Middle East Architect | December 2011

DECEMBER 2011 / VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 12

An ITP Business Publication

NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC

r e Pow

25 The region’s largest architecture firms

PLUS

ANALYSIS

CASE STUDY

INTERVIEW

Adrian Smith delivers keynote speech at Green Build Congress

Leigh & Orange’s impressive Equestrian Academy in Qatar

dwp’s new design director on working in ‘danger’ markets

DECEMBER | CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2011 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12 2

FRONT

Top stories in the world of architecture including Kingdom Tower’s imminent construction

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THE BIG PICTURE

Capturing the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Road skyline at its best

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OPINION Georgina Chakar on how top architects always look back to nature for inspiration

26

COVER STORY Unveiling the largest 25 architecture fi rms in the Gulf region based on staff numbers

52

THE WORK

A detailed reference section covering the projects MEA has looked at in recent months

56

THE LAST WORD

6 PROJECTS A round up of the latest project news from MENA and the rest of the world

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ANALYSIS Adrian Smith leads a stellar line-up of speakers at the Green Build Congress

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INTERVIEW Fariborz Hatam, dwp’s new design director, on designing for ‘danger’ markets like Afghanistan

40

CASE STUDIES Leigh & Orange’s Equestrian Academy, Aedas’ Shanghai showstopper and SOM’s Vertical Medina

54

CULTURE Cool products, clever ideas, and some of the latest gadgets in the design world

Mario Seneviratne, managing director of Green Technologies and founder of EGBC

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

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FRONT | DECEMBER

FIFTY FIVE Number of luxury apartments in SOM’s Vertical Medina in Riyadh (Page 44)

KINGDOM TOWER GEARS UP FOR CONSTRUCTION Architect Adrian Smith confirms early start for 1km-tall Kingdom Tower in Jeddah

$1.2BN

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, the architecture firm behind the Kingdom Tower, has revealed that construction is due to start on the 1km-high skyscraper in Jeddah.

A story in UAE daily The National claimed that construction on the tower will start in January 2012.

However, in an exclusive interview with Middle East Architect, Adrian Smith said: “It is probably wrong to say that construction will start in January. There is one more permit to get. It could start in December, or it

2

The exact height of the tower is still a secret.

VALUE OF KINGDOM TOWER

could be delayed until February.”

The National report revealed that most of the permits are in place for the US$1.2 billion (AED4.40bn) tower by Kingdom Holding, which would be the tallest building in the world.

“The project is moving rapidly. We have actually advanced the design to a high level of detail,” Smith remarked to The National.

He continued: “We know that all the partners have agreed to get going.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

Everything is proceeding as though it’s going to happen.”

Smith was also the lead designer on the 828m-high Burj Khalifa during his long stint at Chicago architecture giant Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM).

In the same way that the final height of the Burj Khalifa was a closely guarded secret by developer Emaar, Kingdom Holding has not revealed an exact height for the cloudpiercing Kingdom Tower.

DECEMBER | FRONT

GCC staff at MZ Architects, the firm m behind Aldar HQ in n Abu Dhabi

Spectator capacity of Qatar’s Al Shaqab Equestrian Academy

(Page 28)

(Page 40)

HOK unveils il sleek l k design d i for Marina Mall in Qatar

DESIGNMENA.COM This month’s top stories on the online home of Middle East Architect • Foster + Partners sand dune UAE Pavilion

The London office of HOK has revealed its design for Marina Mall, a 60,000m2 retail and leisure facility in the Lusail development on the east coast of Qatar.

The design is said to be inspired by natural forms created when water

The mall is located in the Lusail scheme.

and land meet. Five interconnected retail ‘islands’ link the mall to a body of water that runs through the centre of the scheme.

Barry Hughes, vice president, HOK London, said: “The fluid sculptural exterior complements the surrounding area, whilst the flow from exterior to interior draws people into the internal oasis, providing welcome protection from the desert sun.”

The mall includes three levels, with a 10,000m2 hypermarket in the basement. It will also house cinemas, restaurants with terraces overlooking the marina, and spa facilities.

Austin Smith Lord to close Abu Dhabi office Large architecture firm AustinSmith:Lord (ASL) has decided to close its Abu Dhabi office due to late payments from a client in the emirate.

The company is owed millions of dollars for its work on a huge cultural quarter project in the heart of the city.

The client, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, recently paid ASL US$3.6m. However, this is only around a fifth of what is owed to the architecture firm, according to a report on bdonline.co.uk.

The closure of the Abu Dhabi office will result in 13 staff redundancies.

This moves follows 70 staff being laid off in the UK offices.

opens Abu Dhabi Art 2011 • Mumbai project handed to Aedas • 25 essential iPad apps for interior design students • World’s first precious gemstone bath sells for AED6.4m • Christian Lundwall Associates to redesign record-breaking hotel in Kuwait

WEIRD PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Studio 505 has designed a series of cultural projects in China’s Jiangsu Province, including a conference centre that bears a striking resemblance to a lotus flower.

DATASTREAM KEO - GLOBAL STAFF NUMBERS

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979

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QATAR

416

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KUALA LUMPUR

KUWAIT

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DUBAI

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SAUDI ARABIA

The closure leads to 13 redundancies.

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JORDAN

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BAHRAIN

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

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AL AIN

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FRONT | DECEMBER

PEOPLE

New MENA regional manager for Perkins Eastman architects

Qasim Mansoor joins dwp’s UAE office.

dwp appoints general manager for UAE Qasim Mansoor has been appointed general manager of dwp’s UAE office, to realign and enhance business development within the region for the group.

Mansoor added: “It is with pride and great enthusiasm that I take up the lead position at dwp’s UAE office.

“The dwp group has a network, strength, resources, talent and unique qualities that few can rival, putting us at the forefront of the design industry.

“I look forward to taking these essential skills, along with this fantastic opportunity, personally and professionally, to remodel and build upon dwp’s reputation, as a worldclass architecture and interior design firm.”

The appointment of Mansoor comes amid significant changes to dwp’s operations in the Middle East, to better support its regional projects and clientele.

We want to deliver the best World Cup ever, and while that is a high ambition, it is one we believe we are able to do.”

Joachim Schares, Albert Speers + Partners

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Steven Miller has joined international design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman as regional manager for MENA. As part of an international management team, Miller will oversee the firm’s projects and growth in the MENA region.

Miller joins with more than 48 years of experience in architecture, design management, and construction administration for planning and infrastructure.

He served as the regional director and managing director for both Kohn Pederson Fox and FXFowle, as well as Planning and Design Consultants, a firm he founded.

Miller is a founder of the AIA’s Middle East Chapter, a member of the MENA Region Board of the Urban Land Institute, and a past president of the AIA Continental Europe Chapter.

60 SECOND INTERVIEW ADRIAN SMITH, PARTNER AS + GG You also designed the 82-higDid your work on Burj Khalifa help with the design of Kingdom Tower?

Yes, it’s an evolution of the design of the Burj Khalifa. It’s an improvement on the building’s ability to shed vortices and the tapered shape allows us to cut als. It does d e down on materials. ntages ag have its disadvantages f- every floor is different so it takes longer to design each floor.

Are you working on any other projects in the Middle East?

We [Adrian Smith h+ itece Gordon Gill Architecg on o three e ture] are working dh that a a buildings in Riyadh are under construction. They range from 20 to 30 storeys. We are also doing the shopping mall for Kingdom Tower.

So not all super-tall towers then? We wrote an article in Construction Week called ‘King of skyscrapers’.

[Laughs] Yes, I guess that tall buildings are considered to be my thing.

Steven Miller has 48 years of experience in the construction and design industry.

With developments such as Masdar and Musheireb, we are transforming g the desert to create eate wonderful living conditions.”

Ibrahim Al Jadar, r, MD for Arab Engineering Bureau

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

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FRONT | DECEMBER

MENA PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1

2

3

1 ALGERIA

2 SAUDI ARABIA

3 DUBAI

Foundation stone laid on mega mosque

High speed rail link moves forward

Marina tower surpasses Eiffel Tower height

The foundation stone of the world’s third largest mosque was laid at an official ceremony in Algiers, Algeria.

The 400,000m2 Mosquée d’Algérie offers space for up to 120,000 visitors daily, as well as a prayer hall for up to 37,000 people and a 265m-high minaret. Plans for the mosque have been drawn up by a German consortium consisting of KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten and engineering firm Krebs und Kiefer International.

A consortium of Spanish and Saudi companies has been awarded Phase II of the 444km Haramain High Speed Rail Project (HHR).

The project links the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and King Abulaziz International Airport.

Construction has now started on four stations along the line designed by Buro Happold, Foster + Partners and local architect Dar Al Riyadh.

Tameer Holding’s Elite Residence in Dubai Marina has reached its final height of 381m, almost 60m taller than the Eiffel Tower. The roof structure and mast have recently been completed, and the tower crane has now been removed. The focus for the site team will now be on the completion of the internal finishes.

The AED1.7 bn tower includes a total of 697 apartments over 91 storeys and will house 1,500 residents.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

What keeps us moving.

The TWIN elevator system at ThyssenKrupp’s headquarters building Dreischeibenhaus in Dusseldorf (Germany):2 cabs, 1 shaft, 0 crowds. | Accept no Limits.

FRONT | DECEMBER

GLOBAL PROJECT SNAPSHOT 4

5

6

4 UNITED KINGDOM

5 HONG KONG

6 INNER MONGOLIA

Broadway Malyan’s UK college opens

Aedas completes ‘green’ tower in Kowloon Bay

Landmark museum for Gobi Desert city

Broadway Malyan, the architecture firm behind seven new schools in Abu Dhabi, has also celebrated the opening of the US$106m Bournville College campus in Birmingham, UK. Built by national contractor Shepherd Construction for developer St Modwen, the 23,226m2 school has a capacity for 15,000 students and consolidates three existing campuses.

The building is hinged around a dramatic linear central spine.

Aedas has delivered a 28-storey mixed-use tower in Hong Kong which features extensive planting in the lower levels. The tower in Kowloon Bay contains offices, retail space and car parking within a rational box.

The foliage in the car park floors is an attempt to ‘green’ the neighbourhood and improve air quality. It is hoped that Aedas’ building will encourage more ingenious ideas within the dense cityscape.

A striking museum has been completed in the city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, designed by Chinese architecture firm MAD. The Art and City museum was commissioned by the municipal government of Ordos in 2005 and is envisaged to form an integral part of a city that has quickly emerged in the Gobi Desert. With its polished metal facade and spherical form, the museum pays homage to the culture and history of the region.

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FRONT | DECEMBER

THE BIG PICTURE

SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD This dusk shot, taken by ITP staff photographer Lester Ali, captures one of the most interesting sections of the Sheikh Zayed Road skyline. The focus of the image is the award-winning Rolex Tower by SOM, with its subtle yet beguiling facade.

Combined with the metro station, this photograph paints a futuristic picture of Dubai.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

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NEWS ANALYSIS | GREEN BUILD CONGRESS

TIME FOR ACTION ANALYSIS

The Green Build Congress featured high proямБle speakers including Adrian Smith

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

GREEN BUILD CONGRESS | NEWS ANALYSIS

R

unning alongside The Big 5, last month’s Green Build Congress in Dubai gathered some of the region’s key players in the green building movement.

One of the highlights, and certainly the best attended session, was a keynote speech on November 22 from skyscraper supremo Adrian Smith, partner, AS + GG Architecture.

Speaking on the subject ‘sustainable landmark buildings’, Smith ran through the sustainable elements in his impressive portfolio, including Burj Khalifa and the Kingdom Tower.

As a specialist in high rise design, Smith noted that tall towers are now a fact of life. “60 million people a year are moving into urban areas - there is a great deal of pressure on cities to grow, and to grow vertically.

“By 2050, it is estimated that 60% of the global population will live in cities. High density is a part of the present and the future. I think it will get even denser as we move into the 21st century.”

Smith emphasised the need to ensure that existing buildings are energy efficient. “Our immediate aim is to address the existing stock.”

The following day was billed as an ‘Action Forum’, with a series of speakers and panel discussions, including a six-person debate on the subject ‘why are buildings in the Middle East not sustainable enough?’

Panel moderator Dr Sadek Owainati, co-founder and board member, Emirates Green Building Council, said: “It is important that there is a commitment to start in the right direction, and a leadership.

“I would ask the government to act as a leader, by actually making the

buildings that belong to the authorities become green. The bottom line is to provide better environmental conditions within the building to improve the quality of the air.”

Paul Bierman Lytle, director of sustainability, IMCC Green, said: “The Gulf region can lead the world in demonstrating that sustainability is profitable. We have got to change this myth that to go green is a compromise on culture and economy.”

He continued: “We have to find examples that demonstrate profitability. There are very few sustainable communities in the world that can demonstrate this.”

Lytle added that regional governments should give developers an incentive to perform better, such as a rebate.

Ben Piper, senior architect, Atkins, remarked: “One of the real problems in Dubai is the slew of half-finished buildings. They are essentially ruins.

There is an opportunity to reinterpret these buildings in an alternative way.

I look forward to the time when there are different layers to the city.”

Piper suggested that a long-term commitment to sustainability could be achieved by encouraging permanent stakeholders in the community.

He commented: “Dubai and the Gulf region is a fantastic marketplace for business, for projects and activities. But ultimately many members of that population don’t have the long term stakeholder status.

“The United States had highly multicultural origins where people were given stakeholder status in the country, and I think that is part of its ultimate success.”

Owainati concluded: “This issue of sustainability is so multifaceted, but I would say that we have got to bring in the human scale to our activities, whether it’s in the design or the way we operate these facilities.”

The Green Build Congress offered new thoughts on an oft-debated subject.

“60 million people a year are moving into urban areas - there is a great deal of pressure on cities to grow, and to grow vertically.

Adrian Smith, Partner, AS + GG Architecture

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

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COMMENT | EDITOR’S LETTER

GOLDEN TICKET EDITOR’S LETTER

Dubai Metro is one of the UAE’s finest feats

GOT A COMMENT? If you have any comments to make on this month’s issue, please e-mail oliver. ephgrave @itp.com

T

his month the UAE celebrates its 40th birthday.

It goes without saying that the past four decades have produced reams of fantastic architecture that’s admired throughout the world.

The icons started emerging soon after independence, with the 1979 Dubai World Trade Centre springing up on a then-barren Sheikh Zayed Road. More celebrated landmarks followed, with the National Bank of Dubai headquarters on the creek and Atkin’s much-photographed Burj Al Arab in 1999.

Then came the 2000s and the staggering building boom. Granted, the period left the country with

many ill-conceived schemes. However, I’d argue that the decade provided the highest number of world-class buildings. This was partly due to the sheer amount of construction but also thanks to the involvement of quality architects and clients.

In the last ten years or so, the UAE has gained an array of jaw-dropping projects such as Emirates Towers, Burj Khalifa, the Yas Hotel, Ferrari World and Dubai Metro.

I have a new-found appreciation for the latter scheme since becoming a regular user. There’s no doubt that it’s a highly-efficient, clean and orderly system. Yet, due to the location of the stations - combined with the regional attachment to the automo-

Dubai Metro deserves world-class status.

Putting practicalities aside, and based on the architecture alone, it must be said that Dubai Metro is a triumph.”

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

bile - the metro remains unused by a large part of the population.

Earlier this year, Middle East Architect held a roundtable discussion with a number of top architects, and the subject eventually turned to Dubai Metro. Richard Marshall, joint CEO of Woods Bagot asserted that the metro is a “test programme” that “doesn’t capture any major population centres” and fails to fulfil a “broad sustainability agenda”.

Graeme Fisher, partner at GAJ, added: “If the metro works for you it’s great, but at the moment it doesn’t work for everybody.”

I completely agree with Fisher’s statement. My previous apartment was a 20 minute walk from the nearest station. Now I live just two minutes away from a station, as demonstrated from this photograph taken from my balcony (courtesy of Lester Ali).

Putting practicalities aside, and based on the architecture alone, it must be said that Dubai Metro is a triumph. Aedas and Atkins managed to create a station architecture that is far superior to any other metro system I have seen in the world.

I love the shell-like forms, the airy interior spaces and the use of tactile materials. When I’m not using the system, I can spend many hours sitting on my balcony and watching the activity inside the futuristic hubs.

This month I’m heading back to London for Christmas. I think it’s safe to say that next month’s column won’t be a tribute to the Tube.

COMMENT | GEORGINA CHAKAR

NATURAL ORDER OPINION

Architects keep coming back to nature for inspiration

Georgina Chakar is an Australian architect and a Master of Urban Planning. She works in Abu Dhabi.

A

t the beginning of the last century, an avantgarde and contemporary group of designers led by Le Corbusier, Rudolf Steiner and Frank Lloyd Wright began a movement which offered a dialogue with nature.

Wright famously stated: “Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain.”

In 1959, the architect completed his first public project - the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The building is a revolutionary artwork that keeps encouraging designers to think outside the box, with an ingenious shell-like structure.

Less than 20 years later, Malaysian architect Dr Ken Yeang made a name for himself as a ‘green architect’.

Supporting the idea of vertical living, Yeang embraces tall buildings as an urban necessity. Being diagonally different from the sculptural architects who achieve their design ideas through building masses, Yeang strives for what he calls ‘ecomimesis’ in buildings; a way to copy and paste nature into high rise designs. If people are committed to vertical living then vertical vegetation should reach them no matter how high they are in the air.

Even though the old masters such as Wright and Le Corbusier did not work in the UAE, they influenced other architects, such as Zaha Hadid.

Hadid’s rich portfolio of UAE projects includes the Dancing Towers, the

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

The Guggenheim is a revolutionary artwork that keeps encouraging designers to think outside the box.”

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

Performing Art Centre on Saadiyat Island, and the recently completed Sheikh Zayed Bridge. The sculptural masterpieces represent her inspiration from the environment, with features such as leaf-like windows.

The architect describes her Performing Art Centre as a ‘biological analogy’ with primary components that will be ‘transformed from abstract diagrams into architectonic design’. Although this kind of link with nature leads to a sculptural design, it will not necessarily be a ‘green’ design.

Close to the Performing Art Centre on Saadiyat Island is the upcoming Louvre Abu Dhabi by French architect Jean Nouvel. The building will be an excellent example of a sculptural building raised from the grounds of the traditional components with an integration with nature.

Similar to Ken Yeang’s ecological and sustainable buildings, comes the lounge of the Eco Tower in Abu Dhabi, developed by Connection Real Estate. Being a residential building, the provision of a large amount of greenery to the tenant’s doorstep proves that vertical living can keep human in touch with nature and make it enjoyable.

It appears that sculptural architecture is made with a strong design to please the public, beautify the environment and provide functionality for the end users. To create a building with vertical urban planning and sculptural components is a challenge for all disciplines involved.

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INTERVIEW | FARIBORZ HATAM

PASTURES NEW THE INTERVIEW

Iran-born architect Fariborz Hatam has just been appointed design director for dwp.

Oliver Ephgrave catches up with the outspoken MEA judge and contributor

L

ess than a week into his new role as design director of dwp, Fariborz Hatam appears to be at home in the firm’s sleek white-washed space in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. “It’s a nice office, isn’t it,” remarked the 34-yearold, who featured on this year’s judging panel for the 2011 Middle East Architect Awards.

For a young architect, Hatam has amassed an impressive portfolio.

Born in Isfahan, Iran, and raised in Australia, the former Aedas director has worked on various projects across the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Afghanistan, Croatia and Australia.

Career highlights include a leading role in two major Aedas schemes - a plot in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and Aino Mina in Afghanistan. Hatam is particularly proud of the latter, which won both Residential and Sustainable Project of Year at the Middle East Architect Awards 2011.

“Aino Mina is a project that gives back to the Afghani people, a population that has suffered considerably in the past 30 years. It was very challenging as we were not able to travel to the site. We had to build a physical

and digital model of the area, which is called Khandagar,” he remarks.

Another of Hatam’s signature projects is Dubai Mosque, a contemporary place of worship that has never been realised. The architect adds: “Dubai Mosque wasn’t a built project. The aim was to increase the awareness of Islam in a country that has an 80-85% expat population. I think it has done the right thing in that respect.”

When asked the reasons for his choice of career, he replies: “Being an architect is the job dreams are made of. You see the lines you once drew amazingly transformed into a living, breathing space, which is used and viewed by thousands, if not millions, of people from all nations. Later still, the structure you designed on that simple piece of paper is a recognised icon, recorded in history and remembered for all time. This is a very powerful magnet.”

After completing his architectural studies in Australia and working in the country, Hatam moved to the Middle East to join Woods Bagot’s Doha office where he worked on the acclaimed Qatar Science and

Technology Park. He subsequently switched to the firm’s Dubai office prior to joining Aedas. Regarding his relocation to the Middle East, he says: “It was a chance to be part of history.

“There might not be another boom like Dubai’s during my lifetime. It intrigued me to come out here and I’ve now spent nearly eight years in Dubai. I’ve been very lucky as I’ve been exposed to many international projects which you never would get in the rest of the world.”

Hatam asserts that the UAE has learned from its mistakes and is focusing more on infrastructure.

He comments: “Lessons have been learned from the past and Dubai is pulling back from building projects it’s good to see the metro’s Green Line up and running.

“I think that Dubai is a place that will never die. It is the Las Vegas of the Middle East. It offers a great lifestyle with education and shopping facilities - everything you can find in a Western country. Many companies put their headquarters in Dubai but work in other countries in the region.”

When it comes to regional opportunities, he asserts: “The Middle

I think that we have now truly passed the era of fantasy, whereby unpractical form-driven architecture is over.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com

FARIBORZ HATAM | INTERVIEW

www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

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INTERVIEW | FARIBORZ HATAM

East is going to be interesting in the next two of three years. Given the economic downturn of late, as well as the recent instability in the Middle East, which had a tremendous impact on the construction industry here, I think we have to remain both realistic and optimistic.

“If we compare this region with the rest of the world, then I would say that the outlook nevertheless remains positive for 2012. The only way is up and I am therefore excited about the opportunities to come. I believe that architects should shift their focus towards public buildings, such as educational institutions, schools, hospitals and urban planning, to focus on social architecture.”

In terms of geographical hotspots, Hatam states that ‘danger’ locations are worth exploring. “I’d say that 80% of companies ignore them. Iran,

Iraq, Afghanistan and even Pakistan only the best will survive.”

- these are places that have a lot of Hatam has a strong belief that dwp potential as they have to develop. In is on course to become one of those 2013 Libya will come back up, as will elite firms.

African regions.”

He adds: “It’s clear that dwp is a Closer to home, he believes that firm with big ideas. It has the right Qatar will get into gear tools and it is getting the right in mid-2012, once the people in. I hope to bring metro starts progressa fresh, creative energy ing. Hatam continues: and a driving force to “I think that we have push the boundaries of MEA AWARDS WON BY architectural design, as now truly passed the AEDAS’ AINO MINA era of fantasy, whereby well as expand projects unpractical form driven into new territories. architecture is over. Now “I’ve moved from a architects can refocus and very large practice and I’m concentrate on standards, efficiency trying to bring in that experience - for and practicality, in order to win work. instance, what Aedas and Fosters + The projects have become smaller in Partners do to win competitions. A scale, but with a much more careful firm is only successful based on leadplanning and feasibility. Therefore, ership. With the design values and enthis will be a challenge for architects trepreneurship of Brenton Mauriello, used to vast amounts of freedom and our CEO, we can’t go wrong.”

TWO

WPC protects primeval forests. Our first objective was to develop the technology to create a composite wood superior to natural wood in order to combat the thoughtless lumbering of forest trees.

www.einwood.com

22

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com

www.nahar.ae

FARIBORZ HATAM | INTERVIEW

PORTFOLIO: Fariborz Hatam

DUBAI MOSQUE (Concept)

AINO MINA, AFGHANISTAN (Design)

The conceptual Dubai mosque was Hatam’s solution for a

This 2 million m2 community scheme by Aedas, which won both

city that he believed to be moving away from true Islamic

the Residential Project and Sustainable Project of the Year

architecture. Designed without a brief or a client, the architect’s

at the Middle East Architect Awards, will provide over 2000

scheme was said to come “from the heart”. Hatam took a three-

homes for the rapidly expanding population of Afghanistan.

month calligraphy course to fully understand how light would

Situated in the province of Kandahar, the masterplan hinges on

filter through the Arabic words on the walls of his building.

a wide central park.

www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

23

INTERVIEW | FARIBORZ HATAM

SHEIKH’S PALACE, Saudi Arabia

MASDAR INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Positioned in a secluded beach location on the Red Sea, this

NEIGHBOURHOOD, Abu Dhabi

Aedas project aims to create a centrepiece in a tranquil oasis.

At Aedas, Hatam was design director for a plot in a mixed-use

The design brief required a mix of residential and recreational

development situated in Masdar City, including commercial,

development, which includes a palace, villas, gardens, sports

residential, retail, hospitality and community elements. The

fields, health spa, leisure attraction and lush gardens with an

project forms part of the first phase of the US$22 billion

understanding of water in Islamic gardens and the Quran.

masterplan for the world’s first carbon-neutral city.

24

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12 .11 | www.designmena.com

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the SPIRITof WATER

A tap with sculptural qualities. A solitary unit that impresses its environment with ever changing reflections of objects and colours through its facets and polygonal surfaces. SUPERNOVA was created by Sieger Design. Aloys F. Dornbracht GmbH & Co. KG, Köbbingser Mühle 6, D-58640 Iserlohn.

The SUPERNOVA brochure is available from Dornbracht International Holding GmbH (Rep Office), United Arab Emirates, PO Box 114268, Dubai, Phone +971 4 3350731, Fax +971 4 3350741, E-Mail dornbrachtME@dornbracht.com, www.dornbracht.com

POWER 25 | FEATURE

KEO

2,190 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 240 ARCHITECTS Top spot goes to Kuwait-

1

based firm KEO, with its whopping team of 2,190 staff in the GCC. The multi-disciplinary practice boasts regional offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.

Key projects include the QP District in Doha (pictured) and the

Kuwait Investment Authority’s new headquarters in a 200m-tall tower In Abu Dhabi, KEO is working on Nation Towers on the Corniche, and is also behind several school projects for ADEC. In addition, KEO provided full design and supervision services for 23 Marina in Dubai Marina, which is now recognised as the tallest residential tower in the world at 395m.

EAS

ATKINS

550 STAFF IN THE GCC

1,770 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 200 ARCHITECTS

One of the surprise finds This year’s runner up is UK-based Atkins, a company behind some of the Gulf’s most postcard-friendly buildings such as the Burj Al Arab (pictured) and the spiky Bahrain World Trade Centre.

The firm has been working in the region for more than 40 years and has

2

3

this year is local firm Eng Adnan Saff arini (EAS), which boasts 550 staff and an undisclosed number of architects.

The company was formed in

1968 and has offices in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Qatar.

A key project involves the

10 offices in the UAE, KSA, Qatar,

provision of two 400-bed General

Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Education Hospitals for the

Atkin’s yearly revenue for the

Ministry of Health in Iraq. The

Middle East, as of March 2011,

complex covers 10,000m 2 and

totalled US$218.5m.

construction is underway.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

27

FEATURE | POWER 25

AEB

region’s largest practices

5

404 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 70 ARCHITECTS

with 246 staff and 90 architects in the GCC. Led by founder Mohamed Al Assam and executive director Ammar Al Assam,

Founded in 1966 as the first architectural and engineering

the total consolidated revenue in

consulting firm in Qatar, Arab

2010, in the Middle East, totalled

Engineering Bureau (AEB) took off

AED108.7m (US$29.6m).

in 1991 when it was acquired by current managing director Ibrahim Mohamed Al Jaider.

The firm has regional

4

The company was behind the

DEWAN

jaw-dropping Al Bateen School for Aldar Academies, which recently

246 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 90 ARCHITECTS

opened in Abu Dhabi and featured as a Building Focus in MEA’s October issue.

offices in Doha and Abu

Dewan also designed the 750-

Dhabi with further bases in

With offices in Dubai, KSA, Qatar,

Manila and Kuala Lumpur. Key

Iraq, Libya and Egypt, Dewan

key Fairmont Hotel and Resort

projects include the tallest hotel

has taken major strides since its

(pictured) for Breakwater Island

in Qatar, the 62-level Kempinski

formation in Baghdad in 1971.

in Abu Dhabi. Elsewhere, it is

Residences and Suites, and Doha’s

The company has grown from a

working on a 28-floor tower in Al

Al Sharq Village & Spa resort.

two-man firm in 1984 to one of the

Khobar, KSA.

MZ ARCHITECTS

the GCC, with a total of 200 staff

200 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 70 ARCHITECTS

comprising 70 architects.

The practice’s most famous design is undoubtedly the

Aldar HQ was voted the ‘Best Futuristic Design’ by The Building Exchange (BEX) Conference held in Spain.

curvaceous Aldar Headquarters

The shape of this project

Headquartered in Lebanon, MZ

building in Abu Dhabi, one of

- the first circular building of

Architects has further offices

the most quirky and distinctive

its kind in the Middle East - is

in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Libya, and

buildings in a country that’s

Morocco. The company has an

known for audacious

impressively large workforce in

developments.

achieved through the use

6

of a structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel.

Another key scheme for the company is Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, Nigeria, in which

MZ Architects provided the masterplan.

The development consists of business, residential, commercial and leisure areas spread on 17,000m 2 of reclaimed land. The scheme will be home to a quarter of a million people.

As well as masterplanning, MZ Architects will also be responsible for architectural, engineering and construction management of a number of towers in the city.

28

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

FEATURE | POWER 25

RMJM

178 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 65 ARCHITECTS Scotland-based firm RMJM has long been a regional stalwart, although its GCC staff numbers have shrunk since the downturn.

7

It is currently working on two mixed-use towers in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, a luxury commercial office in Manama, Bahrain, a shopping

BURT HILL

Hospital, ADEC Headquarters, and the masterplan for Union

140 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 34 ARCHITECTS

Properties’ 3.5 million m 2 Motor City in Dubai. Key components of

mall in Abu Dhabi and a financial

the project are Dubai Autodrome

education facility in Bahrain.

Acquired by the Stantec Group in

and UpTown Motor City.

Its Middle East offices are located

December 2010, US-based Burt

The Stantec Group offers services

in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Bahrain

Hill is another firm to have

and Muscat.

cut GCC staff numbers in

RMJM was presented with the

recent years.

Nevertheless, the firm

‘Overall Project of the Year’ and

in planning, engineering,

8

architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management

‘Commercial/Mixed Use Built

still makes the top 10,

Award’ at the 2011 Cityscape

with 140 employees in the

Awards for Architecture in

UAE including 34 architects.

Emerging Markets, for Capital

Burt Hill’s Dubai branch opened

approximately 11,000 operating

Gate in Abu Dhabi.

in 2003 to tap into the emirate’s

out of 170 locations worldwide.

emerging real estate market.

Its acquisition of Burt Hill is part

which is the world’s inclined tower,

Among the firm’s UAE projects are

of its quest to become one of the

is due to open this month.

the multi-billion dirham Al Mafraq

world’s leading design practices.

RW ARMSTRONG

Abdulrahman, BD regional leader.

The much-anticipated project,

126 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 30 ARCHITECTS

and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects, with

In addition to architecture, the firm offers planning, design, interiors, programme management, project

Founded in 1961 in Indianapolis,

management and construction

RW Armstrong has 18 offices in

management.

the USA, UAE, Libya, Egypt, Guam and Azerbaijan.

9

30

Its UAE offices, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, were

Its expertise includes building services, infrastructure, aviation, transportation and water services.

RW Armstrong’s Sun and

established in 2006 and

Sky Towers (left) won the GCC

now employ a total of 126

Residential Project of the Year at

staff with 30 architects.

the Construction Week Awards

Key individuals in the regional

2011. The project was acclaimed

firm include vice president Mona

for its innovative technical

Salem, development sector

strategies to solve complex

leader Jeff rey Decker and Zaky

construction challenges.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

POWER 25 | FEATURE

WOODS BAGOT 120 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 100 ARCHITECTS

Winner of Large Architecture Practice of the Year, at the Middle East Architect Awards 2011, Woods Bagot is behind some of the GCC’s most recognisable landmarks such as the stunning Qatar Science and Technology Park in Doha (right).

The firm was established

10

in Adelaide by former architect-in-chief for the South Australian Government, Edward John Woods.

Since then the firm has grown into a significant multi-disciplinary practice operating in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and North America.

NORR GROUP

NAGA ARCHITECTS

DWP

Established in 1938, Norr

Naga Architects was founded

With a total of

by Dr Shams Naga in 2000 and

107 staff in the

has experienced steady growth,

Gulf region,

currently employing 110 staff

dwp employs 59

including 42 architects. This year

professionals in its

the practice claimed the inaugural

Dubai office and 48 staff

the group has worked on icons

Building Information Modelling

in Bahrain.

such as Atlantis-The Palm, Burj

Award at the Middle East Architect

Khalifa, Emirates Towers and

Awards, for its exciting Sawari

Mansoor as general manager and

the National Bank of Dubai

Residences project in Al Khobar,

Fariborz Hatam as design director

Headquarters.

Saudi Arabia.

for its Dubai office.

110 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 44 ARCHITECTS has 900 professionals in 25 cities globally. In the GCC it employs 110 staff including 44 architects.

110 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 42 ARCHITECTS

11

Over the past 20 years,

Its significant projects in Abu

107 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 24 ARCHITECTS

13

It recently appointed Qasim

Elsewhere the company is

Key projects include the FTV

Dhabi include Le Meridien Hotel,

working on the Al Khobar Hotel

Hotel in Dubai, the Maysan Towers

Sir Baniyas Island Resort and the

in Saudi Arabia, a 21-storey

in Abu Dhabi and the Makkah

expansion of the UAE Central Bank. In Qatar, the practice completed the striking Al Hitmi complex, which has become a symbol of the nation.

residential scheme called

12

Octavian Tower in Dubai,

Cultural Gateway project.

Led by CEO Brenton Mauriello,

Ajman University Housing

dwp’s Dubai office was formed in

and a blimp terminal

2007 while the Bahrain base was

building in Dubai.

established in 2005.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

31

FEATURE | POWER 25

GAJ

105 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 38 ARCHITECTS

14

Egypt, Tunisia and Oman that are in various stages of development.

With new offices in Al Barsha, the management consists of six partners, five

GAJ is one of the longestestablished UK practices in the

associate partners and eight

UAE. It is behind several of Dubai’s

associates. Managing partner

modern gems, such as Dubai

Brian Johnson won Principal of the

Creek Golf Club, Bab Al Shams,

Year at the Middle East Architect

Arabia Court, Residence & Spa at

Awards 2011 and was described

The One and Only Royal Mirage.

by the judging panel as “an icon

The firm is also working on

of the Middle East architectural

multi-million dollar projects in

landscape.”

HOK

100 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 20 ARCHITECTS

16

HOK appears to have expanded its presence in the Middle East, with a total of 100 staff in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Notable projects in the region

include the massive US$10bn King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST) in Thawul, Saudi Arabia, which is being built for Saudi Aramco.

The firm is also the design architect for the US$2bn New Doha International Airport, the New Kuwait Central Bank (above) and the ADNOC headquarters in

AEDAS

Abu Dhabi.

100 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 70 ARCHITECTS

portfolio in Dubai includes the

Louis, Missouri in 1955. The name

twin office towers at Boulevard

derived from the surnames of its

Plaza (above) and the 123-storey

three founders: George Hellmuth,

Pentominium in Dubai Marina.

Aedas’ Dubai office was established in 2004 and the company now has offices in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Its expanding

32

HOK was established in St.

82-storey Ocean Heights, the

15

It is also working on

Gyo Obata and George Kasabaum.

The first office in the GCC was

New Doha International

established in Dubai in 1999 and

Airport in Qatar. Middle

annual turnover in the region is

East turnover for 2010

estimated at US$20m.

totalled US$10m.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

FEATURE | POWER 25

DSA

80 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 48 ARCHITECTS Formed in 2002 in Dubai, DSA has delivered several landmark hospitality projects in the region.

Its key schemes include Madinat Jumeirah’s Mina

17

A’ Salam and Al Qasr, Park Hyatt, The Palace, Qamardeen and Al Manzil.

It is also behind Old Town Residences, Fairmont Hotel

and Residences and Golden Mile Residences on Jumeirah Palm, as well as the One & Only Royal Mirage and the new One & Only The Palm. The office is led by managing director Steve Kelshaw.

BSBG

70 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 22 ARCHITECTS

18

Under the guidance of group

In addition to the IKEA projects, BSBG is involved in the City of Lights - a mixed-use development

54 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 11 ARCHITECTS

under construction in

Reem Island, Abu Dhabi - that

chairman John Mills, BSBG has

comprises a 60-storey commercial

been operational in the Middle

tower, a 26-storey hotel and a

East since 1976.

34-storey residential block.

Having completed IKEA on

P&T

It also worked on the

Based in Hong Kong, the

19

P&T Group has a history stretching back 140 years. It has actively been involved in the

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, BSBG was

refurbishment of the previously

Middle East since 1998 and

awarded the design of the IKEA

BSBG-designed Emirates Golf

established an office in Dubai back

store in Doha, which has recently

Club (below), one of Dubai’s most

in September 2004.

begun construction.

elegant leisure schemes.

Currently the firm employs 54 professionals in the GCC with a total of 11 architects.

An Abu Dhabi office was opened in January 2007, to coincide with the awarding of a major scheme in Reem Island. In the same year it started work on the Al-Dana project in Raha Beach and two hotels in the Mina al-Arab resort in Ras al-Khaimah.

Elsewhere in the GCC, P&T is working on the 70-storey Burj Rafal tower in Riyadh.

34

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

POWER 25 | FEATURE

BROADWAY MALYAN 48 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 28 ARCHITECTS

In 2011 the UK’s Broadway Malyan celebrated the opening of seven schools designed for the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), including the Abu Dhabi West School (right).

This year, Broadway Malyan also delivered the concept masterplan for the ‘10x10’ project in Baghdad, Iraq, comprising a 17km 2 urban regeneration and extension

20

of Sadr City.

The project is named after its US$10bn value and 10-year delivery timeframe.

Other projects include the masterplan and design of the Al Bandar residential project on Al Raha Beach, and the Mina Zayed masterplan, also in Abu Dhabi.

KMA

DUBARCH

DRAWLINK GROUP

Founded by Dr Mohamed

Established by Canadian-Iranian

This year’s

Amir V. Rahbar and UAE national

runner up for

Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al

the Boutique

Banna, Dubarch has three

firm of the

architectural and interior design

Year at the MEA

offices in the GCC.

Awards, Drawlink

45 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 12 ARCHITECTS Alaa Mandour, KMA established its Cairo office in 1990, followed by a UAE office in 1995.

43 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 9 ARCHITECTS

21

The firm subsequently opened offices in KSA and Oman,

The Dubai office was set up in

and has built up a total workforce

1986 while an Abu Dhabi practice

of 45 with 12 architects.

followed in 2007.

Key projects include the Makkah

This year, Dubarch opened an

40 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 20 ARCHITECTS

23

Group has a total of 40 staff in the GCC, with 20 architects.

Recent projects in the Gulf region include the Radisson Royal

Gate affordable housing scheme,

office in Qatar, bringing the total

and Hues boutique hotel, both

the Icon development in Al

number of staff to 43 with nine

located in Dubai.

Khobar, the urban development of Barkah City in Oman, the Ras Al Hamra development in Muscat and a Seven Seas complex, also in the Omani capital.

architects.

22

One of the company’s

The company recently celebrated the opening of

key projects is Bayswater,

the convention centre for the

a commercial scheme in

Radisson Royal, located on Sheikh

Business Bay, Dubai.

Zayed Road.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

35

FEATURE | POWER 25

X-ARCHITECTS 30 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 16 ARCHITECTS

25

Winner of the 2010 MEA Award for Boutique Firm of the Year, X-Architects was founded in 2003 in Dubai by Ahmed Al-Ali and

Farid Esmaeil.

The company currently employs 30 staff, including 16 architects, which was just enough to make it into the top 25.

Since its inauguration, the company has won a further two MEA Awards, for Best Mixed-use Project in 2009 and Principal of the Year in 2010.

Key scheme include the Mosque for 2000 Prayers in Abu Dhabi (below), which incorporates an existing sculpture plaza to create an attractive public space.

One of the firm’s most radical projects is Xeritown, which is currently on hold in Dubai. The scheme for 7,000 residents looks at the desert and local climate and works with it rather than against it.

X-Architects has also carried out the urban design masterplan for Al Nasseem in Al Ain. The under construction scheme has been chosen by the UPC’s Estidama as

BEAD ARCHITECTS

for Emerging Markets, for its Mangrove Elite Residence in Reem

35 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 26 ARCHITECTS

Island. The scheme was lauded in the ‘Residential-Future Category’.

Another key project is

Formed in January 2008, Abu Dhabi’s Bead Architects is led by managing director/ partner Muhannad Assam

an under-construction

24

and comprises 35 staff with 26 architects.

Danet Abu Dhabi.

Bead has also designed Al Nasser Tower, a Class A office scheme in the Emirati

capital city.

In 2010 the firm recorded a turnover of AED13.7m (US$3.73m).

Bead recently picked up a gong at the 2011 Cityscape Awards

36

residential scheme in

The project is most notable for its column-free floor space spanning between vertical steel support trusses.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

one of its first pilot projects.

INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMATIC VERTICAL STUDIES MADINA | CASE STUDY

Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Location: King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

CASE STUDY | VERTICAL MADINA

THE VERTICAL MEDINA

THE PROJECT One of many Middle East projects

by Chicago-based titan SOM, the Vertical Medina is a mixed-use scheme in Saudi Arabia. It uses the traditional Arab medina city form – with its interlocking alleyways and

courtyards – to create a ‘vertical network’ with residential, office and retail components.

Clad in limestone from local sources, the project is slated for completion in late 2012. The top six

floors contain 55 luxury residential apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms, with a total area of 18,000m2. The lower seven floors are dedicated to Class A office space with a total area of 21,000m2.

CASE STUDY

THE CONCEPT One of the defining characteristics is the use of the traditional Arabian courtyard which offers both privacy and respite from the heat.

Each apartment has its own private courtyard, interspersed with openair gardens for all residents.

The shared spaces serve as terraces for a fitness centre, event room and children’s play area.

No two apartments in NUMBER OF LUXURY APARTMENTS the Vertical Medina are alike - each has a different layout. The office floors are more regular, with a linear plan.

55

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com www.desig

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www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

72/53 2M

METRES METRE ES2

AINO MINA Architect: Aedas Location: Kandahar Kandahar, Afghanistan Afghan

TOTAL AREA OF F THE SCHEME

PROJECT UPDATE

MAYSAN RESIDENCES

337

Architect: DWP Location: Abu Dhabi

TOTAL NUMBER OF APARTMENT UNITS

EKO ATLANTIC CITY Architect: MZ Architects Location: Lagos, Nigeria

MIRDIF CITY CENTRE

10,000 PEAK NUMBER OF

WORKERS ON SITE

62

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

Architect: Hyder Consulting/ RTKL Location: Dubai

Currently in the design esign development phase, Maysan Residences sidences is a pair of striking residential tower buildings in the Al Najmat district of Reem Island, Abu Dhabi with an expected completion date of 2013. Designed by dwp, the project aims to achieve a 2 Pearl Rating with Estidama. The roof structure contains solar energy technology while the tower forms are devised to minimise the exposure to excessive heat gain.

INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMATIC STUDIES Architect: Henning Larsen/ Buro Happold Location: Riyadh, KSA

This ambitious new city in Nigeria responds to coastal erosion and aims to relieve pressure on the congested city of Lagos, which is currently inhabited by 15.5 million people.

Estimates of urban use predict that Eko Atlantic City will be home to a quarter of a million people when complete. MZ Architects is the urban planner for the new city and will also be responsible for a number of towers in the scheme.

The first LEED Gold accredited retail outlet in the Middle East, the AED3 billion Mirdif City Centre opened in March 2010 and achieved its green certification in May 2011.

At the peak of construction, 22 cranes and 10,000 workers were on site. Developed by mall specialist Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Mirdif City Centre features a gross floor area of 300,000m2 , with 450 shops and parking for over 7,000 cars.

FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI Architect: Benoy Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

DOHA TWIN TOWERS

398%

TARGET NET FLOOR AREA RATIO

Architect: GHD Global Pty Ltd Location: Lusail, Qatar

This two million m2 community scheme, which won both the Residential Project and Sustainable Project of the Year at the Middle East Architect Awards, will provide over 2,000 homes. Situated in Kandahar, the site gently slopes and has a backdrop of mountains. A wide central park runs through the masterplan and links the retail area at the southern end with the Friday mosque at the northern end.

Winner of Institutional & Cultural Project of the Year, this scheme will provide Saudi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) with a new 46,000m2 building to house facilities for the Institute of Diplomatic Studies and Consular Affairs Department. Located in Riyadh the building contains an auditorium, lecture halls, library, classrooms, offices, a large hall for visa applicants and office space.

Winner of the Hospitality & Leisure Project of the Year, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park. Designed by Benoy for Aldar Properties, the project features over 20 rides and attractions including the world’s fastest rollercoaster. The total surface area of the colossal red roof is 200,000m2, while the perimeter of the building is 2,200m2. The highest point of the structure is 45 metres.

This billowing twin tower project in Qatar was designed by GHD Global and is designed to meet the client’s target net floor area ratio of 398%.

Overall water consumption will be reduced by 40% though the use of native plantation, water reducing fixtures, storm water re-use and grey water treatment strategies. The building also aims to produce 5% of its energy from renewable sources, such as photovoltaics.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

63

LIKE WANT NEED

LIKE WANT NEED | CULTURE

CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED

THE WORK

THE WORK

THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE

PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK

CASE STUDIES

FURNITURE LONDON CHAIR BoConcept The new London chair from BoConcept, available in both upholstered and pure shell versions, has its roots in the Scandinavian design style. The core of the London chair is the seat which is produced in highquality FSC approved wood. Customers can pick the slim steel legs for a light minimalistic look or the solid oak for a more natural Nordic feel.

CULTURE

BATHROOM FUSION II BY WET Jan Puylaert Designed by Jan Puylaert and produced

by WET Italia, Fusion II is a freestanding LED illuminated sink. Made with 100% recyclable polyethylene, it can have an AC5 rim-spout, either with a rim-mixer or side faucets. A column in dark grey can be fitted with a range of nine colours with optional RGB LED illumination.

BOOK TOWARDS A NEW INTERIOR Lois Weinthal FURNITURE BAN STOOLS LS Esrawe These stools created by Mexican studio, Esrawe, are reminiscent of furniture used in African cultures - and in America during pre-Hispanic times as symbols of status, tradition, religion and identity. They have been developed from certified, solid walnut, tzalam, and beech wood, produced through a process of cutting, assembling and lathing by craftsmen, and finished with natural oils.

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Interior design, as a relatively young discipline within the academic world of design, has historically been seen as an extension of other fine arts. Narratives exist, but treat interior design as a function of architecture or display. Professor Lois Weinthal envisions a future where interior design is treated as being equal to architecture and industrial design.

Weinthal is associate professor of interior design at the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmen www.designmena.com

APP RLB GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION MARKET INTELLIGENCE Global construction and property advisor Rider Levett Bucknall launched its free cost-based app for desktop PCs and smartphones with insight into global, regional and local construction markets without any fees. It includes global cost comparison, tender price index data and worldwide construction market analysis. The firm hopes it will be useful for architects to check benchmark costs when making design decisions. RLB’s location specific cost data helps provide a range of current expected building costs for specified building types across the world.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

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CULTURE

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MINA | CASE STUDY EQUESTRIANAINO ACADEMY

AL SHAQAB EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY Architect: Leigh & Orange Location: Education City, Qatar CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT One of the largest show horse facilities in the world, this equestrian complex in Qatar covers a total area of 800,000m2. Centred around a 350m long performance arena with a double facing grandstand, the scheme also caters for the training and breeding of Arabian horses.

The project was officially completed in September 2011 but is being continually expanded. Leigh & Orange provided master planning, architectural design, interior design and led a team of 18 sub-consultants, which divided the project into eight packages of work.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

The scheme is situated at the heart of Education City, an initiative by the Qatar Foundation. Located on the outskirts of Doha, it covers an area of 14 km2 and contains several international universities and research facilities.

L&O’s equestrian academy design contains references to local heritage.

Stone-faced walls on TOTAL AREA the performance arena OF THE SITE reflect local forts while the dramatic 400m roof resembles a Bedouin tent and visually links the complex.

800,000M2

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CASE STUDY | EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY

Photograph by John Nye

THE SITE

EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY | CASE STUDY

THE CONCEPT Designed in the shape of a horseshoe, the list of amenities includes a riding academy and equestrian club, veterinary clinic, hospital and research facilities, endurance training centre and a breeding centre.

The performance arena required a space for allweather conditions with facilities for 8,000 spectators. L&O’s response was to propose separate SPECTATOR CAPACITY indoor and outdoor OF THE ARENA competition arenas which could both be viewed from the same grandstand.

8,000 THE DETAILS The roof has been designed to be structurally efficient while minimising the enclosed volume and providing diff used natural light to the indoor arena. Overhangs shade the glazed façades while allowing floodlighting without unsightly masts.

While utilising modern materials and technology, the Al Shaqab Equestrian Academy incorporates traditional desert methods of ventilation and shelter. Air-conditioning is available for the stables and arenas to provide optimum comfort.

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Online News for Architecture, Interiors and Industrial Design Professionals

s Up to the minute reports on the latest industry news and events s Interviews with leading figures in the interiors, design and architecture sectors s The latest case studies, market trends and developments for the Middle East market

Visit www.designmena.com today and sign up for the twice weekly eNewsletter to stay up to date with your industry For information on advertising please contact: YAZAN RAHMAN, Sales Director - Tel: +971 4 444 3351 - GSM: +971 56 778 3824 - Email: yazan.rahman@itp.com LEIGH ROCHE, Sales Manager - Tel: +971 4 444 3679 - GSM: +971 50 8690916 - Email: leigh.roche@itp.com

INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMATIC VERTICALSTUDIES MEDINA | CASE STUDY

THE VERTICAL MEDINA

Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Location: King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia CASE STUDY

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

CASE STUDY | VERTICAL MEDINA

THE PROJECT One of many Middle East projects

by Chicago-based titan SOM, the Vertical Medina is a mixed-use scheme in Saudi Arabia. It uses the traditional Arab medina city form – with its interlocking alleyways and

courtyards – to create a ‘vertical network’ with residential, office and retail components.

Clad in limestone from local sources, the project is slated for completion in late 2012. The top six

floors contain 55 luxury residential apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms, with a total area of 18,000m2. The lower seven floors are dedicated to Class A office space with a total area of 21,000m2.

THE CONCEPT One of the defi ning characteristics is the use of the traditional Arabian courtyard which offers both privacy and respite from the heat.

Each apartment has its own private courtyard, interspersed with openair gardens for all residents.

The shared spaces serve as terraces for a fitness centre, event room and children’s play area.

No two apartments in NUMBER OF LUXURY APARTMENTS the Vertical Medina are alike - each has a different layout. The office floors are more regular, with a linear plan.

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VERTICAL MEDINA | CASE STUDY

THE DETAILS Primary exposures are shaded by the deep recesses of each courtyard in the Vertical Medina. The glass façades of the residences are clad with operable shading screens – like mashrabiyahs in traditional Arab cities – to provide further shading

from the sun and to enhance privacy.

It has separate entrances, lobbies, lifts and drop-off areas for the residences and office tenants.

Basement lobbies are treated as ‘front-ofhouse’ areas.

21,000M2 AREA OF CLASS A OFFICE SPACE

THE SITE The Vertical Medina is located in King Abdullah Financial District, a large scale fi nancial centre underway in Riyadh masterplanned

by Henning Larsen Architects.

A landscaped plaza and fountain serves as the main arrival point for SOM’s scheme. Shops line the street and plazas while a five star hotel is located across the street.

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BMWTHE BRAND URBAN SHOWROOMS CROSSING | CASE STUDY

THE URBAN CROSSING Architect: Aedas Location: Shanghai, China CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT Aedas’ “boutique urban” project in Shanghai provides office and retail components, as well as a gallery, conference centre and a water promenade plaza. It is conceived to be a landmark hub with a strong civic presence and a vibrant mix of commercial and public elements.

In addition to maintaining daily commerHIGHEST POINT ON cial and retail activiBUILDING ties, the Urban Crossing is capable of hosting multiple major events.

35.5M 48

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

CASE STUDY | THE URBAN CROSSING

THE SITE With an area of 24,678m2 , the site will contain a canal meandering through the northern edge.

Currently titled as the Urban Crossing: Linkong Block 10-1 Development, the project is the focal point and TOTAL AREA OF public destination for THE SITE the Linkong Business Park. The scheme is also the gateway of the Hongqiao Airport Transportation Hub and will anchor the terminus of the proposed Hongqiao retail axial.

24,678M2

THE CONCEPT In response to the functional requirements and the constricted site, the project stacks vertical stages and runways using inter-connecting layers of platforms.

These accessible platforms offer views of the park at various levels and locations.

The design of the Urban Crossing consists of two office towers linked by two weaved platforms at upper and lower floors.

The form, layering and circulation pattern are said to reinforce the ‘crossing’ architectural concept.

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49

PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK

THE WORK PROJECT UPDATE

MAYSAN RESIDENCES

337

Architect: DWP Location: Abu Dhabi

TOTAL NUMBER OF APARTMENT UNITS

EKO ATLANTIC CITY Architect: MZ Architects Location: Lagos, Nigeria

MIRDIF CITY CENTRE

10,000 PEAK NUMBER OF WORKERS ON SITE

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

Architect: Hyder Consulting/ RTKL Location: Dubai

Currently in the design development phase, Maysan Residences is a pair of striking residential tower buildings in the Al Najmat district of Reem Island, Abu Dhabi with an expected completion date of 2013. Designed by dwp, the project aims to achieve a 2 Pearl Rating with Estidama. The roof structure contains solar energy technology while the tower forms are devised to minimise the exposure to excessive heat gain.

This ambitious new city in Nigeria responds to coastal erosion and aims to relieve pressure on the congested city of Lagos, which is currently inhabited by 15.5 million people.

Estimates of urban use predict that Eko Atlantic City will be home to a quarter of a million people when complete. MZ Architects is the urban planner for the new city and will also be responsible for a number of towers in the scheme.

The fi rst LEED Gold accredited retail outlet in the Middle East, the AED3 billion Mirdif City Centre opened in March 2010 and achieved its green certification in May 2011.

At the peak of construction, 22 cranes and 10,000 workers were on site. Developed by mall specialist Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Mirdif City Centre features a gross floor area of 300,000m2, with 450 shops and parking for over 7,000 cars.

2M

METRES2

Architect: Aedas Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan

TOTAL AREA OF THE SCHEME

INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMATIC STUDIES Architect: Henning Larsen/ Buro Happold Location: Riyadh, KSA

FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI Architect: Benoy Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

DOHA TWIN TOWERS

398%

TARGET NET FLOOR AREA RATIO

Architect: GHD Global Pty Ltd Location: Lusail, Qatar

This two million m2 community scheme, which won both the Residential Project and Sustainable Project of the Year at the Middle East Architect Awards, will provide over 2,000 homes. Situated in Kandahar, the site gently slopes and has a backdrop of mountains. A wide central park runs through the masterplan and links the retail area at the southern end with the Friday mosque at the northern end.

Winner of Institutional & Cultural Project of the Year, this scheme will provide Saudi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) with a new 46,000m2 building to house facilities for the Institute of Diplomatic Studies and Consular Affairs Department. Located in Riyadh the building contains an auditorium, lecture halls, library, classrooms, offices, a large hall for visa applicants and office space.

Winner of the Hospitality & Leisure Project of the Year, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park. Designed by Benoy for Aldar Properties, the project features over 20 rides and attractions including the world’s fastest rollercoaster. The total surface area of the colossal red roof is 200,000m2, while the perimeter of the building is 2,200m2. The highest point of the structure is 45 metres.

This billowing twin tower project in Qatar was designed by GHD Global and is designed to meet the client’s target net floor area ratio of 398%.

Overall water consumption will be reduced by 40% though the use of native plantation, water reducing fi xtures, storm water re-use and grey water treatment strategies. The building also aims to produce 5% of its energy from renewable sources, such as photovoltaics.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

53

THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE

AINO MINA

CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED

LIKE WANT NEED CULTURE

BOOK TOWARDS A NEW INTERIOR Lois Weinthal

FURNITURE BAN STOOLS Esrawe These stools created by Mexican studio, Esrawe, are reminiscent of furniture used in African cultures - and in America during pre-Hispanic times as symbols of status, tradition, religion and identity. They have been developed from certified, solid walnut, tzalam, and beech wood, produced through a process of cutting, assembling and lathing by craftsmen, and fi nished with natural oils.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.11 | www.designmena.com

Interior design, as a relatively young discipline within the academic world of design, has historically been seen as an extension of other fi ne arts. Narratives exist, but treat interior design as a function of architecture or display. Professor Lois Weinthal envisions a future where interior design is treated as being equal to architecture and industrial design.

Weinthal is associate professor of interior design at the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art.

LIKE WANT NEED | CULTURE

FURNITURE LONDON CHAIR BoConcept The new London chair from BoConcept, available in both upholstered and pure shell versions, has its roots in the Scandinavian design style. The core of the London chair is the seat which is produced in highquality FSC approved wood. Customers can pick the slim steel legs for a light minimalistic look or the solid oak for a more natural Nordic feel.

BATHROOM FUSION II BY WET Jan Puylaert Designed by Jan Puylaert and produced

by WET Italia, Fusion II is a freestanding LED illuminated sink. Made with 100% recyclable polyethylene, it can have an AC5 rim-spout, either with a rim-mixer or side faucets. A column in dark grey can be fitted with a range of nine colours with optional RGB LED illumination.

APP RLB GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION MARKET INTELLIGENCE Global construction and property advisor Rider Levett Bucknall launched its free cost-based app for desktop PCs and smartphones with insight into global, regional and local construction markets without any fees. It includes global cost comparison, tender price index data and worldwide construction market analysis. The fi rm hopes it will be useful for architects to check benchmark costs when making design decisions. RLB’s location specific cost data helps provide a range of current expected building costs for specified building types across the world.

www.designmena.com | 12.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

55

LAST WORD | MARIO SENEVIRATNE

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 444 3000 Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Editor Oliver Ephgrave Tel: +971 4 444 3303 email: oliver.ephgrave@itp.com Reporter Devina Divecha Tel: +971 4 444 3502 email: devina.divecha@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Director, Construction Group Yazan Rahman Tel: +971 4 444 3351 email: yazan.rahman@itp.com Sales Manager Luke Jones Tel: +971 4 444 3715 email: luke.jones@itp.com Business Development Manager, Saudi Arabia Rabih Naderi Tel: +966 1 2068697 email: rabih.naderi@itp.com STUDIO

GREEN GURU THE LAST WORD

Mario Seneviratne, MD of Green Technologies and founder of the Emirates Green Building Council

Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Simon Cobon Senior Designer Christopher Howlett PHOTOGRAPHY Chief Photographer Jovana Obradovic Senior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers Lester Ali, George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Verko Ignjatovic, Shruti Jagdeesh, Stanislav Kuzmin, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Coordinator Nelly Pereira Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Database & Circulation Gaurav Gulati MARKETING

In 2008 we saw a decline in construction, and hence a decline in the number of green buildings.

Now we are seeing a steady increase in the green building movement, with a number of quality projects. There are now 44 LEED certified schemes in the UAE.

Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Marketing Manager Michelle Meyrick ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Web Designer Meghna Rao ITP GROUP

In Dubai, most of the commercial interior fit-outs are going LEED.

We’ve also seen that many new constructions are going LEED. I think a higher percentage of buildings are going LEED than before.

LEED is a performance based rating system - it adds value to the building, and as a result you can see that it improves. Green buildings are truly better buildings.

Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase.

Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions

Previously people didn’t care as the revenue was so high in the boom years.

Now the revenue has reduced so many are looking to build green.

It’s important to have done the LEED work in the concept design stage.

If you construct a building and then try to make it green then it will cost lots – that’s why people think green buildings are more costly.

Audited by: BPA Worldwide Average Qualified Circulation: 5,153 (January - June 2011) Cover image SOM | Hedrich Blessing ©Nick Merrick The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used

It’s almost impossible to do a Platinum-rated hotel as it’s very complicated.

Offices are easier, and can be achieved with a little bit of effort.

The latest way of teaching is through case studies.

This is the way that LEED will be taught for years to come.

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Published by and © 2011 ITP Business Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company number 1402846.