April as part of Design Days Dubai’s off-site events.
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MAY | FRONT
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FEATURE | ROUNDTABLE
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ROUNDTABLE | FEATURE
MOVERS & SHAKERS ROUNDTABLE
Middle East Architect brings together a cross section of top professionals to debate topics ranging from celebrity designers to earthquake-proof buildings
T
aking place at 2.30pm on April 16th in Dubai, the fi rst Middle East Architect roundtable of 2013 was both memorable and unpredictable — partly due to a dramatic interruption caused by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Iran. After evacuating the shaking building and braving the mid-afternoon heat, the discussion got back on track to a range of subjects affecting the region’s architectural scene today. The attendants of the session were: Yahya Jan, design director and vice president of Norr Group Consultants; Peter Moy, associate partner at GAJ; Bart Leclercq, head of structures, WSP Middle East; Martin Dufresne, managing director, U+A Architects; Chris Wan, manager, city design, Masdar City; Tareq AbuSukheila, managing director, Gensler Abu Dhabi.
months, some of that franticness is back in select areas. This concerns me. Certainly what we are seeing is a galloping rebound and the pace is not sustainable. It will continue for a while and it will eventually have to reach equilibrium and settle down a bit. Tareq Abu-Sukheila: A couple of projects that we have in Dubai are not progressing as fast, especially after the concept design phase. I think that the clients are more cautious. They want to make sure that the projects have been studied and they research the market very carefully. Chris Wan: Speaking from the development side, I would not use the word cautious. It is more like being sensible. There is a lot of research going on — the most unsustainable building is an empty building, no matter what credentials it has. Our model looks at more involvement from the end-user so there is far less emphasis on speculative-type developments.
How is business in 2013? Yahya Jan: We are fi nding a real bounce back in Dubai. When the slowdown happened, we had very little work here — most of it was in Saudi, Iran, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. In the last six to nine
In 10 years time, which city do you think will be the major centre in the Middle East? TA: I believe that Abu Dhabi is creating a niche for
itself in terms of promoting the cultural district on
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FEATURE | ROUNDTABLE
Saadiyat Island. As we stand now, there are no great museums in the Middle East. You go to France, London, New York and fi nd the Guggenheim, Louvre, etc. From my perspective, Abu Dhabi will be the cultural city in the Middle East. Bart Leclercq: Maybe from a cultural point of view, yes — and maybe Sharjah even — but if you look at the city that has the strongest brand it is by far Dubai in my opinion. Dubai is always managing to catch the headlines, to trigger the imagination and stir the blood of literally everybody in the Middle East and the rest of the world. And with the people that you tend to get here — very entrepreneurial and enthusiastic — I think Dubai will always rejuvenate itself and be surprising and exciting. It will defi nitely stay the number one spot in the Middle East. Martin Dufresne: I agree about Dubai. In terms of art and culture,
Doha is bringing it up to a much higher level. The museums are fantastic with remarkable collections and it will keep going in that respect. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are in the race but to me they are catching up with Doha. BL: It is like a shopping spree — who can get the most and best art pieces. TA: I do share your points but looking 10 years down the road, I believe Abu Dhabi will be the cultural hub. I understand that Doha is buying all the art pieces, but I see that Abu Dhabi is doing it carefully. MD: I agree, they are doing it carefully and with the right type of infrastructure in exciting locations for these wonderful buildings. In time this will also bring in a lot of tourists. BL: But by being careful, they are also being risk averse. MD: But look at Doha with Islamic Art — it is a fantastic piece of architecture and it is attracting a lot of interest and tourism.
Five years ago architecture was used as a gimmick. Sheikh Zayed Road became like a body building contest – everybody was flexing.” Yahya Jan, Norr
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Peter Moy: It is going to take huge
investments to create what they want and the scale of developments they are looking at in Abu Dhabi. I’d say 10 years is probably too short a period of time. You are probably looking at 15 or 20 years. Does the Saadiyat masterplan have the right approach of mixing culture with luxury retail? BL: I wonder that if what you see
with the DIFC is something better where you have a number of art galleries, exquisite restaurants and residential above it. To have something like that in the middle of the beautiful museums would be, in my mind, absolutely wonderful. They could have a lot of art dealers and antique
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FEATURE | ROUNDTABLE
collectors. If they put a shopping mall in Saadiyat, I think they have lost a really good opportunity. PM: I think the master plan for Saadiyat is very sound. It is how the master plan becomes a reality. You cannot make it grow organically unless you pump a lot of money into it. TA: We at Gensler have done the master plan for both — for Saadiyat Island and for DIFC. And part of the success of Saadiyat Island is that we created a cultural district. You do need some of this high-end retail to act as a balance. It has high-end beach resorts, hotels, schools, a university, some high-end shopping, and I think it will be quite a destination. YJ: But you say high-end and we are talking about cultural institutions. I think what we are missing in this part of the world, and DIFC is an interesting start to that, is where cultural institutions are meshed into a dense urbanism.
How do you think the Middle
PM: It will be interesting to see if
East urban landscapes will
areas like Jumeirah will see redevelopment and whether there will be pockets of café culture and street culture. I wonder if people will start investing in prime sites rather than ones off the main beat. YJ: Developers look at spaces to see what is more viable. It used to be that people were not fond of outdoors but people are now using it. I always felt that Dubai was a city of cities, almost like satellites connected by lines, and I would argue that is not the way going forward. We need more conscientious city building. Five years ago architecture was used as a gimmick. Sheikh Zayed Road became like a body building contest — everybody was flexing. I really feel and hope that
change? YJ: I am hoping that Dubai will
develop with projects that are near each other rather than far out in the desert. Hopefully Dubai moves away from the car culture toward pedestrian. We need to move away from object fi xation, to space and environment. If Dubai goes that way, it will be an amazing city. BL: I have a feeling that this is happening. The whole area around the Burj Khalifa and also the Jumeirah Beach Residences area is such an exciting place to be. MD: There was so much disconnect and now people are merging. In Marina boulevard, especially in the evening, I feel like I am in downtown Toronto because it is so vibrant. Right now it’s a bit frustrating with the tram but when it is fi nished it will be amazing.
Every city needs one or two pieces of architecture that shout at you. But the success of the city is really what happens between these icons.” Chris Wan, Masdar City
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ROUNDTABLE | FEATURE
we all learnt from that. CW: In our design team we think of cities as meat and potatoes. We are not really interesting in the meat — we are interested in the potatoes because they make up 90% of the city. You need one or two pieces of architecture that shout at you. But the success of the city is really what happens between these icons and more and more people are recognising that and putting effort into that.
Are developers in Dubai still going for starchitects, or are local practices fully utilised? MD: Speaking on behalf of a medi-
um-sized local practice, defi nitely no. I get extremely frustrated when developers go out and invite the big names. It feels like someone goes out shopping and goes straight to Louis Vuitton and Chanel without looking at the boutiques that may come out with products that have been given more care. In my office we get into the last detail. It is about craftsmanship and I think there is still quite a bit to learn in that respect. PM: I can see why developers bring in big name architects in terms of
growing brands for their development. But I agree that there are a lot of good architects here in Dubai and the region and it would be better to look at them as a knowledge source. I have seen a trend from an external point of view where a client goes to a star architect for the concept and then goes to a local architect to have the whole thing worked out. Developers want to have the signature brand but they don’t necessarily want to pay the premium price. TA: At the same time, there are clients who see the emerging young architects making a difference. There are a lot of interdisciplinary fi rms but in terms of pure architec-
“Dubai is always managing to catch the headlines, to trigger the imagination and stir the blood of literally everybody in the Middle East and the rest of the world. Bart Leclercq, WSP
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FEATURE | ROUNDTABLE
tural companies...I see that they are emerging and there will be more of such architects. YJ: I think there is a place for all kind of human endeavours. In the art field — from an unknown actor to a star like Brad Pitt. I don’t see Dubai, or any of the cities here, as a problem. I think there is space for everyone. It is not whether the architect is a star or not. What matters is the quality and appropriateness of the work. What we saw happening before the crash is the flooding of architectural fi rms that did horrible work — that is the biggest concern for me. BL: I think every city is entitled to have a couple of failures — that is part of growing up and part of being an exciting city. We should try and focus on getting some of the projects that are unfi nished, completed or demolished. When you go to Thailand and India and see areas where
buildings are incomplete, you know they were from before a crash. Finally, bearing in mind the tremor, are Dubai’s buildings able to withstand earthquakes? BL: Yes, all buildings are checked
by authorities and in Dubai the buildings are built under certain conditions. We all know that this is an earthquake-prone area given its proximity to Iran and all buildings are designed to withstand this. The code that we follow here is zone 2B, which is overestimating the risk — we have never had an earthquake of great magnitude. I have no concern that in the future if a really big earthquake hits, we should be covered. YJ: But we have a huge building stock and some older buildings in Deira and Bur Dubai were not designed to such codes. And we know that in earthquakes, it is often
I get extremely frustrated when developers go out and invite the big names. It’s like someone who goes out shopping and goes straight to Louis Vuitton.” Martin Dufresne, U+A Architects
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the shorter buildings with sharper frequencies, that are more susceptible to earthquakes, rather than tall buildings. My main concern is more about the older stock — the fivestorey buildings that are touching each other and I can imagine there is a risk there. BL: Yes. Older buildings are more susceptible and the proximity of buildings matters — when they are too close they start hitting each other and that is when damage starts. YJ: Earthquake design is statistical, it is based on probability. You can never design for the worst earthquake so there is always a risk that a mega earthquake will cause damage, no matter what code you design to.
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COMMENT | EDITOR’S LETTER
CHANGING TIMES EDITOR’S LETTER
Two years can make a lot of difference in the development of the GCC
GOT A COMMENT? If you have any comments to make on this month’s issue, please e-mail oliver. ephgrave @itp.com
W
hen I fi rst joined MEA in April 2011, we held a roundtable discussion with five industry professionals and asked them how business was going. The universal reaction was that work in Dubai was painfully slow, or nonexistent, and fi rms were looking further afield. Last month we held another roundtable discussion, yet the mood was decidedly different. In fact, one of the attendants, Yahya Jan from Norr, described the Dubai development scene as “frantic”. As Jan noted, this franticness is slightly alarming given that the
previous construction boom led to an almighty crash in late 2008. However, Jan and the other attendees were hopeful that lessons had been learnt in the wake of the fi nancial crisis. It would seem that nowadays developers are more sensible, although realism and straight thinking is by no means universal, certainly in Dubai. Fanciful projects that were seemingly wiped out during the crash have somehow come back to life, while billion-dollar schemes involving giant fairground pieces have been launched from scratch. But on the whole, we’re seeing a smarter type of building emerge
AGi’s Kuwait villas are recent regional gems.
We’re seeing a smarter type of building emerge across the GCC: one that is tailored to the user and the climate rather than the ego of the architect or developer.”
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across the GCC: one that is more tailored to the user and the climate rather than the ego of the architect or developer. Highlights for me, which I’ve personally visited, include the intimate art spaces created by Sharjah Art Foundation, the colourful Al Ain University by Cox Architecture, Jean Nouvel’s intricate and spectacular Burj Qatar and the 5 Pearl-rated Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre in Al Ain. There are also several inspiring new buildings in the GCC that I’m yet to explore. A number of these are in Kuwait — a country I have not visited — such as AGi’s MOP house and S-Cube chalet, as well the striking Al Hamra tower. On the more pyrotechnical side, I’ve been dying to see the interior spaces of the twisting Infi nity Tower, a building I glimpse every day in Dubai Marina. However, the much-delayed building is still not quite ready for a MEA site visit, according to the architecture fi rm Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM). As there is so much I want to see and write about, it is particularly difficult for me to announce that this is my last issue as editor of Middle East Architect. I leave with a very heavy heart and would like to thank you all for reading, sharing your thoughts and letting me visit your inspiring creations over the past two years.
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COMMENT | CORNELIS VAN VLASTUIN
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN OPINION
What are the possibilities when designing stairs? Cornelis van Vlastuin is founder of EeStairs
A
lthough the art of stairmaking has been around for generations, rarely has one feature within a property offered so much potential for expressing individuality. There is significant scope, both within the structure and design. Stairs can be straight, helical, spiralled, folding, single-flight, multi-flight. They can come with or without a plinth, stringers and handrails, they can be cantilevered or wall steps, and you can choose from wood, steel and glass. It’s possible for architects, interior designers and end users to have the creative freedom to deliver a customised solution for both corporate and residential buildings. They can experiment with colours, materials,
structural design and positioning to deliver a central feature. A recent trend we have noticed from specifiers in the Middle East is the increasing demand for floating staircases, especially within residential applications. Floating staircases are built into walls (or attached to a staircase’s stringer) on one side, and unsupported on the other — giving the appearance that they are ‘floating’. Structurally it is possible to incorporate hand rails or glass balustrades, which may be required in homes where children or elderly people live, into designs without sacrificing the minimal aesthetic of the stair. Traditionally, floating staircase treads have been manufactured from wood, though increasingly specifiers
Lighting can be used to create drama.
A recent trend we have noticed from specifiers in the Middle East is the increasing demand for floating staircases, especially within residential applications.”
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
and end-users alike are requesting glass treads, allowing the maximum infiltration of natural light. Smoked glass is particularly beautiful and when combined with a light colour creates a contemporary tread. Another design possibility attracting interest in the Middle East is LEDs incorporated within staircase treads. For Sabic (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), we created a helical staircase with blue LED lighting embedded within glass treads. Helical stairs are distinct from spiral stairs in that they don’t turn around a central column, but curve gracefully to lead the way up or down stairs. In a helical staircase, each tread has a full depth of surface across the width of the tread to give sure-footed access. The LED lighting provides the staircase with an unusual, bold edge, producing an product that combines innovative design and practicality. First and foremost, of course, staircases are functional items. They afford the practical use of space and provide the link between different parts of the building. But just because they are functional, does not mean they shouldn’t say something about you, the architect or the owner. The way you choose the location, how you light the area and the materials you choose for the construction of your staircase can all be personal to your building. Get those right and incorporate them within a distinctive design and there is no reason why your staircase should not become your own practical, as well as, personal work of art.
COMMENT | RIZWAN SAJAN
BUILDING HOPE OPINION
The long-term prospects for the UAE are bright Rizwan Sajan is founder and chairman of Danube Group
I
n the olden days, building materials had been restricted to a few man-made materials along with those available in nature such as timber, stone, lime and concrete. Metals were not available in sufficient quantity or consistent quality to be used as anything more than ornamentation. Structure was limited by the capabilities of natural materials. However, the industrial revolution changed this situation dramatically. The building material industry strengthened its footprint across the globe and in the UAE extending its presence to various geographies. As more and more multinational companies move into the UAE, the local commercial office buildings and hotels continue to increase.
There is a large demand for building materials, such as aluminum, steel, cement, marble and bathroom accessories. Due to the rapid development of the tourism industry in the UAE, the entire infrastructure is in a comprehensive and fast-track construction process. However, the centre stage of discussion now is sustainable building materials. While sustainability has been a buzzword in the industry for a number of years, we are now definitely witnessing a genuine drive of new development projects in pursuing increasingly higher levels of sustainability. This is driven partly by regulation, and also due to developers realising that sustainability offers a genuine opportunity to increase the The UAE is ranked as the 14th largest importer of steel products.
We are now definitely witnessing a genuine drive of new development projects in pursuing increasingly higher levels of sustainability.”
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
value of assets. Sustainable products will be a key growth driver for Middle East construction. Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling non-renewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building projects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling and disposal of these building industry source materials. Long-term prospects for the UAE building material industry are bright due to growth in investment in the UAE, GCC and key foreign markets. This underlines an increase in demand for building materials especially for steel products. Dubai recently unveiled the Mohammed Bin Rashid City and a lot of other large projects worth billions of dollars. With the UAE ranking as the world’s 14th largest importer of steel products, the industry is set to grow. Moreover, the geographic advantage of the UAE makes international trade of steel flat products accessible to global markets by linking western markets — including Europe and North America — and Asian markets. The UAE has experienced enormous investment in the construction industry. As a percentage of the UAE’s GDP, the construction industry contributed 10.6% in 2008 and 10.3% in 2011. For 2015 and 2021, it is expected to contribute 11.1% and 11.5% respectively, setting high standards for the sector.
Hotel, Shopping Center, Villas, Basra, Iraq Image of Grand Mosque, Doha, Qatar
Commercial Tower, Al Khobar, KSA
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Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Hotel, Riyadh, KSA
t &YQFSJFODF PG ZFBST t 64 CJMMJPO $POTUSVDUJPO $PNQBOZ t 'JOBODJBMMZ TUSPOH t &YQFSJFODF JO BMM UZQFT PG 1SPKFDUT t 5JNFMZ DPNQMFUJPO t 2VBMJUZ BTTVSBODF t 3FMJBCMF t )JTUPSZ PG /0 MJUJHBUJPOT PS DMBJNT Shapoorji Pallonji International FZE Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA) Building 5WA, OfямБce #201 2nd Floor PO Box 54449, Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 2993880 Fax: +971 4 2993881
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t (MPCBM 0GmDFT t *OEJB 0GmDFT t 4UBGG t &OHJOFFST t 5SBEFTNFO BOE -BCPSFST t *40 $FSUJmDBUF GPS 6"& t *40 $FSUJmDBUF GPS *OEJB Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL PO Box 22587, Financial Square C-21, 1st Floor, OfямБce No.5 Al Muntaza, C-Ring Road Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 4 4566024 Fax: +974 4 4566025
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INTERVIEW | CHRISTOPHER LEE
WORLD CUP GOALS INTERVIEW
Christopher Lee, senior principal of Populous, speaks to Michael Fahy about the changing nature of stadium design and the potential impact of Qatar 2022
F
or someone who has spent most of his life either designing stadiums, or thinking about stadium design, Christopher Lee is somewhat hesitant when asked to name his favourite project. Lee is more decisive when it comes to his overall favourite stadium, plumping for the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the old Wembley stadium, although he admits that in terms of usability, the latter was a “disgusting” place. “There was no leg room and people were using the corridor as a toilet, but it had a mythical status and it’s very hard to create that magic. The old Wembley and the Maracana were these sort of mythical places you almost didn’t believe existed.” Lee, who has worked on a huge range of new-build and redevelopments including Olympic stadiums in Sydney and London, the Millennium stadium in Cardiff, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium and the new soccer stadium for the Houston Dynamos MLS team, eventually settles for Arsenal’s Emirates stadium as the project which has given him the greatest level of personal satisfaction. “They were a fantastic client,” he says. “It was a kind-of game changer in the UK for Premiership football clubs — for a stadium to become the primary engine of commerce for a football club, whereas previously they hadn’t been.” Lee grew up on Australia’s East Coast and began working, after graduating, for architect Rod Sheard at Lobb Sports Architecture, responsible for Sydney’s Olympic stadium. The firm is now advising Qatar’s Olympic Committee on a sports masterplan. Lee has spent much of his career in London, where he “got kind-of trapped by great projects” such as the Millennium stadium and the Emirates stadium.
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He said the brief he received for designing the Emirates stadium was just that. “If you imagine for a project like Emirates, which was a £200m — the brief from Danny Fiszman, who was the director there, was 60,000 seats and the most beautiful and the most intimidating stadium.” And that, he says, was pretty much it. “At the time I thought, ‘Wow, that’s succinct!’, but it was actually genius.” He said that the focus of the design was all about creating an atmosphere by looking at the proximity and intensity within the seating bowl, while having spectators as close to the pitch as possible, developing a roof that was inward-focusing and choosing the right materials to generate a spectacle. “This whole big thing at the moment — you’ve probably seen in the papers that Manchester United have hired an acoustic engineer — is trying to get this ephemeral thing of atmosphere and how you create that. Noise is certainly one way. But it’s more art than science.” He argues that stadiums — particularly in Asia — are becoming more integrated parts of their communities, with other facilities such as hotels, conference centres and even shopping centres, meaning they are less dependent on matchday use. Lee cites Chelsea FC as an example — where 1.3m people visit each year on matchdays, but around 1.4m attend for non-matchday uses such as shops, corporate facilities or banqueting suites. The other great driver in stadium design is the use of technology. Populous recently built a soccer stadium in Kansas City — the former Livestrong Sporting Park — which has a Wi-Fi connection so fast that people bring laptops to games to download movies. “Smartphones will very much integrate into our buildings, whether it’s in-seat ordering for food or merchandising, or inter-
MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
CHRISTOPHER LEE | INTERVIEW
www.designmena.com | 05.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT
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INTERVIEW | CHRISTOPHER LEE
There’s a great opportunity to develop a series of core stadiums with good facilities for an ongoing league that will become high-quality venues and grow the game well beyond the event.”
active signage and wayfi nding. Certainly, technology will change very much how we experience the game — whether it’s live stats, replays or just social interaction and buying tickets. You can see where your friends have bought tickets and sit there.” The other major driver will be in sustainability — and this is where Lee believes Qatar will be at the vanguard. “The issue that needs to be addressed in Qatar is one of legacy, and a genuine assessment of what’s needed — pre- and post [World Cup]. “From a sporting point of view I think that’s important — to get the facilities in the right place, at the right size and with the right kind of legacy mode. But also how you can leverage the event to start developing your cities in the way that you want them to.” Among the many questions that have been asked is whether the country will need so many big stadiums after the event — many of which are packed closely together in and around Doha. All of the venues will be developed for the World Cup with 45,000plus seats, but many can be taken back down to 25,000 once the tournament is over, so they can be used by local sides. “There’s a great opportunity to develop a series of core stadiums with good facilities for an ongoing league that will become high-quality venues and grow the game well beyond the event.”
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He adds the proximity of the stadiums provides an opportunity for a World Cup with a unique atmosphere as fans will all largely be based in and around one city — as opposed to preceding World Cups in Brazil and Russia, where some stadia are a five-hour plane flight away from others. “As a visitor, it will be a fantastic experience where you can base yourself in Doha and go to any group game within a 40-minute drive.” However, he says the most interesting thing about the proposed stadia planned for Qatar’s World Cup bid is the sustainability element. There have been doubts expressed about the ability to deliver truly sustainable stadiums when average summer temperatures in Doha regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Lee believes this can be achieved, though. “We’ve just fi nished in stadium for the Miami Marlins. It’s a baseball stadium, but it’s a similar size, has a closing, operable roof and is fully airconditioned. That’s LEED Gold. Miami has remarkably similar climactic conditions as Qatar in summer. So it’s entirely achievable to do fully-conditioned but sustainable stadiums,” he adds. Passive cooling technologies can be used to channel wind to naturally cool stadiums, but photovoltaic panels can be used to generate energy to offset active air cooling, he argues. Lee notes that by the time the World Cup gets underway, photovoltaic panels will be much more robust and able to deliver better performances. Christopher Lee believes He says there are “lots of different it is possible mechanisms” that can be used to cool to build stadiums sustainably. “The stadium sustainable we’re doing in Mexico at the moment is stadia. using pretty similar technology to the test stadium — using off-grid electricity to create massive ice stores. But yeah, defi nitely the technology exists now to do it in a sustainable way — otherwise you wouldn’t get LEED Gold,” he says. Another challenge will be to deliver sustainable environments for crowds around the grounds and in fan zone areas. Lee believes that much of this can be achieved naturally, using vegetation and trees to provide shading rather than relying on man-made structures. “As a stadium designer, it is quite tricky. And that’s the great challenge — to produce something that is sustainable but also an environment that is comfortable and everyone is happy to be in.”
MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
CHRISTOPHER LEE | INTERVIEW
PORTFOLIO: CHRISTOPHER LEE
THE EMIRATES STADIUM, LONDON Home of Arsenal FC, the Emirates Stadium is a 60,000-capacity, threetiered bowl with translucent polycarbonate roofing over the stands. Lee described the design as “beautiful” and “intimidating”. OLYMPIC STADIUM, LONDON A stand-out feature from the London 2012 Olympics, the 80,000-capacity stadium was designed by Populous, with engineering services from Buro Happold. A wrap made from polyester and polyethylene encircles the stadium.
www.designmena.com | 05.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT
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INTERVIEW | CHRISTOPHER LEE
MARLINS PARK, MIAMI Populous recently completed this baseball stadium for the Miami Marlins, a fully airconditioned structure with a closing, operable roof which achieved LEED Gold. QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE Opened in late 2011, the LEED Gold QNCC contains a 4,000-capaity conference hall. Populous worked with Burns & McDonnell as architect of record for the $720 million project, which was inspired by a Sidra tree.
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
INTERVIEW | CHRISTOPHER LEE
BBVA STADIUM, HOUSTON, USA This 22,000-capacity soccer stadium for the Houston Dynamo features a faceted façade of expanded metal mesh with orange polycarbonate enclosed entrances and spectator facilities that reects the industrial heritage of the area.
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Creating a picture of Qatar’s National 2030 Vision
FEATURE | BATHROOMS
Collection 3 by Duscholux AG.
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
FEATURE | BATHROOMS
CLEAN DESIGNS Tapping into the latest trends and award-winning products for the bathroom
www.designmena.com | 05.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT
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FEATURE | BATHROOMS
2
T
1 3
A deep-soaking bath is a common feature in the JW Marriot Marquis.
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
he oldest documented bath is believed to stretch back to 3,300BC, with ancient copper water pipes found under a palace in India. Since then, the bath has seen a variety of developments and concepts, from the thermal ingenuity of the Romans to the iron tubs of the 19th century, which were akin to horse troughs. Today, the bathroom industry is a big business, with scores of manufacturers competing against each other to secure lucrative contracts. With so much choice around, what are the needs of specifiers these days? Advanced technology is a key requirement, certainly when it comes to the functionality of bathroom fittings. According to Ivan Zupanovic, Laufen’s head of international project sales & export, the biggest technological advancement is in water-saving. He says: “Along with dualflush toilets, which are now pretty much standard issue ... there has been a sharp rise in FLUSH VOLUME OF demand for infra-red, sensor controls on LUFEN’S ANTERO bathroom brassware.” URINAL A sophisticated water-saving fitting is Lufen’s Antero urinal 1 , winner of a coveted red dot design award in 2012. Thanks to the patented flushing action of the back wall, the whole urinal can be flushed with less than one litre of water, while the intelligent hybrid control provides various cleaning modes. The red dot jury stated: “Antero impresses due to its high-quality workmanship and its distinctive form style of aesthetically appealing, timely elegance.”
1 LITRE
FEATURE | BATHROOMS
Spa-like bathing is a common trend in the hospitality industry.
Another product that won a red dot award for its technical wizardry is Sigma80 2 , a touchless WC actuator plate by Geberit. Sensors recognise the presence of a person and illuminate the operating display panel of the two-volume flushing. The jury commented: “This hygienic WC operating panel is self-explanatory and functional, matching harmoniously with all kinds of bathroom surroundings due to its puristic appearance.” A current trend, particularly in the hospitality sector, is spa-like bathing. Daryl Barker, managing director at Bagno Design/ Sanipex says: “Showering is a high point of the hotel guest room experience.” He continues: “Old showers are out; rain showers are in, with oversized bathtubs bringing luxury. Many new hotel designers choose placing a large, freestanding tub in the middle of the suite surrounded by glass shower doors. A deep soaking bath and a rainfall showerhead are all standard in the bathrooms of the recently opened JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai.” 3 Andreas Dornbracht, managing director of Dornbracht, also outlines the shift towards rain showers. “This is what people are looking for; it’s not just taking a shower to wash yourself but enjoying it under a big rain sky or maybe with a cold mist changing temperatures. This is not only a matter of pleasure but also certain functions. For example, using water to stimulate blood circulation and the quality of the skin through certain water treatments.” These elements have been incorporated into the design of Dornbracht’s new horizontal shower 4 which incorporates six seamless faucets within a sleek marble slab parallel with each other. Three different water “scenarios” are all electronically controlled by the user who is situated between the two slabs. “The new interesting features are coming from the spa industry,” remarks Dornbracht. “I
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FEATURE | BATHROOMS
The horizontal shower features a marble slab and three water scenarios.
remarks Dornbracht. “I believe that the bathroom is developing into a personal beauty and care centre. Where does beauty take place in a private environment? It’s in the bathroom. This is where the bathroom can become more interesting and integrate more features in the future.” Meanwhile, manufacturer Delta has devised a way to create a luxurious shower experience and conserve water at the same time with its H2Okinetic faucets. 5 The showerheads are manufactured to be more water efficient by utilising technology that sculpts water into wave patterns, creating the feel of more water without actually using it. The resulting concentrated spray of large water droplets is intended to mimic the rain in the Amazonian rainforests. Heat is held for longer, making the entire shower experience feel warmer while also creating the feel of more water. Ross Jackson, general manager for Delta in the Middle East and North Africa, explains: “Each shower head and hand shower contains an internal system that controls the speed, movement and droplet size of the water, which creates the feeling of more water than a standard shower flowing at the same rate.” In terms of aesthetics, luxurious clean lines and minimalism is de rigueur. This entails large showers with ample glass for natural light, frameless doors and ceilings as well as side-mounted showerheads. Judd Lord, director of industrial design, Delta, said: “We’re seeing clean, minimalist design dressed in warmer, traditional finishes such as shades of bronze. There is a move to
4
SIX FAUCETS IN
DORNBRACHT’S HORIZONTAL SHOWER
6 eliminate hardware, with hidden, built-in handles for a cleaner look.” A frameless shower that has taken the design world by storm is Collection 3 by Duscholux AG, 6 a series with striking contours which picked
Old showers are out; rain showers are in, with oversized bathtubs bringing luxury.” Daryl Barker, Bagno Design/Sanipex
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
7 up a red dot award. Flat hinges and wall brackets made from chromeplated metal, slimline crossbars and an innovative handle complement the linear design. Another award-winning shower is Duravit’s St. Trop, 7 a steam shower designed by the pop star of product design, Philippe Starck. Reduced to the essentials, it is presented as a simple rectangle, where the door forms a frame. A stool inside the shower incorporates an artistic motif and resembles a modern sculpture.
FEATURE | BATHROOMS
Delta’s
5
8 The 1,000mm by 1,000mm steam shower is available in back-to-wall and corner versions. When it comes to stylish tubs, the Asymmetric Duo by Kaldewei, 8 is certainly an eye-catcher. The entire bath is drawn from one piece of special steel and then extensively enamelled. Flush mounted into the bottom of the bath, the drain forms an aesthetic, harmonious solution. “The distinctive design detail of a generously dimensioned bathtub surrounding satisfies also the need
for barrier-free products, as one can sit comfortably on the bathtub surrounding and slide into the bath,” commented the red dot jury. A collection of fittings which oozes elegance is the aptly named Allure Brilliant 9 by Grohe AG. Every faceted surface has been sculpted to delicately reflect light which helps to reduce the perceived volume of the product. The red dot jury remarked: “The carefully engineered surfaces with their jewel-like character and the surprising, architectonic appear-
H2Okinetic faucet (left).
9 ance are the outstanding features of this unusual collection.” According to Bagno’s Barker, another bathroom trend is the use of natural materials and tones. He adds: “Nature is visible with the demand for softer finishes utilising products such as marble, copper, bronze and re-constituted stone, especially for basins and bathtubs.” Whatever the inspiration, it’s clear that bathroom manufacturers have come a long way since the days of the Victorian horse trough.
www.designmena.com | 05.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT
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QUEEN ALIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | CASE STUDY
QUEEN ALIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Architect: Foster + Partners Location: Amman, Jordan CASE STUDY
THE PROJECT Last month marked the official opening of Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, designed by Foster + Partners. The airport’s design is based on a flexible modular solution, allowing the capacity to increase by 6% per annum, from 3.5 million to 12 million passengers by 2030. Two piers of departure gates run along either side of the central building, which contains the main processing areas and shops, lounges and restaurants. Between these volumes, open-air courtyards — in the vein of vernacular architecture — contribute to the environmental strategy.
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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.13 | www.designmena.com
CASE STUDY | QUEEN ALIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
THE SITE In response to the climate, where summer temperatures swing between day and night, the building is constructed largely from concrete, which provides a high thermal mass. Horizontal louvers shade the faรงades from direct sunlight. To eliminate glare, the louvers become ESTIMATED CAPACITY concentrated in BY 2030 exposed areas close to the columns. The concrete structure incorporates local gravel which harmonises with the natural shades of local sand.
12M
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QUEEN ALIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | CASE STUDY
THE CONCEPT The airport’s design is inspired by local references, particularly the domed roof which echoes the black flowing fabric of a Bedouin tent, when viewed from the air. The terminal is glazed on all sides to allow views of the aircraft and to aid orientation. A tessellated roof canopy comprises a series of shallow concrete domes, which exGROWTH OF tend to shade the façades AIRPORT PER — each dome provides a ANNUM modular unit for construction. Domes branch out from the supporting columns like the leaves of a desert palm.
6%
THE DETAILS Daylight floods the concourse through split beams at the column junctions. Echoing the veins of a leaf, a geometric pattern based on traditional Islamic forms is applied to each exposed soffit. The forecourt has been enlarged to create a landscaped plaza with seating. As well as providing an area where visitors can gather to greet flyers, the forecourt contains plants and trees to help fi lter pollution and pre-condition the air before it is drawn into the air handling system. Reflecting pools bounce indirect natural light into the airport.
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GERMAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY | CASE STUDY
GERMAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Architect: Hoehler+Partner Location: Halban, Oman CASE STUDY
THE PROJECT Designed and supervised by Hoehler+Partner, the German University of Technology in Oman recently won the 2013 Construction Week Oman award for Commercial Project of the Year. It currently holds 1,800 students but the design allows for a future capacity of 10,000. Completed in 18 months, the main building contains 527 rooms, including offices, lecture halls, laboratories and a research area. It also features a sports hall, canteen, cafeteria, shops, recreational areas and parking spaces, as well as three attached accommodation blocks.
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CASE STUDY | GERMAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
THE SITE Located in Halban, Muscat, the imposing building was designed to make a substantial visual impact on the urban grain of its immediate surroundings, acting as a landmark for Oman. The site also contains a sewage treatment plant, roads and related infrastructure. The building utilises wind and solar energy. Energy efficiency was achieved by enveloping the entire CONSTRUCTION building with thermal TIMEFRAME insulation, combined with the air-tight construction method of the faรงades.
18
MONTHS
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GERMAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY | CASE STUDY
THE PROJECT Unprecedented in Oman, the project acts as a fully established university campus, inspired by Omani cultural heritage and equipped with the most up-to-date technical building standards. The major architectural highlight is a large shaded amphitheater with playful fountains and a seating capacity of 1,000. Another 1,000 FUTURE TOTAL spectators can glimpse CAPACITY the events taking place at the centre from the specially designed spiral ramps around the amphitheater.
10,000
THE DETAILS Recycled water from the sewage treatment plant will be used for horticulture; green elements have been incorporated across the courtyards and campus to enhance sustainability credentials. The construction of the project started in the middle of 2011 with a strict time schedule and ďŹ xed budget. The project involved meticulous designing, engineering and construction meeting high German and British standards, while accommodating Omani and GCC products in wherever possible.
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123CULTURAL KUWAIT VICTORIA CENTRE STREET | CASE STUDY
123 VICTORIA STREET Architect: Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Location: London CASE STUDY
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CASE STUDY | KUWAIT CULTURAL CENTRE
THE PROJECT Architecture fi rm Aukett Fitzroy Robinson (AFR) led the transformation of a jaded 1970s office block, Land Securities’ 123 Victoria Street, London, into a contemporary complex covering 18,580m2. The project involved remodelling the cores, introducing an atrium and providing two new larger reception areas. With an emphasis on maximising natural light, AFR’s designs include the complete replacement of all glazing with new high-performance units that complement the style of the original fenestration, delivering a reflective brighter façade and providing significantly improved thermal and acoustic insulation.
18,580M2 AREA OF THE PROJECT
Before development
THE SITE The scheme is located in Victoria, a major transport hub. At street level, the ground floor envelope has been completely replaced, giving the building a fresh interaction with its surroundings. Together with a sister building, the complex flanks a new piazza for Westminster cathedral. The previous external façade dominated the surroundings, with dark brown tinted glazed bays and heavy features. Careful material selection, lighting and the full redesign of the retail arcade has improved the rundown retail offering, enhancing Victoria as a shopping destination.
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123 VICTORIA STREET | CASE STUDY
THE CONCEPT Luke Schuberth, MD at AFR stated: “Throughout the design stages AFR was keen to create a quality, modern and efficient landmark development, but at all times respecting the original acclaimed design of E H Elsom.” AFR's revamp was completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. Schuberth continued: “123 Victoria Street has now been brought back to life as an iconic DATE OF ORIGINAL place to work, compleBUILDING menting the neighbouring Victoria area and significantly upgrading the immediate surroundings.”
1970s
THE DETAILS AFR’s roof design draws inspiration from the linearity of the building, using timber decks, linear planters and pebbled terraces as part of a playful redesign of the many elevated terraces. The attractive terrace also offers the opportunity for occupants to survey the surroundings. Internally, the design creates a new Grade A office space, with the building being stripped out to provide increased ceiling heights and improved natural lighting. AFR worked closely with architect MoreySmith to deliver reconfigured reception areas.
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THE ROAD TO DUBAI - CROWNING THE REGION’S CONSTRUCTION CHAMPIONS
Wednesday 11th December 2013 W JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
The 9th annual Construction Week Awards in Dubai, UAE will bring together winners from Construction Week’s series of regional awards ceremonies to battle it out in 19 categories and decide the region’s top achievers in the construction sector in the past 12 months.
Do not miss your opportunity to see who will win the most sought after prize for construction professionals in the Middle East at the lavish awards ceremony and gala dinner. Visit www.constructionweekonline.com/cwawardsdubai
or contact one of our team for more information. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
PLATINUM SPONSOR
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Michelle Meyrick Events Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3328 Email: michelle.meyrick@itp.com
www.constructionweekonline.com/cwawardsdubai
PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK
THE WORK PROJECT UPDATE
FLAME TOWERS
33,114
AREA OF OFFICE SPACE (M2)
Architect: HOK Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
AL KHOBAR OFFICE TOWER Architect: Norr Group Consultants Location: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
CATERING SCHOOL
11,900
POPULATION OF MEDINA SIDONIA
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Architect: Sol 89 Location: Medina Sidonia, Spain
The construction of Baku’s striking complex of three mixed-use high rises, the Flame Towers, is now complete with interior fit out underway. A residential tower sits to the south, with 130 apartments over 39 floors, and is the tallest of the three towers. The Fairmont Baku hotel, situated on the northern corner of the site, consists of 318 guest rooms, whilst the western tower provides 33,114m2 of Class A office space.
Designed by Norr, this 150m high tower in KSA responds to the architects belief that modern office buildings should be designed for flexibility. It features 20 floors of column-free Class A office space suspended between split concrete cores. In addition to the 15,500m2 of leasable space, amenities include a health club and leisure deck and a roof garden located within the frame at the top the tower.
The unanimous winner of the 11th Tile of Spain awards in Architecture and Interior Design, this project involves the conversion of a 19th century Spanish slaughterhouse into a professional cooking school. Designed by Maria Gonzalez Garcia and Juanjo Lopez de la Cruz, from Sol 89, it was described by the jury as “acutely aware of its surroundings... resolved with very modest means, yet very delicately and very successfully”.
WEIGHT OF EACH GLASS FIN
Architect: AS. ArchitectureStudio Detailed design: Atkins Location: Manama, Bahrain
BASRA CULTURAL CENTRE Architect: Dewan Location: Basra, Iraq
THE ALEPH
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APARTMENTS IN THE COMPLEX
Architect: Foster + Partners Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
PARK HYATT ABU DHABI
306
NUMBER OF ROOMS AND SUITES
Architect: Perkins Eastman Location: Abu Dhabi
Bahrain’s first national theatre contains a 1,001-seat auditorium and a 150-seat flexible auditorium and exhibition area. The expansive glazing involved an innovative curtain wall system fully supported by glass. With overall control of the entire project, Paris-based AS. Architecture Studio appointed Atkins in 2009 to collaborate on detailed architectural design, including the total external envelope, along with site-wide supervision.
Last year Dewan was awarded the contract to design the new Cultural Centre by the Basra Governorate in Iraq, after the recent establishment of Dewan’s Basra branch office. The Basra Cultural Centre will contain fine arts exhibition areas, meeting rooms, conference halls, a heritage museum, cinema halls, theatre, a radio and television broadcasting department, public library, cafeteria, outdoor landscaping and green areas.
Foster + Partners has completed its first project in Latin America with the Faena Aleph Residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina — a nine-storey residential complex on Avenida Juana Manso. It comprises 50 apartments, animated at ground level by a fringe of shops, cafés and restaurants, with a landscaped garden to the rear and an infinity pool at roof level. Apartments are characterised by vaulted ceilings and expressive sunscreens.
The first hotel project completed on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, as well as the first Park Hyatt-branded property in the UAE capital, the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas opened its doors to guests last year. Designed by Perkins Eastman, the 306-key 45,000m2 resort is oriented towards the sea, with private villas that line a boardwalk and private beach. The energy-efficient design meets LEED Certified standards.
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THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE
800KG
BAHRAIN NATIONAL THEATRE
PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK
ABADAN APARTMENT Designers: Farshad Mehdizadeh & Raha Ashrafi Location: Abadan, Iran
QATAR PASSIVHAUS
200 METRES2
Architect: Aecom Location: Qatar
SIZE OF BOTH VILLA PROJECTS
SNIM HOTEL Architect: Draw Link Group Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania
UMEÅ ART MUSEUM
3,500 METRES2 GROSS FLOOR AREA
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Architect: Henning Larsen Architects Location: Umeå, Sweden
Highly commended in the Residential category at the 2012 MEA Awards, the austere apartment block was designed by local architect Farshad Mehdizadeh and Raha Ashrafi. Mehdizadeh is also supervising the project, still under construction. It uses local architecture elements such as cantilevers, but adds new design techniques. The façade made from local materials suits the dusty conditions.
This ambitious ‘experiment’ for Qatar involves the construction and operation of a super energy-efficient house, which adopts the Germanydeveloped ‘Passivhaus’ concept. It also requires the construction of a conventional villa to serve as a tangible point of comparison, and the basis for a number of targets for the eco-villa. The scheme is a collaboration between Kahramaa, QGBC, BRE and Aecom.
Sponsored by the National Industrial and Mining Company (SNIM), the five-star hotel project is intended to be an oasis of rest within the heart of Nouakchott. The main building is swathed in greenery and vegetation. Landscaped grounds link a central reception building to living and recreational areas, including a spa and pool. Part of the connecting area was designed as a public gallery.
Designed by Henning Larsen, this impressive museum is located in the Arts Campus at Umeå University in northern Sweden. It comprises three exhibition halls placed on top of each other. The ground plan of the museum covers 500m2, while the total gross floor area amounts to 3,500m2. The new museum more than doubles the exhibition area. It contains an auditorium, children’s workshops and administration.
Designers: Alexandre Carrasco and Omelmominin Wadidy, University of Nottingham Location: Abu Dhabi
MOP HOUSE
750 METRES2
Designer: AGi Architects Location: Kuwait City
AREA OF PLOT
CIRCLE SNACK BAR Architect: Farshad Mehdizadeh Location: Isfahan, Iran
WASL SQUARE
270
TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS
Architect: NAGA Architects Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This skyscraper is inspired by sikkas, the narrow alleys between buildings in old Middle East cities. Designed by Alexandre Carrasco and Omelmominin Wadidy, Masters in Sustainable Tall Buildings Course, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, it has eight stacked communities, with a library and retail facilities at ground level, and a space for prayer at the apex.
This four-level home consists of a main residence with a garden, pool, gym, and private terrace. Originally conceived as a single-family home, MOP House can be split into two separate properties for future use. The project uses dark brown, natural sandstone and white plaster in the building’s façade to differentiate between the different levels. Bamboo is used generously in the interior, built into curved walls.
Designed by Iranian architect Farshad Mehdizadeh, this fast food store occupies 7m2 on an Isfahan street. The project was highly commended in the Public Sector, Institutional and Cultural Project category at the MEA Awards in 2012. Judge Bart Leclercq, WSP, said: “This must be the smallest architectural project ever but the amount of diligence that went into the design is remarkable.”
This mixed-use commercial and residential project just off Al Safa Park is geared towards design savvy, middle-income residents and retailers. The multi-dwelling property is intended to socially integrate its community. The threestorey complex incorporates retail spaces on the ground floor to cater to pedestrians, and apartments on the top two floors, providing privacy from the two-storey townhouses.
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THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE
SIKKAS IN THE SKY
CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED
LIKE WANT NEED CULTURE
FURNISHINGS BLOW RADIATOR Jean-Marie Massaud Blow turns the radiator into a piece of sculpture, proudly on display rather than tucked away. Made up of two connecting metal plates, the design was inspired by the movement of waves. The plates keep the water at a constant temperature and act as a highly efficient source of heat. The product picked up a coveted red dot design award in 2012, with the jury remarking: “Blow is an innovative architectural element. The radiator is defi ned as a subtle, interactive sculpture.”
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LAST WORD | DAVID STANFORD
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FEELING STABLE THE LAST WORD
David Stanford, principal director, Leigh & Orange, talks about equestrian centres and fearless cities We continue to work on Leigh & Orange’s landmark Al Shaqab Equestrian Academy at Education City in Doha, Qatar.
The main arena is now complete and successfully hosted its fi rst major equestrian event.
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Meanwhile, construction and fit-out works continue on other sections of the 100ha campus.
The buildings are offset very well by the landscaping — designed by Cracknell — which minimises the need for irrigation while using form and texture in a very attractive way. We are concentrating on the Qatar market while being very open to opportunities elsewhere.
In recent years we have completed a number of sports facilities in the region and currently have residential, retail, office park and healthcare projects under construction in Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. We find that our unique portfolio of equine design can take us into very unexpected places.
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For instance, the upcoming World Cup event in Qatar offers many opportunities that match Leigh & Orange’s expertise in the sports, transport, medical, hospitality and mixed use sectors.
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As a teenager I was lucky enough to live on a day-to-day basis with buildings by
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the 19th century English architect William Butterfield.
His mastery of form and colour remains with me; for example his design of All Saints, Margaret Street in London is both an object lesson in how to develop a tight urban site and an inspiring respite from the West End.
Cover image Participants from MEA roundtable, taken by Verko Ignjatovic
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My favourite city in the Middle East is Istanbul for its wonderful combination of city, history and sea.
Otherwise, Dubai wins for its total lack of fear — Sheikh Zayed Road to the south of the World Trade Centre is one of the most exhilarating streets in the world.
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