FHD International - Dubai Adventure Destination

Dubai Adventure Destination

Project Name : Dubai Adventure Destination Location

: Dubai

Site Area

: 50 Acres

Collaborators : X - Architects

Dubai is a place of extremes, from its climate and physical context, to its economic and geopolitical strategies to its urban infrastructure and architecture. Here limits are constantly being tested and surpassed producing a city that is dynamic, heterogeneous, and complex. Our design proposal in one of the most active parts of the new city, the Dubai Marina, was unparalleled views to the sea and back towards the land, offering the possibility to create a landmark icon. Currently the Dubai Marina, with the density of buildings and crowded infrastructure has a dearth for large public spaces. The master plan proposal offers wonderful raised public green spaces, within a adventure sport, retail and leisure destination unlike any in the region. With highly diverse experiences including a 500m high base jumping tower, simulated sky diving, scuba diving, speed boating and adventure hotels and the fully accessible public realm would become a unique public icon of the new city area.

SITE SCENARIO The site has to address four varying edge conditions along its boundary.

PROGRAM BOX The program brief has been compressed to the front portion of the site to allow maximum open space for the base jumping landing areas.

ELEVATED GREEN PARK To avoid any loss of open space, the green area is recreated as an elevated park on the podium, fluidly connecting people across to the other rear side.

QUEST TO ELATE The prime location of the site and the unparalleled views to the sea and back towards the land, offered the possibility to create a landmark icon for the entire Marina area. But it was also important to understand the larger context of its presence within the Marina. Currently the Dubai Marina, with the density of buildings and crowded infrastructure has a dearth of large public green spaces. The green spaces in the Marina are generally privatised pockets within the high-end resort complexes.

The residents of Marina using the site as a park and outdoor gym to spend time with family or exercise formed the character of the space as a public space with views of the ocean and the city. “How can we retain and recreate an active public space and yet make the project a viable and exciting business proposition?�

CHALLENGES The main challenge was to come up with a design solution which would be a landmark destination and yet not lose the accessibility, visual interaction and openness for the residents of marina, like in any public space. The programmatic requirements had to be achieved in a way that they are confined as conditioned environments and yet nowhere on the site will there be a restriction for the fluidic public access.

The LENS Framework The final solution hence achieved was a strong example of a design approach where we place users and place as the focal points of the design. The sub merged retail to create a continuous plaza with the fluidic movement for public, is a result of the empathetic approach, where we imagined the whole space from a user perspective and retained the public space for the community around it. The final architectural form is modern adaptation of the Mashrabiya which was generated from the understanding of the local architecture and culture and reinterpreting it.

Plot No. 15, LIC Colony, Yellareddy Guda, Shrinagar Colony, Hyderabad-500073, Telangana, India.

Ph: 040 2374 3325 www.fhdgroup.com

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