09/03/2008 In Architecture by argikon

Eclipsed by its flashier cousin to the north, Abu Dhabi is actually bigger and more powerful than Dubai and is aiming to brand itself as a culture capital and and stylish Middle East alternative. With 9% of the world’s oil reserves, Abu Dhabi is the largest of the emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), comprising 87% of the territory. Although it’s playing catchup to Dubai on the construction front, there are some spectacular projects in the works. Here’s a sampling.

Saadiyat Island - The Island of Happiness

At 27 square km, it’s half the size of the island of Bermuda, and will become one of the Middle East’s largest natural island developments.

Features of the US$27 billion island include:

• A Louvre Museum
• The Performing Arts Centre
• The Guggenheim
• Large-scale shopping complexes
• Several luxury resorts
• Nine kilometers of pristine beaches
• A championship golf course
• A protected wetlands area with boutique retreats and eco-tourism activities

Ferrari Theme Park

The ever expanding Ferrari brand is now moving into the realm of Disneyland. Ferrari is opening a 2,500 acre theme park that will include over 24 attractions. Highlights include a 70-metre tall G-Force Tower, the world’s first F1 branded twin roller coaster ride (allowing races between carriages), simulator rides, a race track, luxury hotels, apartments, villas, a golf course, and dozens of restaurants. The project is expected to cost over US $600 million US and will open in 2009.

Desert Islands Project

The Desert Islands will be created off the coast of Abu Dhabi and will be comprised of eight separate islands. The islands will include a nature preserve, a cultural destination, and a showcase for world-class environmental, conservation and ecological tourism. All will be linked by a ferry and hydrofoil service, water taxis and sea planes.

Development will be phased - with an estimated price tag of more than US $3 billion, with the first phase expected to be completed by 2010.

Abu Dhabi Louvre

The Louvre has sold Abu Dhabi’s royal family a €700 million share in the franchise. This will allow them to transfer several hundred works of art to the new Abu Dhabi Louvre for an initial term of 20 years.

The first exhibits will be available for viewing in 2012, and the entire project is scheduled for completion by 2018.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

With its spectacular architecture and total area of almost 323,000 square feet, the Abu Dhabi Guggenheim will probably far outshine its New York City and Bilbao predecessors. The Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim is expected to be one of the anchor attractions on Saadiyat Island.

It will feature permanent collections, galleries for special exhibitions, a center for art and technology, a children’s art education facility, archives, a library, and research center. It is expected to open in 2012.

Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre

This spectacular building will be designed to house five theaters – a music hall, concert hall, opera house, drama theater, and a flexible theater with a combined seating capacity for 6,300.

The concert hall will be situated above the four other theaters, allowing daylight into its interior, and offering dramatic views of the sea and city skyline from the huge window behind the stage. Lobbies for each theater are orientated towards the sea to give each visitor a constant visual contact with their surroundings.

Empire Island Tower

The curvy 230-meter tower is still in the proposal stage and there is no expected completion date as of yet.

Grand Corniche Hotel

The five-star Grand Corniche Hotel is set to become an iconic downtown landmark that will cater to the emirate’s burgeoning business and leisure clientele. The 35-story property will have 349 guest rooms, 90 suites and 144 serviced apartments and is expected to cost an estimated US$ 300 million to build. The the glass structure is reminiscent of a stately racing dhow, the traditional Arab sailing vessel. The hotel is scheduled to open in December 2009.

Tameer Towers

The project will consist of six towers:

• A diamond shaped 73-story office tower
• Four apartment towers ranging from 30 to 50-stories each
• One 7-star luxury hotel

The expected completion date is November of 2010.

The Gate Project and Sky Tower

The Gate Project will be comprised of eight mixed use towers, with the 83-story Sky Tower as it’s centerpiece. The Sky Tower will become the highest tower ever built in Abu Dhabi, and is expected to rank as the fifteenth tallest mixed residential/commercial tower in the world.