Middle East Architect | February 2013 by CENTROID (Planners.Architects.Engineers)

An ITP Business Publication

FEBRUARY 2013 / VOLUME 07 / ISSUE 02

NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC p4// FRONT TDIC unveils vast retail scheme for Saadiyat Island

p6// PEOPLE Sherif Anis becomes president of AIA’s Middle East chapter

p26// PROFILE

SITE VISIT

Exploring the huge Atkins-designed Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi /p32

The life and work of Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyer

ANALYSIS FIRE PROTECTION DESIGN IN THE GCC CASE STUDY AECOM’S ECO VILLA PROJECT IN QATAR

SHAPE SHIFTER

Discovering the striking geometric form of Farshad Mehdizadeh’s housing block in Abadan, Iran

CONTENTS | FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 2013 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 02 4

FRONT

Top stories in the world of architecture, including an ambitious plan for Saadiyat

PEOPLE Key regional appointments, famous architect news and top quotes

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

THE BIG PICTURE Using old school techniques to create stunning photography effects

ANALYSIS

What can designers do to ensure buildings are better protected against ﬁ re?

SITE VISIT

MEA visits Atkins’ Yas Waterworld, billed as the world’s best water park

PROFILE Uncovering the life and work of seminal Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyer

CASE STUDIES An Iran apartment block, an eco villa for Qatar and an impressive museum

THE WORK A detailed reference section covering all the best projects in the world

CULTURE A snapshot of funky furniture, books and other accessories in the market

LAST WORD Hina Farooqi, Allies & Morrison Architects, on her favourite things

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

FRONT | FEBRUARY

104

Oscarr Niemeyer’ss age at death h (page 26))

TDIC LAUNCHES 17HA SAADIYAT RETAIL SCHEME Architect to be announced for huge outdoor shopping and dining precinct

2017 EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE

TOP STORY

The District will

TDIC announced the launch of ‘The District’, a 17ha retail destination with indoor and outdoor shopping and dining venues in the heart of Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District. The project is ‘strategically positioned’ among the three muchanticipated museum projects – Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The District comprises three levels – all above ground starting from the street level – distributed over

contain luxury fashion stores, restaurants and art galleries.

168,000m2 of leasable space, with a gross ﬂoor area of 258,000m2 and a total built up area of 370,000m2. More than 550 units are allocated for luxury and fashion brands, dining outlets, department stores, art galleries, family entertainment and speciality stores and services. The project’s architecture and interior designs are said to harmonise with the surroundings, including the views of the neighbouring museums located within walking distance, and the waters of the Gulf.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

Detailed design will commence in 2013, with construction starting in 2014 and ﬁnishing around the time of the Guggenheim opening in 2017. TDIC informed MEA that it is in the process of appointing an architect for The District. It is divided into four zones – Luxury Street, Canal Zone, Main Street and the Crescent Arcade – all interconnected through ‘distinctive characteristics’, according to TDIC. The project is a joint venture with L Real Estate (LRE).

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FRONT | FEBRUARY

PEOPLE

Leo A Daly recruits senior ME manager

Anis takes over from Thierry Paret.

AIA appoints Anis as regional president Sherif Anis has been appointed president of the American Institute of Architects’ Middle East chapter, taking over from Thierry Paret. Anis has been on the AIA Middle East board since its inception in 2010, and now works for Gulf Related as design manager. He commented: “It is my goal to continue the good work we have done and use AIA’s global reach and inﬂuence.” With a total of 22 years’ experience in the USA, London and the GCC, Anis relocated to Abu Dhabi from Boston in 2008 and is actively involved in projects in both Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Working to foster stronger ties between the AIA, regional architects and MENA governments, Anis and the board seek to foster an understanding of the differences in professional practices between the US and the Middle East. He continued: “Member ﬁ rms based in the US continue to become more active in our region and AIA ME can help propel them into this competitive environment.”

The percentage of projects completed on time and within budget is in the range of 30%, with 70% almost always delayed.” HAMAD AL SHAGAWI, chairman, Saudi Council of Engineers

International architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and programme management fi rm Leo A Daly has appointed Mazen Soueidan as operations manager – Middle East. Working with Mahdi Mansour, Leo A Daly regional director – Middle East and North Africa, Soueidan will serve as the client liaison and principal coordinator of the fi rm’s projects in the region. An architect by profession, Soueidan has more than 15 years of experience in construction management and design. He joins Leo A Daly from Grunley Construction Company, where he served as its principal design manager responsible for leading several large-scale projects through the pre-construction phase. Soueidan received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and his Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a registered architect in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and is NCARB and LEED certified.

60 SECOND INTERVIEW NABIL SHERIF, PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER, NGS ARCHITECTS Is it hard to be a businessman and an architect? When you are a businessman opening up an architectural practice, you employ architects. But an architect setting up a practice is more inclined to be emotionally attached to projects and not to charge the full fees, as he may feel that the project would beneﬁt his portfolio. That is more valuable than money. What is your goal? My idea is to create and be a major player in the Middle East region. Those are the things that keep me going. It can happen to you at any time. For example, Tadao Ando was a boxer until the age of 40.

Soueidan becomes operations manager.

Saudi’s Economic Cities have demonstrated a keen desire to implement the latest in design for urban environments with an emphasis on sustainability.

The building construction sector has the largest potential for cutting greenhouse emissions responsible for global warming.”

JASON LEWIS, MD, Limah Design Consultants

SHARIFA HAMZAH, partner, Al Tamimi & Company

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

FRONT | FEBRUARY

MENA PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1 ABU DHABI

2 QATAR

3 DUBAI

Arabtec to start building Louvre Abu Dhabi

Images revealed of Qatar National Library

Dubai hotel gets Guinness World Record recognition

TDIC has announced an Arabtec-led joint venture is set to start construction on the Louvre Abu Dhabi in Saadiyat Cultural District. The $650m contract was handed to Arabtec, Constructora, San Jose SA and Oger Abu Dhabi LLC. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the 64,000m2 museum is pencilled to open in 2015. The concrete frame will be completed by the ﬁrst quarter of 2014, while the dome will be ﬁnished later that year.

The developer behind the upcoming Qatar National Library, designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Rem Koolhaas of OMA, has released a series of images. Set to open in late 2014, the project will contain more than a million books, public computer workstations, digital media production facilities, a variety of collaborative and individual learning spaces, a children’s library, performance spaces and a café.

The JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai’s Business Bay has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest hotel. At a height of 355m, the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai is only 26m shorter than the Empire State Building in New York. The hotel is spread across two 77-ﬂoor twin towers, each containing 804 rooms. It opened the ﬁrst tower in November, with the second expected to open by late 2014.

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FRONT | FEBRUARY

1 MOROCCO

2 BAHRAIN

3 QATAR

Pantheon structure proposed for Marrakech

Atkins to masterplan Bahrain housing project

Leigh & Orange’s Doha stadium wins global awards

Portuguese designers Fala + Filipe Paixao have drawn up a radical proposal for Marrakech’s famous main square, which envisions a structure inspired by Rome’s ancient Pantheon. A huge slab would cover much of the vast Jamaa el Fna public square, supported by a grid of concrete columns. Just like the Pantheon, the slab would contain a small opening at the centre, creating atmospheric lighting conditions internally.

Atkins has been commissioned by the Bahrain Ministry of Housing to provide masterplanning, architecture and infrastructure design for the East Hidd development. The design was inspired by an old photograph of the area. Reclamation work at the site has been completed, and concept design is in its ﬁnal stages. Once completed, the city will comprise around 4,500 units across a 232ha site, with an anticipated population of 28,000.

Al Shaqab Equestrian Performance Arena by Leigh & Orange has been recognised at an international level, winning two accolades at Hong Kong’s biennial Quality Building Awards 2012. Developed by Qatar Foundation, Al Shaqab is an 800,000m2 equestrian academy dedicated to the advancement of show horse breeding and training standards across the Middle East and also the wider world.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

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FRONT | FEBRUARY

1 2

GLOBAL PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1 DENMARK

2 UK

3 CHINA

Henning Larsen reveals eco Danish school

Middle East Centre by Hadid to break ground

Construction begins on Farrell’s $4bn skyscraper

A team containing Henning Larsen Architects has won the competition for a new primary school in Aarhus, Denmark. Replacing an existing school on the site, the ‘The School on the Terraces’ will meet the stringent low-energy Danish building regulations for 2020. The project team also consists of contractor Hoffmann, GPP Architects, landscape architects Møller & Grønborg and consulting engineer NIRAS.

Zaha Hadid’s extension to the Middle East Centre in the University of Oxford is set to break ground this month. The project was designed by Hadid in 2006 for St. Anthony’s College, one of the seven graduate colleges of the University of Oxford, but due to a series of funding and planning issues, construction had been delayed. Hadid’s extension will provide a new library and archive for the centre, built in stainless steel and glass.

Construction on the Evergrande Tower - China’s second tallest skyscraper, just short of Gensler’s Shanghai Tower - is now underway in Jinan. Designed by the UK’s Terry Farrell and Partners, the skyscraper is 560m in height and valued at US$4bn. It will contain apartments, offices, entertainment spaces and shops for private residences as well as the general public, with views of the city from sky lounges.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

FRONT | FEBRUARY

THE BIG PICTURE

CITY OF LIGHTS This night time image of Dubai Marina was taken by ITP staff photographer Shruti Jagdeesh, from the Palm Jumeirah. To achieve the dramatic lighting effect, Jagdeesh used a Tiffen Star Filter on a 24mm lens. She elaborated: “The ﬁ lter gives that exaggerated starburst and glitzy feel to the image. These special effect photo ﬁ lters were previously used on the lens before the digital age, to get a different feel to the images, although nowadays one can use Photoshop.”

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

FEBRUARY | FRONT

www.designmena.com | 02.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

COMMENT | EDITOR’S LETTER

ART AND SOUL EDITOR’S LETTER

Is a vast retail scheme the missing piece in the jigsaw for Saadiyat’s Cultural District?

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

ust at the time of going to press, we received details on TDIC’s grand plan to create a 17ha shopping district among the ﬂagship museum projects of Saadiyat’s much-anticipated Cultural District. I’ve often wondered how the master developer would link the grandiose sculptural museums, each one disparate in form and vying for attention. And now we ﬁ nally have the answer: retail. It’s an idea which is backed up by logic. As well as being one of the UAE’s favourite pastimes, retail can sit comfortably alongside cultural institutions to create a dynamic piece of city, as seen in London’s West End.

The developer supplied three fairly detailed renderings, although no architect has been appointed. It seems TDIC has taken cues from grand European boulevards, such as Paris’ Champs Elysees, where a broad shop-lined street culminates in an impressive monument. Hopefully the streets will be designed to accommodate outdoor festivals and events that are tied into the institutions. It is events like these that help to give a city a ‘soul’. TDIC added: “More than 550 units are allocated for luxury and fashion brands...high-end department stores...art galleries, family entertainment venues and various other speciality stores and services.”

TDIC released images of a 17ha shopping development.

Retail can sit comfortably alongside cultural institutions to create a dynamic piece of city, as seen in London’s West End.”

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

The fact that smaller art galleries are in the picture is welcome news, as is the inclusion of family venues and speciality stores. Yet too much emphasis on the ubiquitous ‘luxury fashion’ component could turn the Cultural District into a shrine to globalised commercialism rather than the sanctuary for local art and creativity that its name suggests. Hopefully the developer will target one-off restaurants, shops and institutions, not just the brands that can be found in every UAE mall. Surely a left-ﬁeld approach encouraging local artists and artisans would be more in the spirit of a Cultural District, but perhaps the international mega-brands are more commercially viable in the UAE. We have to keep our ﬁ ngers crossed that the district will contain a wellbalanced mix. Nevertheless, the creation of a pleasant and walkable district, with fountains and vistas, is certainly a concept that is on the right track. Think of JBR Walk and DIFC in Dubai. These are both attractive and successful districts which combine retail, entertainment and al fresco dining. DIFC also throws art galleries into the equation. The strength of the great European cities is that they combine lively streets with al fresco dining, unique stores and cultural institutions, both small-scale and internationally renowned. If Saadiyat’s Cultural District can tick all of these boxes then it will be the envy of the world.

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COMMENT | DANIEL ROEHNER

SOUNDING OFF OPINION

Noise control is crucial for a successful building, but getting it right is a challenge for the designer

Daniel Roehner is technical development manager for Saint-Gobain Gyproc Middle East

hen it comes to common acoustic mistakes by architects, there remains a confusion about the different mechanisms of sound control — sound insulation (the reduction in sound passing between adjacent spaces) and sound absorption (the control of noise levels and characteristics within each individual space). Understanding this basic differentiation is important. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the levels of sound insulation and absorption required for different types of building, and even different areas within the same building. The levels of acceptable noise vary depending on the usage of the space,

with gyms and playrooms tolerating a higher noise level than a library, lecture theatre or hospital ward. When it comes to choosing materials, some architects continue to follow the Mass Law (the higher the structural mass, the more effective it is in reducing sound). With the development of modern lightweight wall and partition systems, which use two independent metal frames separated by an air-space, this is no longer the case. Lightweight high performance systems today acoustically outperform much heavier masonry alternatives — as well being faster and more cost-effective to build. Sound will ﬁnd any weak spot in the design and construction of a building, so good detailing is key

Sound will ﬁ nd any weak spot in the design and construction of a building.

Lightweight high performance systems today acoustically outperform much heavier masonry alternatives — as well being faster and more cost-effective to build.”

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

— although often overlooked. Even the most highly performing acoustic partition will be seriously downgraded if an adjoining floor or ceiling, and associated penetrations, are not correctly specified and detailed. Attention is not always paid to detailing and sealing around MEP service penetrations and design features such as shadow gaps, recessed skirting and built-in cabinets. Even failing to stagger back-to-back electrical sockets will cause increased noise transfer. Finally, things like acoustic sealing at junctions are often overlooked, leading to a downgrade in air tightness and allowing sound leakage through the structure. So what should designers do? There are a few golden rules of good acoustic design. Firstly put performance before features — the basic structural detailing must be acoustically sound and take precedence over design features. Once the building is constructed it is often very difficult, and very expensive, to remedy bad acoustic design. Secondly, designers should consider building usage and future occupation and apply appropriate acoustic standards. They should pay special attention to noise sensitive areas such as classrooms, hotel bedrooms, intensive care wards, and to corridors and shafts which can carry sound. Finally, it’s important to select materials (including partitions and linings) which provide proven acoustic performance and pay particular attention to detailing to reduce flanking transmission and sound leakage.

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NEWS ANALYSIS | FIRE SAFETY

PROTECT AND PREVENT Following a series of major ďŹ res in the region, MEA speaks to regional experts to discover how designers can help prevent such disasters ANALYSIS

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

FIRE SAFETY | NEWS ANALYSIS

Black smoke billows out of a construction site ямБ re in Dubai.

www.designmena.com | 02.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

NEWS ANALYSIS | FIRE SAFETY

n the wake of devastating fires in JLT’s Tamweel Tower and Tecom’s Saif Belhasa building, not to mention the tragic event in Villagio Mall in Qatar which claimed the lives of 19 people, fire protection and safety in the GCC is a key topic at the current time. The choice of external cladding has come under scrutiny, particularly in the case of the Dubai residential fires. Questions are being asked about the safety of an aluminium composite cladding, which is reported to be used on as many as 500 buildings in Dubai. The events led to the amendment of the UAE Fire and Life Safety code, which bans the use of non fire-rated exterior cladding panels on high-rise buildings. Yet aside from avoiding un-rated products, what else can designers do to improve fi re safety in buildings? According to David Campbell, KEO fire engineering manager, mistakes often stem from the lack of involvement of a fire protection consultant at the inception of a project. He remarks: “The fi re consultant ideally should follow the project through the design and planning, Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) planning approvals, construction, inspections, T&C, and finally the fire safety certification stage. Campbell continues: “It is endemic in the GCC for contractors to engage non-qualified and unskilled subcontractors or to attempt to handle the installations themselves with their own unskilled labour. This results in quality fire safety products and systems being installed incorrectly and highly likely to fail in a real fire scenario. In Qatar all contractors/installers of active or passive fire safety systems are required by law to be approved by QCDD.” According to Lee Andrews, director for Blue Diamond Fire Protection, mistakes can happen when corners are cut in order to save on cost. He adds: “This can be due to the application method or material choice. How-

ever with the relatively new requirement of work needing to be signed off by a civil defense-certified contractor, as a result the work completed has improved somewhat.” Campbell states that designers and contractors sometimes focus on certain sections of applicable code requirements rather than looking at the entire suite of codes as a holistic approach to satisfy compliance. He warns that mixing installations of products tested to various international codes or standards can lead to a gross failure of fire safety systems. “As a standalone fire safety device or system these products have passed and been certified to maintain their integrity and purpose during a fire scenario; however when installed together, or in combination, can fail with devastating results as this is not how these products were tested and certified or intended to be used.” Given that external cladding has been pinpointed as a possible culprit, does that mean that certain materials need to be avoided? Not according to Campbell, who continues: “Materials do not necessarily need to be avoided. However, they should be suitably assessed, through testing and certification, and selected by designers to satisfy the prescriptive requirements of the codes for the use that they are being selected for.” Andrews states that it is best to avoid materials that do not carry industry recommendations and certification proving that they are tested in accordance to industry regulations, such as European regulation British standard. He adds: “Every product that carries such stamp is a trusted and safe product. Each design will dictate which method of application should be used, of which there are many, and choosing the correct method is paramount.” Campbell adds: “Design should always attempt to achieve the prescriptive requirements of the codes; however when this design approach is

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

All buildings that were completed before the requirements were made mandatory need to be re-visited and surveyed thoroughly.” Lee Andrews, director, Blue Diamond

FIRE SAFETY | NEWS ANALYSIS

not desirable or not achievable then a performance based design (PBD) in Tamweel solution needs to be obtained by a Tower, registered fire safety engineer qualiJumeirah Lakes fied to use engineering approaches for Towers, Dubai. fire safety solutions. “The PBD solution is required to be approved by the AHJ. The fire safety engineer is required to be prequalified and approved by the AHJ prior to making PBD submissions.” Fire protection can be retrofitted, according to Campbell, although the associated costs will be higher and the installation time will be longer than if precautions are incorporated into the initial design and contractor scope of works. Andrews agrees: “Of course fire protection can be retrofitted to any structure, providing that there is suitable access to the areas of penetration, but there will be additional cost implications. This is due to the removal of previous work, so choosing a recognised and reputable company to carry out the work is essential, in order to keep wastage of materials to a bare minimum. We believe that any job is worthwhile when it comes to fire protection.” ESTIMATED NUMBER Jani Palkola, marOF BUILDINGS IN keting and communiDUBAI FITTED WITH cations manager from ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE KONE, comments: CLADDING “We have modernisation solutions to add fire protection to existing units. However, it is better to have it from the beginning.” So what is needed to make sure that existing and future buildings are better protected against fire? According to Campbell, the first and most obvious requirement is tighter and tougher legislation and enforcement. He adds: “The recent amendments and additions to Law 9 2012 in Qatar is a good example, where Qatar will now hold individuals and organisations accountable for their actions through from initial design to operating and maintenance. The recent fire

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www.designmena.com | 02.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

NEWS ANALYSIS | FIRE SAFETY

BEAT THE BLAZE MEA handpicks a variety of fire-resistant products Piping system, Geberit Geberit’s installation and piping systems contain certified fire protection solutions. In addition to fire protection sleeves, for pipe diameters between 32 and 200mm, the firm offers fire protection products such as a Duofix fire protection set and Geberit Sanbloc. Sealant, Nullifire Blue Diamond Fire Protection offers products from Nullifire made by Tremco Illbruck Coatings Ltd. All items carry industry standards and are ISO certified. These include Nullifire Silicone (M703 silicone sealant) used to give fire protection to areas with 50% movement. It is acoustic proof. Elevator, KONE KONE offers various types of solutions, starting from simple control features, fire-rated doors, Halogen free cables, to even complete compliance of European building codes such as & EN81-72 (Firefighters’ Lift) and EN81-73 (Behaviour of lifts in the event of fire). Ceiling panel, Gyproc Gyproc’s one-hour fire rated access panels for application in ceilings, comprise a powdercoated, beaded steel frame and metal/gypsum board door. Glass, Schott Schott offers fire rated glass products PYRAN S and PYRANOVA, and a new ‘secure’ product range: all-in-one highly resistant safety glazing that prevent fire, smoke and heat from spreading.

A ﬁre near Dubai Media City.

“Further the changes to façades requirements in some Emirates of the UAE are another good example of prescriptive requirements being made more stringent.” Campbell stresses that greater fire safety awareness and education within the construction industry is “desperately needed in the Middle East” including owners, developers, design and engineering consultants, project and construction managers, contractors, subcontractors, and AHJ personnel. He also states that the general public needs to be more aware. “Various educational mediums and programmes would benefit the community as a whole and in time create a cultural norm that fire safety within the community, including the construction industry, is of the highest importance.” Andrews believes there should be an independent check on every structure that has been completed. “This practice is evident in a way

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

already, with the fire protection work carried out on buildings having to be signed off by a civil defense-certified contractor. We also work with facility managers and building owners to be able to open up awareness further and tackle this concern and issue. In addition, all buildings that were completed before the requirements were made mandatory need to be re-visited and surveyed thoroughly.” Palkola reinforces the need for inspections by third party or civil defense and to report any necessary action required to increase fire protection. “It’s important to follow local building codes for designs, and avoid comprising safety for elegance or aesthetics,” he adds. “The recent incidents have raised the awareness for the need of fire protection, whether that be in the construction industry as a whole, which is governed by regulation and requirement for fire protected structures,” remarks Andrews.

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PROFILE | OSCAR NIEMEYER

OSCAR NIEMEYER | PROFILE

MASTER MODERNIST PROFILE

Orlando Crowcroft looks over the influence of Brazilian legend Oscar Niemeyer, who died at the end of last year at the grand age of 104

rchitecture has given us many giants. Men and women who do far more than create the spaces in which we live or work, but help to deﬁ ne our history, culture, identity and being. Even amongst all of them, Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyer — who died in December last year at 104 — was a titan. While China, India and the Gulf states have ensured that designing a city from scratch is not as rare as it used to be, Niemeyer was a trailblazer in urban planning, designing Brazil’s capital city in collaboration with his mentor, Lucio Costa, in the 1950s. Now home to over three million people, Brasilia is still celebrated as a triumph. Elsewhere, his name will forever be associated with the United Nations building in New York, and alongside the father of modernism, Le Corbusier, who he collaborated with on that project. An unabashed modernist who famously claimed to hate straight lines in architecture, even Niemeyer’s iconic residence in Rio de Janeiro has become a landmark of contemporary Brazilian architecture. “As a student in the early 1960s, I pored over the drawings of each new project,” recalled Foster and Partners’ chairman and founder Lord Norman Foster, speaking after Niemeyer’s death in December. “Fifty years later his work still has the power to startle us. His energy and creativity were an inspiration. I was touched by his warmth and his great passion for life and for scientiﬁc discovery.” Describing his 1947 work on the United Nations building, Nieyemer outlined his beliefs about the representation of function and purpose in design. The UN, which emerged out of a war-weary Europe and United States, needed to demonstrate a new period of collaboration and unity — a task, he admitted, that was daunting.

“When we make a building for the UN, we must have in mind what is the UN? It is an organisation to set the nations of the world in a common direction and gives to the world security,” Niemeyer said. “I think it is difficult to get this into steel and stone. But if we make something representing the true spirit of our age, of comprehension and solidarity, it will by its own strength give the idea that that is the big political effort, too.” It was a sentiment that Niemeyer was due to apply to an equally mammoth challenge just a few years later, when he and Costa were given the Brasilia commission by the then-president Juscelino Kubitschek. The city was intended to represent a new and dynamic Brazil, but Niemeyer was as much concerned with the overall concept as he was with the minutae of fashioning a livable city for millions of Brazilians. “As an architect, my concern in Brasilia was to ﬁ nd a structural solution that would characterise the city’s architecture. So I did my very best in the structures, trying to make them different with their columns narrow, so narrow that the palaces would seem to barely touch the ground,” he said. “I set them apart from the façades, creating an empty space through which, as I bent over my work table, I could see myself walking, imagining their forms and the different resulting points of view they would provoke.” At the same time, Niemeyer was determined that form should remain paramount. “My architecture followed the old examples — beauty prevailing over the limitations of the constructive logic. My work proceeded, indifferent to the unavoidable criticism set forth by those who take the trouble to examine the minimum details, so very true of what

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PROFILE | OSCAR NIEMEYER

As an architect, my concern in Brasilia was to ﬁnd a structural solution that would characterise the city’s architecture. So I did my very best in the structures, trying to make them different with their columns narrow, so narrow that the palaces would seem to barely touch the ground.” Oscar Niemeyer

Niemeyer was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1988.

mediocrity is capable of. It was enough to think of Le Corbusier saying to me once while standing on the ramp of the (Brazilian National) Congress: ‘There is invention here’.” Unfortunately for Niemeyer, a life-long Communist, Brazil’s brave new age was not to last long, and in 1965 the architect’s ofﬁce was raided by the forces of the recently established military dictatorship. His projects began to be rejected and the offices of a magazine he edited were destroyed. Niemeyer made the tough decision to leave his homeland for France, where he would spend the next 20 years in exile, working on projects in Lebanon, Algeria, Italy and Britain. The fall of the dictatorship in 1985 saw Niemeyer return to Brazil and in 1988, at the age of 81, he was awarded the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. Remaining true to his political convictions — Cuban leader Fidel Castro once said that he and Niemeyer were “the only two true Communists left” — he was president of the Brazilian Communist Party from 1992 to 1996. That year he designed the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro, which remains one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Like so many other modernists, Niemeyer faced some criticism for prioritising form over function, but it was a charge that he

rejected with typical flair in his memoirs, published in 2000 and appropriately named The Curves of Times. “I am not attracted to straight angles or to the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. I am attracted to free-flowing sensual curves,” he said. “The curves that I fi nd in the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman. Curves make up the entire Universe, the curved Universe of Einstein”. Speaking after his death last month, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova, said in a moving tribute that Nieyemer “helped defi ne the 20th century and laid the foundations for the 21st. “For all this, he deserves the title of universal artist. As a leading artist of modern architecture, he gave the cities he loved iconic buildings, hundreds of monuments, recognisable among all, in Paris, Sao Paulo, Rio and of course Brasilia, a masterpiece of urban planning and modern architecture,” she said. “Oscar Niemeyer used to say that he did not care for tributes and he remained active until the very end. He was passionate about work and convinced that architecture, before becoming fi ne arts, had to contribute concretely to living better together in the city and must embody the values of inclusion, solidarity and cooperation.”

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PROFILE | OSCAR NIEMEYER

T CATEDRAL

T NATIONAL CONGRESS

METROPOLITANA, BRAZIL

OF BRAZIL, BRAZIL

Completed in 1970, this

Two vertical office towers

Roman Catholic cathedral

separate the semi-spheres

is a hyperboloid structure

of the Senate and Chamber

constructed from 16 huge

of the Deputies.

concrete columns.

S NITERÓI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM, NITERÓI, BRAZIL Completed in 1996, the spaceship-like MAC-Niterói is 16m high, with a cupola that stretches 50m in diameter. The spectacular threeﬂoor museum is one of the city’s main landmarks.

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OSCAR NIEMEYER | PROFILE

T OSCAR NIEMEYER CULTURAL CENTRE, ASTURIAS, SPAIN Inaugurated in May 2011, this cultural centre was described by Niemeyer as an “open square to the humankind, a place for education, culture and peace”. It contains a 1,000seat auditorium for concerts, theatre and conferences.

TPALÁCIO DA ALVORADA, BRAZIL Built in 1958, this monumental structure is the official residence of the president of Brazil, on the fringes of Paranoa Lake, Brasilia.

X UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK This famous HQ was a 1947 collaboration between many of the world’s top architects including Niemeyer and Le Corbusier.

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SITE VISIT | YAS WATERWORLD

orld er w k t a ar sW r Ya wate r p o f rk t n wo l d ’s b e s g i s r de e wo ing h k t a t s a ns ill e d ’ pai b s , n i i b tk D ha rs A u e v b o A sc in e di v a r hg r Ep e v i Ol

SITE VISIT | YAS WATERWORLD

The park overlooks the immense red roof of Ferrari World.

he approach to the newly opened Yas Waterworld is quite a spectacle. Nestled among the twisting serpent-like water slides and craggy rock outcrops are wind towers and minarets. It’s as if an old Arabian town has been placed on Monument Valley, with a little help from Walt Disney and Willy Wonka. Upon entering the park, one notices the painstaking details and authenticity to the mock-historic architecture, including 100-yearold dhows taken from a boat yard in Hatta. Pointing towards the building containing the ‘souk’, Atkins technical manager Kevin Johnson remarks: “It’s not a replica or inspired by an existing structure. We created the composition but elements were

speciﬁcally taken from Arabian vernacular architecture, such as wind towers, mashrabiya timber panels and simple recesses. “It varies in textures and looks as if the design evolved over centuries. There’s a haphazard nature to the dockyard with things lying around. It reinforces the story.” The ‘story’ which Johnson refers to is central to the design and the experience of the entire park. Devised and developed by Atkins, the story pays tribute to Emirati culture and the country’s pearl diving heritage. It follows the adventures of the waterpark’s main character ‘Dana’, a young Emirati girl in search of the legendary lost pearl which would return prosperity to her ﬁ shing village. The vast park was developed by Aldar and Farah Leisure on a gener-

ous budget of US$165m. It contains a total of 43 rides, slides and attractions and a capacity for 7,000 visitors. Covering over 11ha, with a plan to expand another 2.5ha, it’s three times the size of Wild Wadi, the classic Dubai waterpark designed by Atkins in 1999. Although the design and theming took place in a tight timeframe — between March and December 2010 — the project spawned a whopping 3,018 design drawings and 356 hand-drawn theming intent illustrations. The hard work clearly paid off as the scheme picked up the World Waterpark Association 2012 Leading Edge Award for architectural innovation and theming, and MEP Middle East’s Project of the Year. Main contractor ALEC was appointed in March 2011 and com-

Very few people design something like this. In the Abu Dhabi office, most people are designing commercial buildings. It’s all one-offs in theme parks.” Kate Lockey, designer, Atkins

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SITE VISIT | YAS WATERWORLD

menced construction the following month. “ALEC really stepped up to the mark,” remarked Johnson. “It was the company’s ﬁ rst theme park — they employed two experienced theme designers, one of whom worked on Ibn Battuta Mall.” He added that during the construction, the site was always “buzzing” with people working nightshifts to continue at pace. In addition to the architectural and theming design, Atkins was tasked with the MEP, structures, sustainability and civil engineering. At any given time, the project involved the collaboration of around 30-40 engineers and environmental consultants from Atkins’ offices in the UK and UAE. “Communication was easy because everyone was on the Atkins network,” added Johnson. The sequencing of construction work was vital. In some cases, rides needed to be installed prior to theming, but in others, the theming had to Ride be completed before the ride could technology be installed. has improved Passing through the souk, the hugely in visitor is greeted with a sweeping recent years. view over the entire park, including a huge pearl atop a craggy rock outcrop. “This section has a lot of energy,” continues Johnson. “The subcontractor for the rockwork was Aspen Creations. It all had to get approval from Atkins.” BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT The park contains a total of 43,464m2 themed rockwork and 20,043m2 themed render. After the drawings were completed, the blockwork or caging was constructed, followed by the ﬁ rst layer of render, the carving, the painting and then sealing. Inspections and approvals had to be given at each stage. Johnson explains that the ‘Pearl Cragg mountain’ was positioned according to the sun path, to maximise the shading effect on the pools

US$165 MILLION

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YAS WATERWORLD | SITE VISIT

below. The whole concept of the mountain was described as “knitting spaghetti.” All the rockwork and the 1.2million kg of supporting steelwork was modelled in 3D and then interwoven with the coaster path diving around the shards, over bridges and through a cave. The journey from the souk to the mountain area is made via a winding path lined with mock timber posts, by Desert Rock Draft. Mahdi Samhouri, senior resident engineer, Atkins elaborates: “There are 1,200 timber posts in the park, although they are covered steel, not wood. They are lightweight with concrete underneath just to counter the wind. It’s all locally made in the UAE. Some of them are used for lights, others for CCTV cameras.”

L-r: Kate Lockey, Mahdi Samhouri, Kevin Johnson.

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SITE VISIT | YAS WATERWORLD

Each crag of rock is different in design.

Rides emerge from snakes' heads.

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YAS WATERWORLD | SITE VISIT

The centrepiece of the waterpark is a giant 'lost pearl'.

The posts are also used to support tensile shading, colour-coded to aid orientation. Atkins designer Kate Lockey says green shades are used for the main path, red for food and beverages, and beige for lounge areas. The themed ropework, which lines the paths, comes to 65km — over 17 Heathrow airport runways. A wide variety of Arabic-style lamps also grace the walkways. Lockey adds: “We speciﬁed almost a whole catalogue of lamps. Everything that is visible has been designed — the balustrades, paving, rope work, cannons. I think 18 people worked on the design. This included around six on the scheme design and eight on the theming.” She adds that one of the main challenges for the architects was getting away from the standard mindset. “Very few people design something like this. In the Abu Dhabi office, most people are designing commercial buildings. It’s all one-offs in theme parks. For instance, the souk is not a square building — it has nooks and crannies. “The structures were challenging to get your head around. They had to be random. Every shard of rock has to be designed and engineered and each is different. It’s chaotic.” The Atkins team points out the lack of straight lines in the park — including the rides, paths, posts, balustrades, rivers, rockwork, and to some extent the buildings themselves. As a result, services had to be coordinated underground, and then transferred above ground. MEP had to be located almost entirely underground to prevent almost 55.2km of pipe work and 20.2km of cabling from interfering with the rides and to ensure that no services were visible to the guests. This required a heavily coordinated design and execution of system service corridors with all the above ground rides, shade structures and buildings. The underground design

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SITE VISIT | YAS WATERWORLD

covers the majority of the water park The dockyard and required deep excavations. area contains Johnson reveals that the 3D 100-year-old design work was done on SketchUp, dhows from Hatta. adding: “We stretched the software to the absolute limit. It’s very simple and quick — everyone knows how to use it. Eight people were designing at once. We didn’t use BIM, partly because the software wasn’t fully rolled out across the Atkins network. To maximise the output, we stuck with the current software. For the next, we won’t be using SketchUp — there are some powerful tools out there.” Atkins’ experience on Wild Wadi was obviously beneficial, but the waterpark industry has changed tremendously in the last 15 years, according to Johnson. “These days there are much more varied rides and there is a much broader choice. The components are similar but there is For the souk, we created the composition a different mix to the cake. This park but elements were specifically taken from Arabian was envisaged for the extended Emivernacular architecture, such as wind towers, rati family — that’s why the rings are for six persons rather than four.” mashrabiya timber panels and simple recesses.” Water efficiency is another key Kevin Johnson, technical manager, Atkins facet of Yas Waterworld, which has achieved a 1 Pearl Rating with Estidama. Samhouri elaborates: “Efforts were made for a minimal usage of water, with very efficient pumps from Germany. We used the most efficient techniques and fi ltration. The 1 Pearl Rating was a client directive TOTAL SITE — it was the aim from AREA OF YAS day one.” WATERWORLD An advanced BMS allows full control of 90% of the rides’ aquatic systems and enables the operator to continuously and remotely monitor the project water supply and discharge. It also allows early identification of any unforeseen pool leaks. Atkins’ attention to detail, throughout the architectural, engineering and theming design has certainly won admirers in the waterpark industry and the general public.

11HA

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YAS WATERWORLD | SITE VISIT

Traditional Arabian details give the souk area an authentic feel.

Lockey comments: “We achieved what we set out to do. It’s really satisfying when the kids come off the ride and give each other a high ﬁve.” Yet has the team achieved Aldar’s lofty target of creating the world’s best water park? Johnson remarks: “Yas Waterworld won an award before it opened. I like to think we’ve met client expectations.”

BUILDING CREDITS Client Aldar & Farah Leisure Design, theming, structures, MEP Atkins Main contractor ALEC Rides ProSlide Technology, Vekoma & Whitewater West Aquatic design WaterTechnology Inc

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20 - 23 May 2013

Dubai World Trade Centre

www.indexexhibition.com

For more information about exhibiting at the INDEX International Design Exhibition 2013, contact us: Tel: +971 (0)4 438 0355 Fax: +971 (0)4 438 0357 Email: info@indexexhibition.com

QATAR PASSIVHAUS | CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY | QATAR PASSIVHAUS

QATAR PASSIVHAUS Architect: Aecom Location: Qatar

CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT

44/54 44

THE SITE

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, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), and Barwa Real Estate (BRE), with architectural and engineering services provided by Aecom. The broad intention is create a building standard for Qatar that is truly energy efficient and economically viable.

Two demonstration villas are currently being constructed on a vacant site close to a newly built kindergarten within Barwa City in Doha. The conventional villa is being constructed to an established BRE speciﬁcation that is likely to be the equivalent of a GSAS one-star rating in terms of energy, CO2 consumption and emissions. Both villas are build using materials that have minimal environmental impact, which are manufactured either within Qatar or the GCC region wherever possible. The area of each villa is approximately 200m2 and based on the existing three bedroom apartment designed for the Barwa City project.

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56/59 METRES2 AREA OF THE PROJECT T

CIR SNACK CIRCLE BBAR Architect: Farshad Mehdizadeh Location: Isfahan, Iran

PROJECT UPDATE

MOP HOUSE

750 METRES2

Designer: AGi Architects Location: Kuwait City

AREA OF PLOT

SNIM HOTEL Architect: Draw Link Group Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania

0.6 METRES WIDTH OF TRANSPARENT ELEMENTS

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SIKKAS IN THE SKY Designers: Alexandre Carrasco and Omelmominin Wadidy, University of Nottingham Location: Abu Dhabi Corniche

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING — QATAR UNIVERSITY

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.

Sponsored by the National Industrial and Mining Company (SNIM), the ﬁve-star hotel project is located in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The property is intended to be an oasis of rest within the heart of the city. 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.

This skyscraper for Abu Dhabi 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 building’s apex.

Architect: Mimar Emirates Engineering Consultants Location: Doha, Qatar

WASL SQUARE

270

TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS

Architect: NAGA Architects Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY Architect: SOM Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Designed by Iranian architect Farshad Mehdizadeh, this fast food store occupies 7m2 on an Isfahan street. The project received rave reviews at the Middle East Architect Awards in September 2012, where it was highly commended in the Public Sector, Institutional and Cultural Project category. 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.”

Designed by Mimar Emirates Engineering Consultants, it is one of the university’s ﬂagship colleges and is intended to house six academic departments: Chemical, Civil, Architecture, Electrical, Mechanical, and Computer Engineering. Mimar was challenged to conceive of a facility that could handle the college’s current enrolment of 1,200, but grow over the next three years to accommodate a projected 2,200 students.

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 three-storey complex incorporates retail spaces on the ground ﬂoor to cater to pedestrians, and apartments on the top two ﬂoors, providing an element of privacy from the two-story townhouses.

Conceived as three hospitals under one roof, the new Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is a 300,000m2, 838-bed medical complex that will combine a general hospital and trauma centre with tertiary women’s and pediatric hospitals. It is a joint venture between ICME, Tilke, and SOM. The new complex is designed for SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, and will be the largest hospital in the country.

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LIKE WANT NEED

LIKE WANT NEED | CULTURE CULTURE

CULTURE CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED

THE WORK 7

THE WORK

THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE

PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK

CASE STUDIES

FURNISHING LIQUID GLACIAL TABLE Zaha Hadid Architects Shortlisted for the Design of the Year Awards by London’s Design Museum, Zaha Hadid’s eye-catching four-part dining table was commissioned for the David Gill Gallery in March 2012. The tables are made of smooth acrylic resin with the ripples and waves below the surface. Each of the tables is handmade in Italy and start at $160,000.

CULTURE

BATHROOM STRADA Ideal Standard With its square-edged look and high-fashion feel, Strada is the ultimate modern bathroom collection. It offers a range of products, from basin and bidet, shower to bathtub. Strada ﬁttings are

KITCHEN TETRIX Scavolini

LIGHTING COLETTE Pedrali

Scavolini’s Tetrix, designed by Michael Young, is a modular kitchen system with geometrical dimensions. Inspired by one of the world’s most famous video games, Tetris, the product applies the game’s concept of ‘fitting in’ and composition. It stands out for the option of having different heights of single support panels and several sheets of glass that vary in colour.

60/62 60

Designed by Alberto Basaglia and Natalia Rota Nodari, Colette’s shapes make it daring, exactly like the namesake French author who inspired the designers. Made completely with polycarbonate, it is available in five colours: white opaline, smoked, transparent yellow, transparent turquoise and transparent red.

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equipped with the innovative adjustable aerator, allowing you to adjust the angle of the stream of water according to your preferences and needs. They are all engineered to use less water and energy.

APP MORPHOLIO Morpholio LLC Architects and designers can now present, share and get feedback on their work in one seamless platform. The portfolio enables users to create and manage image collections. A minimalist interface allows the work to set the character of the presentation or portfolio, which can then be publicly or privately shared with clients and colleagues.

02.13 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

CULTURE

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QATAR PASSIVHAUS | CASE STUDY

QATAR PASSIVHAUS Architect: Aecom Location: Qatar

CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT 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, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), and Barwa Real Estate (BRE), with architectural and engineering services provided by Aecom. The broad intention is create a building standard for Qatar that is truly energy efficient and economically viable.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 02.13 | www.designmena.com

CASE STUDY | QATAR PASSIVHAUS

THE SITE Two demonstration villas are currently being constructed on a vacant site close to a newly built kindergarten within Barwa City in Doha. The conventional villa is being constructed to an established BRE speciďŹ cation that is likely to be the equivalent of a GSAS one-star rating in terms of energy, CO2 consumption and emissions. Both villas are build using materials that have minimal environmental impact, which are manufactured either within Qatar or the GCC region wherever possible. The area of each villa is approximately 200m2 and based on the existing three bedroom apartment designed for the Barwa City project.

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QATAR PASSIVHAUS | CASE STUDY

200 METRES2 SIZE OF BOTH VILLA PROJECTS

50%

REDUCTIONS IN ENERGY AND WATER USAGE

THE CONCEPT While the basic principles of designing and building a Passivhaus remain the same across the world, details have been tailored to suit the speciďŹ c climatic conditions of Qatar. The houses are planned to be oc-

cupied by two similar families, each with at least one child for at least one year. A number of targets are set for the eco-villa, when compared to the conventional ones. These include a 50% reduction in annual operational

energy consumption, annual water consumption and annual operational CO2 emissions. It needs to accomplish the criteria for no more than 15-20% of the capital cost of a conventional villa.

THE DETAILS Prior to inhabitation, the two houses will go through a period of commissioning, calibration and monitoring that will extend into the cooling season and at least one month during the summer, with high humidity condition. Two selected families will inhabit the houses, with no prior training on energy saving techniques. After a period of monitoring to establish regular base energy and water consumption patterns, an intense educational and operational training package will be delivered to both and any changes in behaviour will be monitored.

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100 OBJECTS OF

DESIRE

MAY 2013, DUBAI Commercial Interior Design will once again be launching its 100 Objects of Desire Volume III coffee table book at an exclusive gathering of interior design professionals in May 2013. CID’s 100 Objects of Desire Volume III will feature the latest collection of inspirational items and the book remains a permanent ﬁxture on interior designers’ coffee tables long after publication.

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ABADAN APARTMENT | CASE STUDY

ABADAN APARTMENT Designers: Farshad Mehdizadeh & Raha Ashrafi Location: Abadan, Iran CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT Highly commended in the Residential category at the 2012 Middle East Architect Awards, this austere apartment block in Iran was designed by up-and-coming local architect Farshad Mehdizadeh and Raha Ashraﬁ. Mehdizadeh was also hired to supervise the project, which is still under construction. The scheme is located in the south-west of Iran, in a border city Abadan, which was destroyed during the war. It embraces local architecture elements such as cantilevers, but adds new design techniques. The façade, made from a local material, is suited to the dusty conditions.

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CASE STUDY | ABADAN APARTMENT

THE SITE The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s north-south orientation provides challenges in terms of daylighting and heatingcooling control, resulting in the striking overlapping roof. It is shaped to THICKNESS OF prevent excessive heat WALLS NEXT TO from entering the buildWINDOWS ing and aids retention of internal temperatures. Openings also factor in the orientation of the ďŹ nal form. The direction of the building, excluding openings, is north. However with openings, the form changes direction and the upper part rotates against its original geometric direction.

80CM

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ABADAN APARTMENT | CASE STUDY

THE CONCEPT The main concept is a box which contains the different utilities of a residential building, arranged to the location and the environment of nearby areas. In order for this box to be populated, it has to be folded

like a jelly roll. Thus new spaces are created and the box functions as a service provider. The box orientates itself and transforms its shape to capture light. As certain elements are

raised in prominence, the light is fully controlled and direct rays are blocked to the box. With average summer temperatures of 40Â°C, such techniques are required to control internal temperatures.

THE DETAILS Cantilevers were calculated and angled according to the sun path to create shade and protect the windows from direct sunlight. Heat is also controlled by a detail in the windows and walls - the thickness of the walls between the windows is increased to 80cm. In addition, the windows are shifted back into the wall to create shelter. In order to utilise the entire thickness of the wall, the space between windows is designed as a closet. This makes the faĂ§ade a double layer which is another solution for conserving energy.

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UMEÅ ART MUSEUM | CASE STUDY

UMEÅ ART MUSEUM Architect: Henning Larsen Architects Location: Sweden CASE STUDY

THE PROJECT Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, 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. In its previous facilities, the museum has displayed international contemporary art and classic art-historical exhibitions side by side since 1981. The new museum more than doubles the exhibition area. It also contains an auditorium, children’s workshops and administration.

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CASE STUDY | UMEÅ ART MUSEUM

THE SITE The building is located in the 15,000m2 new Arts Campus at Umeå University, which also comprises the Academy of Fine Arts, the Institute of Design and the School of Architecture. As the museum wishes to attract international artists, it has imposed high requirements on museum safety and climate control. Like the other buildings at the Arts Campus, the façade features vertical AREA OF louvers in Siberian larch, ARTS CAMPUS only broken by the large windows and the glass ﬂoor in the middle.

15,000 METRES2

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UMEÅ ART MUSEUM | CASE STUDY

THE CONCEPT The large, square halls are free from load-bearing structures and are supported by four legs, with one leg placed on each side of the square rooms. Around the exhibition halls, the legs create an outer, narrow gap towards the façades. This gap lets the cool sun and sky light pour into the space and merge with the warm artiﬁcial light. In addition to the light effect, the niches allow for natural breaks from exploring the gallery. The higher up the visitor explores, the more they are drawn towards the view of the river, city and landscape.

THE DETAILS The four legs support the building and also serve as wells for all vertical movement: elevators, stairs, pipes and ventilation ducts. The entrance and foyer span across the three lower levels and comprise a museum shop, a children’s workshop and an auditorium. A partly triplehigh room serves to connect the spaces. The consolidation of artistic institutes and exhibiGROSS tion facilities is based on FLOOR AREA a view to allow art, design and architecture to beneﬁt from one another.

3,500 METRES2

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PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK

THE WORK PROJECT UPDATE

MOP HOUSE

750 METRES2

Designer: AGi Architects Location: Kuwait City

AREA OF PLOT

SNIM HOTEL Architect: Draw Link Group Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania

0.6 METRES WIDTH OF TRANSPARENT ELEMENTS

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SIKKAS IN THE SKY Designers: Alexandre Carrasco and Omelmominin Wadidy, University of Nottingham Location: Abu Dhabi Corniche

7 METRES2 AREA OF THE PROJECT

Architect: Farshad Mehdizadeh Location: Isfahan, Iran

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING — QATAR UNIVERSITY Architect: Mimar Emirates Engineering Consultants Location: Doha, Qatar

WASL SQUARE

270

TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS

Architect: NAGA Architects Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY Architect: SOM Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE

CIRCLE SNACK BAR

PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK

THE CHEDI, KHOR FAKKAN

100+

NUMBER OF SUITES IN THE RESORT

Architect: GAJ Location: Khor Fakkan, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

SIEMENS MIDDLE EAST HQ Architect: Sheppard Robson Location: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

S CUBE CHALET

750 METRES2 AREA OF PROJECT

Architect: AGi Architects Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait

AL HILAL BANK TOWER Architect: Goettsch Partners Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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Designed by Dubai’s GAJ, this boutique hotel resort north of Khor Fakkan won the 2012 MEA Award for Hospitality & Leisure Project of the Year. The design draws inspiration from historical references in similar settings. The slope and nature of the existing mountainside have determined the massing of the hotel form. It has been sited to reduce the cutting of the natural rock as much as possible.

Winning both the Sustainable and Commercial categories at the 2012 MEA Awards, the Siemens Middle East Headquarters at Masdar City is anticipated to be one of the ﬁ rst buildings in the region to achieve LEED Platinum. The building was designed from the inside out in order to achieve maximum efficiency. With completion scheduled for 2013, it will be the ﬁ rst headquarters building at Masdar City.

Designed by Spain and Kuwaitbased architecture studio AGi Architects, the S Cube Chalet residential space is comprised of three intertwined seafront houses developed into three levels. Located in Kuwait City, each house is complete with an outdoor terrace overlooking the sea. The plot is divided into two units, mirror images of each another, separated by a staircase that leads to the third house on top.

Goettsch Partners (GP) has designed a 24-storey commercial development for Al Hilal Bank in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island. Totalling 87,570m 2 overall, the tower includes 49,110m 2 of office and retail space with 1,000 parking spaces for tenants and visitors. The speculative office tower is located in the capital’s new central business district, next to GP’s huge Sowwah Square project for Mubadala.

Architect: SOM Location: King Abdullah Financial District, Saudi Arabia

JAIDAH SQUARE

70,000 METRES2 TOTAL CONSTRUCTIBLE AREA

Designers: Woods Bagot, MZ & Partners and United Designers Location: Doha, Qatar

BODRUM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Architect: Tabanlioglu Location: Bodrum, Turkey

NEO BANKSIDE

STOREYS TALLEST OF THE FIVE BUILDINGS

Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Location: London, UK

This futuristic complex by SOM provides a multipurpose event hall with operable walls, a 600-seat auditorium with full lecture and cinema support, and a ‘digital forum’ approach that allows all venues to be internally and externally networked. The conference rooms are clad in electrochromic glass which permits users to change from clear to opaque glass in order to control light levels and privacy.

This seven-storey commercial office building broke ground in 2009. The initial concept was given to Woods Bagot to create the building’s primary plan. MZ & Partners further cultivated the building’s aesthetic as consultant of record. United Designers of London completed the detailed architectural design for the colour of the glass, the showroom façades and the ﬁt-out in the communal areas.

Bodrum International Airport, designed by Turkish architecture ﬁ rm Tabanlioglu, was completed in June this year, with a construction timeframe of 15 months. The 455,000m2 building consists of two main structures, an ‘air side’ of transparent glass and steel linear scaffold which connects to the planes and a ‘land side’ terminal building. Primary elements are organised to provide easy circulation for passengers.

Picking up two International Property Awards in 2011, Neo Bankside was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. The development contains a range of six to 24 storey buildings with 229 residential units. Situated in the Bankside area of London, the scheme forms a linking between Southwark, the Thames and the Tate Modern. Apartments vary from studios to four bedrooms as well as penthouses.

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THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE

KAFD CONFERENCE CENTRE

CULTURE CULTURE || LIKE WANT NEED

LIKE WANT NEED CULTURE

KITCHEN TETRIX Scavolini

LIGHTING COLETTE Pedrali

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LIKE WANT NEED || CULTURE CULTURE

equipped with the innovative adjustable aerator, allowing you to adjust the angle of the stream of water according to your preferences and needs. They are all engineered to use less water and energy.

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BEST OF THE BUNCH THE LAST WORD

Hina Farooqi, associate director, Allies & Morrison Architects, reveals her favourite architect, building and city

STUDIO Head of Design Daniel Prescott Principal Creative Simon Cobon PHOTOGRAPHY Chief Photographer Jovana Obradovic Senior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Murrindie Frew, Verko Ignjatovic, Shruti Jagdeesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Coordinator Nelly Pereira Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION

My favourite architect would have to be Tadao Ando — his architecture is the perfect contrast of light and darkness, solid and void.

I ﬁ rst discovered his work at a London exhibition as a degree student in 1998/9.

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Ando’s work is a fantastic example of the skill required to achieve simplicity in architecture.

He creates geometric forms which live harmoniously within an untouched landscape. When it comes to my top building, I would have to pick the Barcelona Pavilion by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

It’s a symbol of modernist architecture, built with highly reﬁ ned materials that beautifully emphasise the simplicity of its form. The selection of these materials enhances the experience of walking through a sequence of compressed and open spaces.

Aspects of this approach have inspired our Phase 1a designs currently under construction at Msheireb Downtown Doha. London would be my favourite city. Who doesn’t like London?

A city that is ever changing and ever growing in response to its past and present history, its eclectic mix of cultures and nationalities inﬂuencing its development both on an urban and human scale.

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London has managed its ability to retain heritage buildings and blend them seamlessly with modern architecture to stunning effect.

Here in Doha, a unique character is also developing and there is strong support to reﬂect local character in modern buildings.

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