Middle East Architect 201101

An ITP Business Publication JANUARY 2011 / VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 1
NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC
ANALYSIS
Iraq opens its
GAME ON
doors to investment
Qatar 2022
WORK IN PROGRESS
The Royal Muscat
Opera House
JANUARY | CONTENTS
JANUARY 2011 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1

2
WHAT’S ON THE WEB
WHAT
more of MEA online,
See mo
with u
up to date news and
6
an arch
archive of projects and OPINION
case studies Hisham Youssef on the
importance of architects
getting together
9
SNAPSHOT
A short sharp summary
12
of industry news from the ANALYSIS
last 30 days, including Eric Iraq gets more stable by
Kuhne on the GCC the day, but is it time for
consultants to move in?
16
WORK IN PROGRESS 18
We take a look at how INTERVIEW
Oman’s Royal Opera House DSA’s Steve Kelshaw talks
is taking shape in Muscat about architects, chasing
cash and surviving the
fi nancial crisis
24
COVER STORY
Is Qatar is ready for the
34
2022 World Cup? Q&A
MEA investigates Galal Mahmoud on his
return to Lebanon and future
in the UAE
40
CASE STUDIES
A Dubai health centre,
50
London’s tallest tower and THE WORK
Abu Dhabi’s tribute to A detailed reference section
Sheikh Zayed covering all the regional
projects MEA has looked at
in recent months
54
CULTURE
Cool products, clever ideas,
56
and some of the latest books THE LAST WORD
in the world of design Heidar Sadeki explains why
architecture is boring and
fi lms rock his world
www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 1

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COMMENT | EDITOR’S LETTER
GAME ON
EDITOR’S LETTER
Qatar gets ready to prove us wrong
I
GOT A t was always thought to be a long For our cover story this month, I City and the new high-rise district
COMMENT? shot, a minnow mixing it with spoke to the architect who helped near Doha corniche. It is common
If you have any the big boys, but FIFA’s decision design the stadiums, and while he knowledge that Qatar has one of the
comments to to award Qatar the World Cup was obviously excited, there was just most dynamic construction indus-
make on this has changed everything. a hint a trepidation in his voice as he tries in the Gulf .
month’s issue, The sheer scale of investment is outlined the plans going forward. But another comment made by
please e-mail difficult to fathom, US$42.9 billion Putting together the designs was the architect from Albert Speer and
orlando. on roads, US$3 billion on railways, one thing, now they had to go off and Partners, the stadium designers, is
crowcroft a new causeway linking the country figure out how to make them reality. that everything Qatar has planned
@itp.com with Bahrain and US$9 billion for the It was only a hint because the Qatar has to go ahead in order to make it
extension of the new Doha Interna- 2022 bid was not a pie-in-the-sky ready for the tournament. In terms of
tional Airport. Then there are the scheme to wow FIFA and the world. construction, Qatar has arguably the
football stadiums, the Al Rayyan, Much like the infrastructure work, biggest challenge of any World Cup
with a high-definition TV screen built many of the stadiums were due to host yet, and as it stands at the end of
into the facade and the Doha Port go ahead anyway. Qatar intended to 2010, it is nowhere near ready.
Stadium, which draws water from continue growth with or without the That said, of all the bold plans
the Gulf and jets it over the roof to aid World Cup. outlined by Qatar over the last few
cooling. All but two of these will con- For evidence of this you only have months, few are ideas alone. The work
tinue to serve Qatar’s domestic league to look at the amazing projects due to on the transport infrastructure and
after the tournament finishes. come online in 2011, Qatar Energy the airport has already begun, and
the cooling technique that will be
All but two of Qatar’s new stadiums employed in the stadiums has already
will remain after the World Cup.
been devised and tested in a 500-
seater model facility in Doha.
Created by engineering giant Arup,
the stadium demonstrated to FIFA
during its visit to Qatar that despite
44 degree heat outside, it is capable
of achieving 23 degrees on the pitch,
while targeting carbon neutrality
through pumping energy into the
national grid all year round, and
drawing from it on match days.
It’s been a common complaint in
the last week or so that FIFA’s deci-
sion to award Qatar the right to host
the finals ‘was all about money’, and
Qatar has the biggest challenge of any in a funny way that criticism rings
true. The country has proven that it
World Cup host to date.”
is ready to invest billions, FIFA has
simply given them a deadline.

COMMENT | HISHAM YOUSSEF
SHOP TALK
OPINION
GCC architects need to get together
W
Hisham Youssef hen the real estate void is gradually being filled. While with regional architecture schools
AIA, is an architect development primarily established to service the to establish a link for the students
at Gensler, and construction needs of UK and US licensed archi- between their educational programs
responsible for industries were tects practicing in the region, there is and the profession. This can be done
projects in Egypt producing feverishly in the UAE and potential for these organizations to through several channels, including
and North Africa. the wider GCC, most of us profession- go far beyond that remit. The primary facilitating internship programs at
He is also a board als did not have time to do much else mandate of these chapters is to provide leading firms, developing seminars
director of the outside of work. a local resource for the foreign accred- to learn about relevant topics, and
AIA Middle East But even then many professionals ited professionals to maintain their establishing a dialogue between the
chapter. in the industry expressed the desire for license through continued education students and professionals.
a platform of dialogue and exchange seminars, and providing access to news Second, on the cultural level, these
of ideas within the profession. Now, at and information. That said, I see the chapters have a great opportunity
the beginning of 2011, we have the op- potential to be far greater, and have a to establish a dialogue between the
portunity to ensure that local chapters positive impact on the industry and the international profession and the local
of international professional associa- community at large. practices, through debates and educa-
tions play a key role in the industry in There are four key areas of influence tional programs aimed at increasing
the region. where professional bodies may have the sensitivity of foreign trained and
With the establishment of a couple a role: education, cultural dialogue, accredited professionals, to regional
of chapters, the most recent of which awareness and networking. influences and cultural practices.
is the Middle East chapter of the First, in education, the local chap- Third, through a series of presen-
American Institute of Architects, this ters need to reach out and work closely tations and moderated debates, the
chapters carry a responsibility to
increase the awareness within the
profession on topics such as sustain-
ability, transportation infrastructure
and public space, to name but a few.
Lastly, professional organizations by
their very nature facilitate networking.
There are several industry events held
annually which provide great venues
for professionals to network. However,
the local chapters can provide for a
continuous dialogue through a series
of monthly events.
The Middle East chapter of the Ultimately the proposed activities
American Institute of Architects.
outlined above should be open for all
to participate, rather than be limited to
Local chapters of international professional associations exclusive events for professionals. It is
through a free and candid exchange of
should play a key role in the industry in 2011.”
ideas that we all stand to gain, and can
develop better cities to live in.

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JANUARY | SNAPSHOT
THIS
MONTH’S
NEED TO
KNOW
“It wasn’t our

approach to go in 124 METRES
heavy handed.” The highest of five
Steve Kelshaw, DSA ‘wings’ at Zayed
(Page 18) National
University
(Page 40)
Iraq’s current Gross Domestic Product (Page 12)
“Hospitals are Qatari

Temperature inside the most difficult stadiums
Arup’s Doha model profiled
“Architecture is stadium. (Page 32)
buildings out there
perhaps the dumbest in terms of design in this
and slowest industry and planning.” issue
around.” Heidar Sadeki Ahmed Amin Mohamed, Tangram Gulf of MEA
(Page 56) (Page 48) (Page 24)
TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE SHARD (Page 44)

SNAPSHOT | JANUARY
Eric Kuhne says that modern architecture

must refl ect the history of the GCC
INNOVATION CALL
FOR GCC CITIES
Eric Kuhne says that city planners should not try to copy outdated western models
The GCC should not copy the US and plored and exposed in contemporary position, with as many as 50% of ar-
Europe when planning and designing design and architecture. chitects leaving the profession due to
its cities, says architect Eric Kuhne. “You have to begin to see what the global recession. “Any economist
Speaking at a conference in Dubai, your civilisation gives to the world, will tell you that when any profession
the American architect told construc- and to simply build European or US loses 20% of its talent it can take a
tion professionals that new American skyscrapers does nothing to speak to decade to recover,” he said.
and European cities had the wrong the genius of your own culture. It is Kuhne argued that the problem
model, which was leading to the such a shock here to (developers and was effecting the construction indus-
breakdown of social networks. governments) that anybody would try too, where many of the experi-
Kuhne, who is the designer of Ku- care about their own culture. They enced pioneers and leaders were now
wait’s City of Silk, a massive project are so desperate to be respected by in their 50s and 60s. He fears that
that will include the world’s tallest North America and Europe – which is the new generation are not ready to
tower if it is built, said that the a complete waste of energy,” he said. replace them.
1001 Middle East had a rich history The outspoken architect also said “In five or ten years this industry
METRES
which should be better ex- that the industry was in a difficult will be starved of talent, starved for
experience, and at a time when clients
TOTAL HEIGHT OF are young, inexperienced, and money
KUHNE’S CITY OF has never been more naïve – never –
SILK TOWER than it is today,” he said.
“People who control the money,
they’re the ones that are impatient,
they’re the ones that are driving the
quality out of developments. They’re
the ones that are young and brash
and conceited and inexperienced and
don’t have a clue what it takes to build
magnificent projects,” he added.

JANUARY | SNAPSHOT
IN BRIEF
Zaha Hadid has been commis- Large-scale solar energy is unlikely Engineering consultancy fi rms
sioned to design a new grand theatre to play a major role in DEWA’s at- Atkins and WSP have said they are
in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. tempts to boost its electricity genera- confident about winning contracts
The Pritzker prize-winning archi- tion, according to a senior manager. in Qatar in the lead up to the World
tect has reached an agreement with Mohammed Al Jariri said: “One of Cup 2022. The fi rms, both of which
the city municipality for the project. the issues with solar farms is the already have a presence in Qatar,
Commenting on the commission, vast amount of space they require, are hoping to be involved in some of
Hadid said: “Morocco’s unique and land is at a premium in Dubai.” the state’s largest projects coming
musical traditions and rich cultural The responsibility for energy man- online now that FIFA has named its
history in the performing arts are agement was shifting from utilities host country. Plans are underway for
renowned throughout the world.” to end users,” he added. extensive new transport links.
So-called ‘energy labels’ for build- The Holy See has released a book
ings, which rate the energy-efficiency entitled ‘The Energy of the Sun in
measures and their efficiency in the Vatican’, in an effort to boost its
reducing carbon footprint, are likely green credentials. The book outlines
to be adopted in the Middle East, two renewable energy projects with-
according to Richard Smith, chair in the Vatican City walls, a solar
of carbon critical design at Atkins. cooling plant above the cafeteria and
“Building control legislation will a PV plant atop the Paul VI Audi-
happen. Hotels in Abu Dhabi will ence Hall. The latter installa-
soon be labelled for energy efficien- tion of 2,400 PV panels was
305
TONNES
cy,” said Smith, adding that energy completed in 2008.
labels were important in terms of the
overall urban fabric. “The ecological CARBON DIOXIDE
footprint of large cities is becoming EMISSIONS
bigger, even as buildings themselves REDUCED
are becoming greener. We are solv-
ing the building problem, but not the
urban problem. Good passive design
is the highest priority, especially in
order to address the micro climate
between buildings. Passive solutions
are all about good design, and do not
cost anything,” said Smith.

NEWS ANALYSIS | IRAQ
REBUILDING IRAQ
ANALYSIS
Is the war-torn country ready for international fi rms to move in?
T
Tigris River he news that the World “It is a nice demonstration that you double by 2014. And changes in regu-
and skyline of Bank had agreed to insure can do business in Iraq even with a lations, such as the law passed in No-
Baghdad, Iraq. an investment by a Turk- security situation which is of concern vember 2009 that allows foreigners
ish company in Baghdad to everyone and an environment that to own land for housing, have opened
was a long-awaited breakthrough in is not yet conducive to large proj- up construction opportunities, with
Iraq, a country which is recently best ects,” explained James Bond, chief the key potential of foreign invest-
known for its political stalemate. operations officer at the Multilat- ment now possible. Meanwhile, away
The US$5 million guarantee eral Investment Guarantee Agency from the deserts of south and central
will insure the Karo Dis Ticaret ve (MIGA), the World Bank’s insurance Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan is serving as a
Sanayi’s investment in a factory 17km arm that is insuring the Turkish com- base for companies investing in the
south-east of Iraq’s capital against pany. “It is taking perhaps longer than country. In late September the con-
expropriation, war and civil distur- we all would’ve liked to get the larger struction fair Project Iraq was held,
bance and currency risks. The fi rst complex projects moved forward, but exhibiting 300 exhibiting companies
time such a guarantee has been given, private investment on a smaller scale from 23 countries.
this has been taken both as a sign that is happening,” he added. “With some $25 billion in housing
private firms are now willing to invest Iraq’s gross domestic product of projects, $8 billion in transportation
in the country with a level of security. about US$12 billion is expected to and $5.5 billion in water and sewage,

IRAQ | NEWS ANALYSIS
A huge poster
(left) that reads
in Arabic, “Our
Aim is One, our
Nation Safe” is
placed outside
a government
ministry under
construction in
central Baghdad.
ONE
MILLION
HOMES TO BE
the Iraqi government CONSTRUCTED is a secure and stable combine to form a list that would not Iraqi workers
is focusing primarily WITHIN THREE region that acts as the be out of place in many major cities, build the base of
YEARS
on reconstruction and northern gateway to the with hotels, housing and irrigation a small bridge in
rehabilitation,” said Fady country and is often called among those included. central Baghdad
Darwish, general manager of Project The Other Iraq. Its investment law The major hotel management com- (above), as part
Iraq organiser IFP Iraq . is cited as one of the most investor- pany Rotana took its first step into the of municipal
“Several new cement plants are friendly in the region and it has a country in December 2008, signing projects aimed
being either revamped or erected booming real estate industry. an agreement with Summit Hotels at helping ease
to satisfy a growing need and major A number of high-profile, for a five-star property in Baghdad’s traffi c in the
international players are now present. large-scale projects are underway Green Zone. Dewan Architects and congested Iraqi
Iraq consumes around 15 million elsewhere in the country, with several Engineers won the design contract for capital.
tons of cement yearly, with the Iraqi projects announced over the past few the project, which will include 300
ministry being the largest consumer,” months. From the early days of recon- bedrooms, a ballroom and a confer-
he added. struction where basic infrastructure ence centre.
Erbil itself is one area that is offer- such as roads and power plants were a The 35,000m2 project is currently
ing serious potential to foreign busi- primary focus, the projects underway under construction and is scheduled
nesses. The capital of Kurdistan, it have become increasingly diverse and to complete in 2012. Aimed at both

NEWS ANALYSIS | IRAQ
UAE-based Al Maabar and Bonayan

International as well as firms from
countries as diverse as the USA, Tur-
key, Germany and New Zealand.
“When we saw the huge interest
by giant firms...this made us seize
the opportunity instead of 500,000
to reach for one million,” said Iraq’s
National Investment Commission
chairman Sami Al Araji.
More than 100 firms from coun-
tries including USA, UAE, China,
Turkey and Canada have
$50 reportedly shown interest

in the projects. Cana-
BILLION dian Traugott Building

“When we reach the
IRAQ GOVERNMENT’S stage of understanding
The real estate business travellers and tourists, the process for the SPENDING ON with any company, we
market is hotel is intended to become a land- multi-billion dollar HOUSING will sign a contract with
PROJECTS
booming in the mark development for the country. project is expected it immediately,” Al Araji
relatively more “When completed the Rotana will to take five years, with announced earlier this year.
secure neigh- become one of the pilot buildings in construction expected to continue Much of the interest follows the
bourhoods of post-war Baghdad – a city which is for 10-20 years. setting up by the government of
Baghdad - par- recovering from years of destruction,” “The Iraq market offers huge favourable terms to lure companies
ticulary following said Dewan executive director Am- potential,” stressed Al Assam. “There in, including support that far exceeds
Iraq’s signing of mar Al Assam. is good potential in Basra, Najaf and that of other markets. IN a country
a security pact The Rotana Baghdad is one of a Sadr City,” he added. known for its insecurity, the govern-
with the United number of prestigious projects being In the housing market, the overall ment is aiming to make companies
States. undertaken in the city by Dewan, the interest of international firms for feel secure. “We will bring the land
firm having reopened its Iraq office available contracts in the housing and the buyer, and we will participate
in 2008 after the previously high sector led to the doubling of a target in funding the project,” explained Al
levels of violence subsided. It is also to build 500,000 homes. The govern- Araji. “They will not
undertaking the Bab Al Muraq Hotel ment now aims to build one million risk any money,
and mall complex and the redevelop- new homes within three years, with they will fin-
ment of the area surrounding the a further million needed by 2015 to ish the work
Holy Shrines in Al Kadhimiya, which meet the shortage caused by war and and they will
will include the restoration of historic sanctions. Construction projects for sell [the
buildings as well as new buildings and the one million properties have been home] to
utilities services. estimated to have an overall value of a com-
Competition for the latter project US$50 billion. pany which
demonstrated the huge interest The government has estimated that we will
in construction work in Iraq, with 85% of home building will be carried establish,” he
Dewan being chosen from a shortlist out by the private sector and foreign said.
of ten international and Iraqi firms investments. Contracts have already
bidding for the contract. The design been awarded to firms including the
The Rotana will become one of the pilot buildings in post-war

Baghdad – a city which is recovering from years of destruction.”
Ammar Al Assam, executive director, Dewan

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WIP | MUSCAT OPERA HOUSE
OMANI OVERTURE
WORK IN PROGRESS
Middle East Architect takes a look at WATG’s
prestigious project in Muscat
T
he Royal Opera House in an Italian-style opera house but sits
Muscat has turned a lot in the surroundings of Muscat’s dip-
of heads since it was first lomatic quarter alongside a number of
announced in 2001, but government buildings, including the
almost nine years on the project is foreign ministry.
progressing smoothly towards its tar- Iman Hindawi, general director of
geted grand opening in October 2011. the Royal Opera House in Muscat,
When complete, the opera house told AFP in an interview last month
will be only the second of its kind in that the opera house was originally
the Middle East and occupy an area supposed to be finished in time for the
of 80,000 m2, half of which will be set 40th anniversary of Sultan Qaboos
aside for landscaped gardens. The rule, in 2010, but that “construction
complex will also include a mini-the- is proceeding at an appropriate pace
atre, restaurants and luxury stores. and it will be ready by October 2011,”
Designed by WATG and commis- Also speaking at the end of last
sioned by opera-loving Omani ruler year, project director Hamid al-Ghaz-
Sultan Qaboos, the building imitates ali said that the biggest challenge dur-

MUSCAT OPERA HOUSE | WIP
The opera house

is slated for
completion in
October 2011.
1500
WORKERS
INVOLOVED WITH
THE OPERA HOUSE’S
landscape architecture, as well as complementary
CONSTRUCTION
design management of the decorative stucco, which was all
lighting, kitchen design, graphics, locally sourced.
signage, all engineering services and But while limited images
acoustic design consultants. of the exterior of the project have
The architectural character of the become available, the interiors, along
building was influenced by the grand with the cost, remain a mystery. The
style of modern Omani palaces, fi rst person to see the inside when it
and reflects their outward design is fi nished will be the Sultan himself.
features and circulation patterns. “It is the best-kept secret in Mus-
The front entrance is an expansive cat,” an on-site associate of director
palm-treed piazza backed by five Hindawi told AFP, speaking on
tall, arched entryways into a hall condition of anonymity. Over 40 sub-
that forms the central focus of a The only other opera house in contractors are
colonnade designed to create a grand the Middle East and North Africa involved in the
feeling of entrance. The building region is in Cairo, Egypt, which was high-profile proj-
is clad in light coloured stone and established in 1988. ect in Muscat.
ing construction had been organising

the manpower on site, with some
1,500 workers and 40 subcontrac-
tors involved in the project.
“Coordinating them all to work
together isn’t easy,” Hamid said.
WATG’s involvement in the
project began in 2003, when Royal
Court Affairs of the Sultanate of
Oman invited fi rms to compete
for the design of the project. After
a number of competitive stages,
WATG won the contract and were
invited to lead the team for the com-
plete design and supervision.
This included master planning,
architecture, interior design and

INTERVIEW | STEVE KELSHAW

STEVE KELSHAW | INTERVIEW
OUTSIDE MAN THE INTERVIEW
DSA Architects’ Steve Kelshaw on chasing cash, meeting challenges and

letting architects get on with it.
A
group of architects are Dubai. But now that the dust has hanging over from the crash. Emaar
packed into a small settled and things have got tougher, and Nakheel were among these
glass conference room. Kelshaw explains, the division is even hard-hit clients, but it is to DSA’s
Someone is standing more relevant. credit that it has been able to retain
up, gesturing towards a plan, people “Architects are not the best manag- both. Kelshaw stresses that the way
are nodding, others are shaking their ers in the world, they would admit to DSA handled the debt problem was
heads. Papers litter the table, pens are that. They’ve appreciated the fact that key. The wrong approach – and one
scribbling. It’s a fairly normal scene they’ve been able to divorce them- utilised by many other fi rms – was to
for a Monday morning. selves from that day to day trawl, if bang on the door until clients pay.
Across the hall, DSA Architects you will, that has been so challenging “It wasn’t our approach to go in
managing director Steve Kelshaw is over the last 18 months to two years. heavy handed. We really tried to work
looking relaxed. His office is bright, “Now they can just get on with with them, and I think it’s paying divi-
but small, and his desk is tidy, just a the job, focus on delivery, quality of dends. We’re talking to Nakheel now,
stack of files, some magazines and a design and the jobs that we’ve got we’re working with Emaar,” he says.
computer. He’s wearing a dark suit. in hand while we get involved out “They were in challenging times,
He leans back in his chair. there, getting money in, doing busi- there’s no doubt, we were all in chal-
“Listen, I think architects are ness development and all the sort of lenging times, but the dialogue we
nice people, they are, but they’re not peripheral high-level stuff. It’s worked maintained was healthy. We managed
going to come and knock on your door well,” he says. to secure the debt that we’d got and
and demand money. They aren’t that It is obvious by now that Kelshaw work through that with them, and I
sort of animal,” he says, and points is not an architect. He spent 25 years think the end of it has come out well
towards the conference room. “These at UK construction giant John Laing for us.”
guys are visionary guys, flair guys, Construction, as well as a brief spell It certainly appears to have worked
they like to get their head in detail. in the Falklands, before hooking up for DSA. Current projects with
That’s the way they are.” with DSA while working as project Emaar are in two emerging markets
It was this logic, allowing the director for a residential mega-project which the fi rm is actively targeting,
architects to design and others to in Bahrain. He says the decision to Jordan and Egypt, as well as Syria.
chase the money, that led to Kelshaw’s move to the Middle East full time was As for the experienced gained dur-
appointment as MD of DSA in 2008, a significant one, particularly at the ing that difficult period in Dubai,
a time when business was not height of the boom. Kelshaw thinks that debt won’t be a
hard to come by for “I was busy back in the UK and problem again. Post-fi nancial crisis
an ambitious I wasn’t sure. But I came out to the developers, consultants - everyone -
design place, had a week out here, got into will be more cautious about where the
fi rm the vibe and really enjoyed it,” he money is coming from.
in explains. “I spoke to my wife and we “This day of not worrying about
decided to go for it.” the cost and design the funkiest
Things are a bit different now than building in the world is over now, it’s
they were then, but Kelshaw says got to be functional feasible and it’s
that DSA has been able to retain key got to work, and that’s how we think
clients despite problems with debt it should be anyway. Now everything

will have to be funded up front, so now. With new clients in Egypt and respect the design process is a process
there won’t be any risk,” he says. Syria that’s what we’re doing, so we and you can’t really rush it through.
DSA is well-known in the GCC can bring that into the portfolio.” Our experience tells us we need this
for its work in the hospitality field, Saudi Arabia too is a target, amount of time to deliver a qual-
with the Madinat Jumeirah and the although Kelshaw admits that it is a ity products, which you, as a client,
Al Qasr Hotel in Dubai among its challenging place to operate, both in should accept. If you try and squeeze
most notable projects. This has led terms of attracting work and fi nding that things are going to suffer and the
the company to be fi rmly linked with a local partner. Another challenge, quality will possibly not be there.
‘themed’ or heritage architecture, he says, is that the build-now mental- “There is a process and it is tried
and brought it clients from through- ity present in Dubai two years ago is and tested,” he says. “It works, and
out the world which are keen to prevalent in the fast-moving Saudi we will not be bullied into giving a
imitate the Dubai projects’ success. market. As a former project manager, time frame that we cannot deliver.”
“Everybody that comes to Dubai Kelshaw knows how long develop- In terms of a Saudi office, Kelshaw
knows about the Madinat, it’s just got ments should take, and doesn’t says it has been considered, but
something that attracts people to it, like to be pushed into unrealistic Dubai has always been home to DSA
it’s healthy, it’s got a vibe,” he says. or unachievable deadlines. In the and it will continue to be.
“Personally, I think it’s fantastic, and end, everybody suffers if there isn’t “Dubai is where we are. We’re
it’s got us a lot of work. enough time. committed to this area and to this
“But we also do mixed use and “It’s quite demanding, the fast region,” he explains.
urban master planning and design, track approach is over there and “We’re not interested in world
and that’s what we’re trying to sell again we’ve had to say with all due domination. We just want nice solid
clients for whom we can deliver qual-
ity products, do some nice business
Architects are not going to come and knock on your door and
and just work our way through the
demand money. They aren’t that sort of animal.” next 12 to 20 months – which, let’s
face it, is still going to be a big chal-
lenge for everyone.”

STEVE KELSHAW | INTERVIEW
PORTFOLIO:
DSA: Past and present
ONE AND ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE

Completed: 2010
Client: Mirage Mile
Location: Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
Size: 50,000 m2 /102 rooms
HILTON DEAD SEA

RESORT AND SPA
Completed: Under design
Client: Emaar
Location: Dead Sea, Jordan
Size: 30,000 m2/ 285 rooms

KAFARKOUK MIXED-USE
DEVELOPMENT
Completed: Under design
Location: Damascus, Syria
Client: Dar Mesk
Size: 250,000 m2 / 150 villas,
300 apartments
TILAL LIWA HOTEL

Completed: 2009
Client: Roya International
Location: Liwa Desert, Abu Dhabi
Size: 12,000 m2 / 108 rooms

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Whatever the application, let us help you realize your creative vision.
COVER STORY | QATAR 2022
QATAR
CALL UP
On 2nd December 2010, Qatar surprised everyone by being
chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. Now, MEA brings you
our pick of the stadiums, speaks to lead architect Albert Speer
and Partners and lays down some facts about
sustainability in the desert. Game on.

QATAR 2022 | COVER STORY

Q&A
Joachim Schares, partner at Albert Speer & Partners,
talks to MEA about making a dream reality.
Firstly, congratulations, you These stadiums have been planned

must be very pleased with conceptually, now we will look at how
FIFA’s decision? they will work financially, technologi-
Yes of course, it was an overwhelm- cally, and so on. I don’t think there’s
ing success for us because during the any need to change them, but some-
weeks leading up to the bid Qatar had times technology changes, and costs
really be seen as the outsider in the will be discussed too.
race. So we were obviously delighted
when it won. Of course when you In your opinion, what most
work on such designs there is always concerned FIFA about the
in your mind how it will be when you Qatari bid?
have the chance to implement them, The climate was their main concern,
and we hope that we will continue of course, when you think that this
our planning work in the next weeks, tournament is going to be held in
months and hopefully years to see July. But the submission explained
these stadiums implemented. our special cooling technology, and
the example stadium built in Qatar
How did Albert Speer and also helped to convince them. The
Partners involvement in the other concern was whether the
Qatari bid come about? construction industry was ready for
We met the Qatari delegation for the the challenge, given that there are
first time last year in March, then in so many different aspects going on
June we started the submission and at the same time – infrastructure,
finalised everything in May this year. transport, the stadiums, hotels
So the whole thing has only taken 10 and facilities. This is a significant
or 11 months. All of the stadiums that amount of work and in 12 years time
have been shown in the layout show even if one of these things isn’t built,
all of the technical aspects of the sta- Qatar will not be ready.
dium, to make FIFA comfortable and
the public as well. We wanted to show Do you have a favourite stadium?
FIFA how these stadiums would look. Well, I love them all to be honest, but
I guess if I had to choose it would be
And now that the bid has been the Al Khor Stadium, which is based
successful, what next? on the shape of a shell. I know others
Now we have to work out the plans in have different favourites, the Doha
more detail, not just in the practical Port Stadium – which looks like a sea
way but in terms of actual detailing. animal – is very popular.
We hope that we will continue our planning

work in the next weeks, months and hopefully
years to see these stadiums implemented.”
26 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.11 | www. constructionweekonline.com

AL-GHARAFA
STADIUM
The existing 21,175 capacity
Al-Gharafa stadium will be
expanded to 44,740 seats using
US$9
BILLION
modular elements forming an upper
tier. The facade will be made up of
ribbons representing the nations that
COST OF THE NEW DOHA
qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
stadium will be downscaled to its EXPECTED TO OPEN IN
existing capacity after the 2012, IT CAN HANDLE
tournament ends. UP TO 50 MILLION
PASSENGERS
AL-KHOR
STADIUM
Al-Khor is a brand new 45,330-
capacity stadium with a stunning
seashell motif and a flexible roof. The
permanent lower tier seats 25,500 and
the modular upper tier seats 19,830.
The stadium offers spectators a direct
view of the Arabian Gulf from
their seats and will be located
in a new sports and
recreation zone.

AL-RAYYAN
STADIUM
The existing Al-Rayyan
Stadium with a seating capacity
of 21,282 will be expanded to 44,740
seats using modular elements to form
an upper tier. The stadium is designed
with a special facade that acts as
a screen for projecting news and
current matches. The stadium
will be downsized after the
tournament.
AL-SHAMAL
STADIUM
Al-Shamal stadium will have
a capacity of 45,120, with a
permanent lower tier of 25,500 seats
and a modular upper tier of 19,620
US$42.9
BILLION
seats. The stadiums shape is derived
from the dhow fishing boat used in
the Gulf. Spectators can reach the
QATAR’S EXPENDITURE
stadium from the Bahrain-Qatar ON NEW ROADS
Friendship Bridge and the THROUGHOUT 2011
new Metrorail.

AL-WAKRAH
STADIUM
Al-Wakrah is one of Qatar’s
oldest cities and has a long history
of commercial fishing and pearl
diving. Al-Wakrah stadium, with a
capacity of 45,120, is influenced by the
sea that has played such an important
role in the city’s history. After the
FIFA World Cup, the stadium’s
capacity will be reduced to
25,500 seats.
US$42.9
BILLION
QATAR’S INVESTMENT
IN A RAIL NETWORK
DOHA PORT
STADIUM
The Doha Port Stadium will
have 44,950 seats and sit on an
artificial peninsula. It’s marine setting
is behind the design, and water from
the Gulf will run over its outer facade.
After the event the stadium will be
disassembled and the seats sent
to developing countries to
further their football
development.

QATAR
UNIVERSITY STADIUM
Qatar University Stadium
will replace an existing track and
field stadium on Qatar University’s
US$17
campus and will have 43,520 seats.
The stadiums facade blends traditional
Arabic geometric patterns with free-
form open surfaces. The stadium BILLION
will be downsized to 23,500 QATAR’S ALLOCATED
following the event, and BUDGET FOR TOURISM
used by students. IN 2014 ALONE
UMM SLAL
STADIUM
Umm Slal Stadium will be
built close to one of Qatar’s most
historically important forts and
seat 45,120. The design is a modern
interpretation of traditional Arab
forts located nearby. After the FIFA
World Cup seating capacity will
be reduced to 25,500. The
stadium will be used by
Umm Slal FC.

COOLING
QATAR
Who said cooling can’t be carbon neutral?
A
The model lot of the criticism sur- nologies for application across Qatar world, moves to provide cooling shade
stadium was rounding Qatar’s bid and potentially across all arid regions. within the building and insulates
built to prove for the 2022 World Cup The stadium was designed to demon- against the hot sun in summer. In
that Qatar could surrounded the heat, strate to FIFA that the harsh climate addition to protection from sun-
deal with its given that most of the games will be over the summer months is no longer light, the canopy can be positioned
hot and humid played during the country’s hottest a barrier to hosting global events. to protect from wind during match
climate. months of the year. The showcase is based on three key times and let spectators and players
The fact that Qatar planned to air aspects: an exciting architecture and take advantage of natural ventilation.
condition its stadiums has also been structure which develops traditional In hot conditions, the canopy can be
subject to some scepticism, but as passive design ideas to a new energy- closed in the run-up to an event to
engineering giant Arup reveals, it is saving and comfortable architecture; allow cooling to work at maximum ef-
possible to keep football stadiums photovoltaics that convert the energy ficiency, using cooling from the sun to
both cool and sustainable even in the of the sun into electricity and captur- cool down the volume ready for match
country’s hottest months. ing and converting the sun’s heat into time in the summer evenings, when it
Arup designed a 500-seat, carbon- cooling for summertime air condi- can be opened.
zero model stadium as a development tioning using under-seat supply. The Meanwhile, the venues’ solar
platform to refine sustainable tech- canopy roof, the fi rst of its kind in the panels will operate year-round, con-

Solar panels will

be operational
all year round,
feeding into the
national grid.
Solar heat will be converted into

cooling, which will be pumped out
through the stadium seats.
23°C RECORDED
TEMPERATURE
tinuously exporting INSIDE ARUP’S lectors, which have flows down to create cooling for the
electrical energy to the STADIUM a series of motorised players. The surfaces of the Showcase
grid. On a match day, the mirrors that track the sun, are designed to remain cool through-
higher electrical demand will focusing the sun’s power onto out the match to help to stabilise the
bring electricity back into the facility collecting tubes which have hot water heat gains from lights and people. The
from the grid. This electricity, to- circulating in them. They collect this maximum temperatures are below
gether with generators using biofuels, energy in the form of heat, which the guidelines by FIFA to avoid play-
provide robust and reliable power for is converted into cooling for the ers suffering significant heat stress
both technical and general power, so Showcase environment, and electric- and also beat the ASHRAE comfort
the events are assured power during ity to supply lighting, power and other standards for spectators.
the World Cup. The amount of elec- functions within the space. The solar During the FIFA visit, with an
tricity generated in this way from the energy heats water to 200C and is outside temperature having reached
sun exceeds the amount of electricity converted to cooling water by ma- 44 degrees only two hours earlier,
imported for events over the year, chines called absorption chillers. the temperature on the pitch was
making the facility zero carbon for The air-handling units supply this recorded as 23 degrees. The stadium
electricity. Next to the photovoltaic air to the area beneath the spectators was instrumental in securing Qatar’s
panels is an array of solar heat col- seats. This cools the seating area and successful bid.

INTERVIEW | GALAL MAHMOUD
Beirut is what I call unorganised chaos.

But it works. I don’t know how, but it works.”

GALAL MAHMOUD | INTERVIEW
LEVANT RISING THE INTERVIEW
Architect Galal Mahmoud talks to MEA about architecture,

Lebanon and the good and bad way to design hotels.
I
t may well have been home- Beirut’s unique design language, and problems, in terms of traffic and pol-
sickness that brought Galal the importance of scale, context and lution. No one is thinking in advance.
Mahmoud back to Lebanon humanity in hospitality projects. We also have a lot of problems with
from France in 1996 after two the environment. Even though we
decades away, but it is opportunities Have you seen massive change have a fantastic environment, it is
rather than nostalgia that has kept in Beirut since you first opened being destroyed gradually.
him here. your office? But it’s an interesting city because
Four years after founding GM Ar- Beirut is what I call unorganised cha- it has such an interesting mix of
chitects in Beirut, Mahmoud closed os. But it works. I don’t know how, but people. The war impacted four
his Paris office and concentrated on it works. The only thing is we have a generations, who left and went all
the Middle East full time. 2005 saw major problem with urban plan- over the world to study and live and
the fi rm move to Abu Dhabi and this ning. The UAE has gone to the other experience. Fifteen years is a long
year has seen Mahmoud fi nish work extreme of over planning, whereas in time, so naturally you are influenced
on the city’s Park Rotana Hotel. Lebanon we have no planning what- by that.
Over the years, GM Architects soever. We just build wherever we Plus the generations that stayed
has come to specialise in hospital- can. We have an issue with providing and lived through the war all had
ity work, particularly beachfront the city with the basic requirements their own experiences. To live and
resorts, and currently has major proj- of a city – pavements for people to work during war time is quite some-
ects in Egypt, Morocco, Greece and walk on, proper streets, green spaces. thing, and it can produce something
Lebanon. MEA spoke to Mahmoud Everyone is building high rises, positive. The positive is that it has
last month to fi nd out more about which will create a lot of collateral produced people with such a strong

INTERVIEW | GALAL MAHMOUD
GM Architects is will to move forward that you will a resort, he is going to think twice. 1970s model of a concrete pool, a lad-
best known for never fi nd anywhere else in the He’d prefer to invest in a residential der to the sea, and a fi sh restaurant.
its hospitality world. building because he can sell the We’ve taken that and developed
projects both in apartments and be done with it. Or at day beach resorts which are comfort-
Lebanon and How does the country’s worse, rent them out. able and well designed and have all
the GCC. turbulent history manifest itself kinds of facilities, such as private
in design? What kind of projects have you cabanas, open-air spas, restaurants
It manifests itself in the fact that the done in Lebanon? and so on. This is something that
people that stayed are extremely We’ve done a lot of restaurants. Now we have specialised in and will try
curious. Unfortunately, they could we are shifting to hotels. There are to introduce to the UAE, because it
not travel so instead they did a lot of a few new hotels coming up, and doesn’t exist at the moment. Anyone
research and tried to learn through we have some renovation projects. who wants to go to the beach has to
whatever means they had available. We’ve also created the concept of a pay a hotel US$60 to go and sit on a
They are extremely aware of day beach resort, which plastic chair.
what is happening around already existed in
2005
them. Plus, each person Lebanon but was very You’ve been working in the UAE
that left and then came archaic. It was the recently, what are the biggest
back brought their own
GALAL MOVED
experiences. So you
HIS FIRM TO
have this melting pot ABU DHABI
of people who lived in
Italy or Canada or South
America or France or the UK
or the US. This variety of cultures
has created a fantastic dish, which
makes Beirut very interesting. It is
chaotic, of course, but so creative at
the same time.
Give the Lebanese people 10 or
15 years of stability and the country
will just bloom. Right now we have
cycles of five years, which is a very
short amount of time. If you ask
an investor that comes to Lebanon
today to invest US$30 million in

GALAL MAHMOUD | INTERVIEW
differences that you see contractor doesn’t have time to do people’s lives better, be it in a hotel
between the Lebanese and things properly. room, or a restaurant, in an office or
UAE markets? However, at the same time, the in their home.
The UAE is a far more bullish mar- market in the UAE is much more This is what I mean when I talk
ket. Things have to come out quickly. bullish, the projects are on a much about humanity. You have to worry
The problem we face in the UAE is bigger scale, the budgets are bigger about the human element fi rst. You
that we are not given enough time than in Lebanon and the exposure is don’t just do a drawing and then ask
to really think our projects through, far greater for us as an office. people to fit into that, which happens
because everyone is in such a rush. a lot with iconic architecture. But we
Things need to be built yesterday. It’s What are the biggest challenges need iconic architecture to push the
challenging but at the same time, it that you face as a designer in limits. It helps the rest of us to open
makes us more reactive. this day and age? our eyes to different approaches
In Lebanon, you have more time The time that we are given to to designing a building or a space.
because the owners are far more produce projects. We are creating a It doesn’t mean we’d do the same,
personally involved in their projects. space that you will be using for 15 or but suddenly it opens our eyes to
They follow up and they want to 20 years. You cannot create that in new methods and technologies and
know what you are doing. Here you three months, no matter how good so on. We need these people. It is
are dealing with a board and the you are. Whatever you produce as a necessary to have them and they do
board has budgets and administra- space has to be well thought through. produce quite spectacular creations.
tors and so on. They hire you because And these projects cost a lot of Look at the Yas Hotel, for example.
they know you are good - which is money, so you also have a responsi- It’s a spectacular building. Is it user
great - but sometimes you feel like bility to the client. friendly? No. Is it easy to maintain?
you are just a commodity, rather Our role as designers is to make No. But you have to have buildings
than an added value. people’s lives better. That’s a big like that. Our approach is different.
You lose control of your projects responsibility. It’s not a simple case We are problem solvers, not problem
because of time and budgetary of a sketch on a piece of paper. This creators. It is far more discreet and
restraints. You can do a fantastic is the main challenge – making laid back process.
design and then suddenly the project
is out of your hands because it’s gone “We have a major problem with urban planning.
out to a contractor and they start
The UAE has gone to the other extreme of over planning,
cannibalising it. And once it’s done
you are left feeling a little disap- whereas in Lebanon we have no planning whatsoever.
pointed. We have a problem with the We just build wherever we can.
quality of the fi nish because things
happen so quickly that even the best

ZAYED NATIONAL
THE PROJECT
ZAYED NATIONAL MUSEUM | CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY | ZAYED NATIONAL MUSEUM

Unveiled by HRH Queen
Elizabeth during a state visit to the
MUSEUM
United Arab Emirates in November
2010, the Zayed National Museum
is the latest project by Foster + THE SITE
Partners in Abu Dhabi, and one of This design forms the centrepiece
a number of landmark projects on of the Saadiyat Island Cultural Dis-
Architect: Foster + Partners Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. With trict, which is located 500m off the
a total built up area of 66,000 m 2 coast of Abu Dhabi and is the largest
Location: Abu Dhabi around a 4,386m 2 central atrium, single mixed-use development in
CASE STUDY the Zayed National Museum tells the Arabian Gulf. Arranged as seven
the story of the late Sheikh Zayed districts, the Cultural District will
bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Work has also include the Guggenheim Abu
already begun on site, with the mu- Dhabi Museum, the Louvre Abu
seum slated for completion by 2014. Dhabi, as well as a Performing Arts
Centre and Maritime Museum.
THE CONCEPT
The museum will be the centre-
piece of the Saadiyat Island Cultur-
al District with the five lightweight
steel towers sitting atop a man-
made, landscaped mound and the
museum’s galleries placed at their
bases. The museum draws inspira-
tion from falconry, a favourite past
time of Sheikh Zayed, but it was also
designed with the environment in
mind. “We have sought to establish
a building that will be an exemplar
of sustainable design, resonating
with Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature
and his wider heritage,” said Lord
Foster, at the project launch.
THE DETAILS
The five towers, the highest of
which is 124 metres, are reminis-
cent of the wing tips of the birds.
The design also serves to deliver
environmental advantages, as
the buildings are positioned
124
to channel air through
the museum, reducing
METRES
the energy demands
required to cool the
40/49
HEIGHT OF complex. The towers
THE TALLEST take advantage of
WING TIP the regions constant
sunshine, with carefully po-
sitioned openings drawing light
in to illuminate the interior spaces.
40 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.11 | www.cons

www.constructionweekonline.com www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 41
CASE
STUDIES
50/53
THE THE WORK
PROJECT UPDATE | THE WORK
THE WORK | PROJECT UPDATE
KING Located at the King Abdullah

ABDULLAH Financial District ((KAFD) on the
FINANCIAL Riyadh, FX FOWLE’s
outskirts of Riyad
DISTRICT attracted a lot of atten-
mosque has attra
WORK
MOSQUE tion since the designs
d were made
public, snaggi
snagging the fi rm a com-
Architect: FX mendation at the recent Middle East
Fowle Architect Awards and a fi rst place for
Location: Saudi Islami
Islamic architecture project at City-
Arabia scap
scape in Dubai. The building is one
of a dozen buildings being designed
PROJECT UPDATE by FX FOWLE at the KAFD.
TRADE This twisting 216m m offi

office
ffice tower is NNAJAF CITY This project is a new city council
CENTRE COUNCIL
45°
the latest addition to Kuwait City’s building for the government of Na-
TOWER skyline, providing 720 000 ft2 off
720,000 jaf, an Iraqi city some 160km
30,138
office space and a three-storey retail Architect: from Baghdad and one of the
TOTAL ROTATION Architect: NORR mall. NORR Consultants worked Dewan holiest cities in Shia Islam.
FROM BASE TO Consultants Location: Iraq
METRES2
with local partner Al-Jazera Con- The 30,138 m2 building
TOP OF THE
Location: sultants to design the scheme, which will consist of five floors of
STRUCTURE TOTAL
Kuwait City was completed earlier this year after administrative offices and
FLOORSPACE
five years of construction. The tower three floors of conference
floor plates rotate by 1 degree per facilities. As well as this project,
floor, resulting in a total rotation of 45 Dewan are undertaking the restora-
degrees from base to the very top. tion of shrines at Najaf and Karbala.
ROLEX TOWER This 60-story mixed-use tower is ALDAR HQ This iconic 121m-tall commercial
the second building to be completed building is set to become the head-
Architect: SOM by SOM in Dubai in 2010, after the Architect: Arup quarters for developer Aldar when
Location: Dubai firm saw the Burj Khalifa – the tall- Location: Abu fit out is completed towards the end
est building in the world – open for Dhabi of 2010. Originally designed by MZ
business earlier in the year. The tower & Partners in Qatar in 2005, Arup
includes 25 floors of apartments, in- became the lead consultant on the
cluding two penthouses, and 31 levels project and saw full cores being com-
of office space and ground-floor retail pleted within 12 months of the very
outlets. SOM intended the Rolex fi rst engineering concept sketch. The
Tower to represent a ‘shimmering project was developed in line with
desert mirage’. the LEED rating system.
ENERGY This 11,600 m2 building in Lusail, BANK This project is designed to serve as
121
CITY QATAR Qatar, will form part of the country’s MUSCAT a central hub for Bank Muscat, a
US$2.6 billion Energy City Qatar fi nancial services provider with
METRES
$55
Architect: project, due to be a hub for energy Architect: offices scattered through-
Design Focus companies when it is completed in Atkins, MACE out Oman’s capital. The
TOTAL HEIGHT OF Partnership 2012. The architects, Focus Location: Oman headquarters will be home
THE ALDAR HQ Location: Qatar Design Partners, had to balance the 2,000 employees, and is MILLION
individual client’s requirements with situated 15 minutes from PROJECT VALUE
the larger master plan, creating a Muscat Airport. The build-
functional campus that is unique in ing has been designed to reflect
form but in keeping with the larger Omani and Arabic architecture,
Energy City project. both modern and traditional.
50 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 51
CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED
LIKE WANT NEED | CULTURE

KITCHEN GAMES
FRIDGE TABLE FOOTBALL
LG Electronics B Lab Italia
LG Electronics (LG) has launched The Teckell Collection is B Lab Ita-

its latest multi-door refrigerator. The lia’s high-end reinterpretation of table
new refrigerator forms part of the football. B Lab worked with product
Multi Door Five Star range, and comes designer Adriano Design to give
in two models. LG is the first brand to new life to the popular game. Most
launch linear compressor technology recently, the company unveiled Gold
which saves up to 40% of energy. Teckell, table football embellished
with exclusive gold plated accessories.
BOOK The collection consists of 99 limited
SOLID STATES: CONCRETE IN TRANSITION eces.
edition pieces.
Princeton University Press
In Solid States: Concrete in Transi-

tion, an interdisciplinary group of
architects, historians, theorists,
engineers, fabricators, and materials
scientists collectively explore the past,
present, and future possibilities of
steel, which yields composites stronger
than steel, lighter than water, and as
beautiful as natural stone.
LIKE
WANT
LIGHTING
KUDLIK
Axo Light
BATHROOM
NEED
BELLE The new hanging light collec-
Bruna Rapisarda tion from Axo Light, is inspired by
the Inuit and their igloos. Designed by
Designed by Bruna Rapisarda, Belle minium and zinc, with a glossy chrome Manuel Vivian, the Kudlik collection is
was inspired by a study of the rotation of finishing. Meanwhile, toilet brushes, made of etched white blown glass with a
54/55
several elliptic
elliptical shapes. The collection soap dishes, soap dispensers and brush white-painted metal frame. It is available
consists of a ha
hanger, towel bar and paper holders are made of ‘velvet’ synthetic in two sizes: 35cms and 50cms diametres,
CULTURE holder made of a special alloy of alu- resin, a non-porous material. with a fluorescent light source.
54 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.11 | www.construc

www.constructionweekonline.com www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 55
CULTURE

ZAYED NATIONAL
THE PROJECT
Unveiled by HRH Queen

Elizabeth during a state visit to the
MUSEUM
United Arab Emirates in November
2010, the Zayed National Museum
is the latest project by Foster +
Partners in Abu Dhabi, and one of
a number of landmark projects on
Architect: Foster + Partners Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. With
a total built up area of 66,000 m 2
Location: Abu Dhabi around a 4,386m 2 central atrium,
CASE STUDY the Zayed National Museum tells
the story of the late Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Work has
already begun on site, with the mu-
seum slated for completion by 2014.

CASE STUDY | ZAYED NATIONAL MUSEUM
THE SITE
This design forms the centrepiece
of the Saadiyat Island Cultural Dis-
trict, which is located 500m off the
coast of Abu Dhabi and is the largest
single mixed-use development in
the Arabian Gulf. Arranged as seven
districts, the Cultural District will
also include the Guggenheim Abu
Dhabi Museum, the Louvre Abu
Dhabi, as well as a Performing Arts
Centre and Maritime Museum.
THE CONCEPT
The museum will be the centre-
piece of the Saadiyat Island Cultur-
al District with the five lightweight
steel towers sitting atop a man-
made, landscaped mound and the
museum’s galleries placed at their
bases. The museum draws inspira-
tion from falconry, a favourite past
time of Sheikh Zayed, but it was also
designed with the environment in
mind. “We have sought to establish
a building that will be an exemplar
of sustainable design, resonating
with Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature
and his wider heritage,” said Lord
Foster, at the project launch.
THE DETAILS
The five towers, the highest of
which is 124 metres, are reminis-
cent of the wing tips of the birds.
The design also serves to deliver
environmental advantages, as
the buildings are positioned
124
to channel air through
the museum, reducing
METRES
the energy demands
required to cool the
HEIGHT OF complex. The towers
THE TALLEST take advantage of
WING TIP the regions constant
sunshine, with carefully po-
sitioned openings drawing light
in to illuminate the interior spaces.

The aerodynamic structures

are oriented to take advantage of
prevailing breezes, reducing the
energy required to mechanically
regulate interior temperatures.
The wings act as an extrac-
tion system and solar
66,000
thermal chimney: heat
builds up in the glazed
tip, creating a cycle
that drags used air up METRES 2
and out through the fa- TOTAL BUILT UP AREA
çade, aided by negative
pressure on the surface,
which promotes air flow.
Enabling work commenced in

the third quarter of 2009 and was
completed in the fi rst quarter 2010,
while piling work was fi nished in the
second quarter of 2010. Substruc-
ture work is currently underway
on site, and the main construction
contract will be awarded this year.
Internally the museum spaces

are housed within suspended pods,
enclosed within solid and glazed ele-
ments. Entry to the galleries is from
a ground floor lobby which is dug
into the and illuminated from above.
The cave-like public lobby beneath
the galleries is naturally ventilated
by means of air drawn through the
feather-like structures, supple-
mented by a system of buried ducts.
A double skin, comprising an outer
facade exposed to the elements and
an inner skin that encloses the gal-
leries, promotes air flow between the
exhibition and circulation spaces,
further reducing energy use.

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THE SHARD
THE SHARD | CASE STUDY
Designer: Renzo Piano

Location: London
CASE STUDY
THE PROJECT
This 1,017 ft tower in London
was designed by architect
Renzo Piano in 2000, and is
currently under construction
close to London Bridge. When
completed in 2012 the Shard
will be the tallest building in
Europe and include a Shangri La
Hotel, residential apartments
and office space as well as
viewing gallery on 72nd floor.
It will encompass 1.361m ft 2 of
floor space, with enough room
for 600,000 offices, 65,000
flats, a 200,000 ft 2 hotel and a
total of 44 lifts.

CASE STUDY | THE SHARD
THE SITE
The building replaces the
24-storey Southwark Towers,
which was built in 1976 and
demolished in 2009,
with construction
beginning later in
the year. As part of 1.361M
the development
around GBP50
million will be
FEET2 TOTAL FLOOR
invested in London SPACE
Bridge Station and
the surrounding areas,
this work will include a museum,
housing regeneration programs
and a public piazza.

THE SHARD | CASE STUDY
THE CONCEPT
Rumour has it that when London
entrepreneur Irvine Seller first
proposed the project to Piano, the
architect spoke of his contempt
for tall buildings before flipping
over the menu and sketching the
design. Piano compared his design
to a ‘shard of glass’, hence the
tower’s name, and has orientated
the triangular facade to reflect the
changing patterns of the sky. Un-
surprisingly, the entire tower will
be clad in glass.
THE DETAILS
The engineering of the tower
was devised following the US
National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) report
into the WTC collapse, and is the
first in the UK to be designed with
these new standards in mind.
It was a controversial
1017 project, with opposition

from both the Royal
FEET
TOTAL HEIGHT
Parks Foundation
and English Heritage,
who believed that the
OF THE SHARD
building would cast a
metaphoric shadow over St
Paul’s Cathedral.
The Shard will surpass three of

Europe’s current tallest towers,
and two Moscow skyscrapers.
Work is currently underway on
a tall tower in Moscow that, if
finished, would be bigger than the
Shard. The tower would remain the
tallest building in the EU.

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NADD AL HAMAR
NADD AL HAMAR HEALTH CENTRE | CASE STUDY
HEALTH CENTRE
CASE STUDY
Architect: Tangram
Client: Dubai Municipality
Location: Dubai
THE PROJECT
This 80,000 ft 2 health centre
in the Nadd Al Hamar area
of Dubai will cater for some
10,000 local residents, provid-
ing out-patient care, including
general medical examinations
and dentistry. It is one of two
medical centres currently under
construction in northern Dubai,
and was designed over a one
year period by Dubai-based
consultants Tangram.
THE SITE
Built on a plot in the centre of a
primarily Emirati residential area,
the Nadd Al Hamar clinic is part of
a new drive from the Dubai Health
Tangram has designed a similar
project in Al Mizan, and another
clinic in Al Barsha.

THE CONCEPT
CASE STUDY | NADD AL HAMAR HEALTH CENTRE

The concept behind all three of
Tangram’s Dubai clinic projects is
‘intuitive way-finding’, whereby pa-
tients feel naturally guided around
the hospital and find it easy to
locate their desired service. This is
achieved by centering both
clinics around court-
80,000
yards, and planning
corridors on a figure
FEET2
of eight plan. The
building is also able
TOTAL FLOOR to make the most of
SPACE natural light, reducing
the electricity demand on
artificial lighting.
THE DETAILS
“The project is technically very
intensive, in fact hospitals are the
most difficult buildings out there
in terms of design and planning
– especially in terms of MEP,”
explained project manager Ahmed
Amin Mohamed. He said that a
typical hospital building spends
30% to 40% more on mechanical
systems than an office development.
A huge part of the cost is the air
conditioning, which has to be highly
hygienic, as well as water use and
waste disposal, where hygiene regu-
lations play a pivotal role in overall
design and concept.
Lighting plays a key role, Mo- Tangram has used 50 mm insula- Mohamed said, the aim with all
hamed said, particularly in terms tion throughout the building to keep in three clinics is to make them feel
of intuitive way-fi nding. “At the end cool air and save on air conditioning, light, airy and open. “A lot of health
of every major corridor there is a which was a key objective of Dubai centres you see are dark rabbit
window or opening and people are Municipality. “The municipality are warren-type buildings. It’s a simple
drawn towards the light, then they very strict about insulation and the point, I know, but I don’t think
reach the corner and they’re orien- simplest and the most enduring way there’s an architect in the world that
tated towards the right way to go.” to save energy is through insulation.” would disagree with that.”

THE
WORK
PROJECT UPDATE
TRADE This twisting 216m office tower is

CENTRE
45°
the latest addition to Kuwait City’s
TOWER skyline, providing 720,000 ft2 of
office space and a three-storey retail
TOTAL ROTATION Architect: NORR mall. NORR Consultants worked
FROM BASE TO Consultants with local partner Al-Jazera Con-
TOP OF THE
Location: sultants to design the scheme, which
STRUCTURE
Kuwait City was completed earlier this year after
five years of construction. The tower
floor plates rotate by 1 degree per
floor, resulting in a total rotation of 45
degrees from base to the very top.
ROLEX TOWER This 60-story mixed-use tower is

the second building to be completed
Architect: SOM by SOM in Dubai in 2010, after the
Location: Dubai firm saw the Burj Khalifa – the tall-
est building in the world – open for
business earlier in the year. The tower
includes 25 floors of apartments, in-
cluding two penthouses, and 31 levels
of office space and ground-floor retail
outlets. SOM intended the Rolex
Tower to represent a ‘shimmering
desert mirage’.
ENERGY This 11,600 m2 building in Lusail,
121
CITY QATAR Qatar, will form part of the country’s
US$2.6 billion Energy City Qatar
Architect:
METRES Design Focus
project, due to be a hub for energy
companies when it is completed in
TOTAL HEIGHT OF Partnership 2012. The architects, Focus
THE ALDAR HQ Location: Qatar Design Partners, had to balance the
individual client’s requirements with
the larger master plan, creating a
functional campus that is unique in
form but in keeping with the larger
Energy City project.

KING Located at the King Abdullah
ABDULLAH Financial District (KAFD) on the
FINANCIAL outskirts of Riyadh, FX FOWLE’s
DISTRICT mosque has attracted a lot of atten-
MOSQUE tion since the designs were made
public, snagging the fi rm a com-
Architect: FX mendation at the recent Middle East
Fowle Architect Awards and a fi rst place for
Location: Saudi Islamic architecture project at City-
Arabia scape in Dubai. The building is one
of a dozen buildings being designed
by FX FOWLE at the KAFD.
NAJAF CITY This project is a new city council

COUNCIL building for the government of Na-
jaf, an Iraqi city some 160km
Architect:
30,1382
from Baghdad and one of the
Dewan holiest cities in Shia Islam.
Location: Iraq
METRES
The 30,138 m2 building
will consist of five floors of
administrative offices and TOTAL
FLOORSPACE
three floors of conference
facilities. As well as this project,
Dewan are undertaking the restora-
tion of shrines at Najaf and Karbala.
ALDAR HQ This iconic 121m-tall commercial

building is set to become the head-
Architect: Arup quarters for developer Aldar when
Location: Abu fit out is completed towards the end
Dhabi of 2010. Originally designed by MZ
& Partners in Qatar in 2005, Arup
became the lead consultant on the
project and saw full cores being com-
pleted within 12 months of the very
fi rst engineering concept sketch. The
project was developed in line with
the LEED rating system.
BANK This project is designed to serve as

MUSCAT a central hub for Bank Muscat, a
fi nancial services provider with
Architect:
$55
offices scattered through-
Atkins, MACE out Oman’s capital. The
Location: Oman headquarters will be home
2,000 employees, and is MILLION
situated 15 minutes from PROJECT VALUE
Muscat Airport. The build-
ing has been designed to reflect
Omani and Arabic architecture,
both modern and traditional.

AUDI CENTRE This 190,000ft2 centre in London,

England, is the headquarters of car
Architect: manufacturer Audi in the UK. The
Wilkinson Eyre seven storey building incorporate
Architects three showroom floors capable of
Location: displaying as many as 116 cars, two
London floors of exhibition and conference
space and two basement levels hous-
ing a 32-bay workshop and extensive
parking facilities. The Audi Centre
is located adjacent to the elevated
section of the M4.
VILLA AL Completed some three years ago in

ASSAM Dubai, Villa Al Assam is home to
Dewan founder Mohamed Al Assam
Architect: and reflects his background in Iraq,
1000
Mohamed Al where he founded the UAE-based
Assam fi rm some 40 years ago. The villa is
Location: Dubai 1,000 m2 in plan and situated on a
METRES2 13,500 ft2 site in Jumeirah, an area
TOTAL SIZE of Dubai known for low rise housing.
Although traditional in style, the vil-
la uses modern techniques to make
the environment more comfortable.
TRIPOLI This 9,000m2 project is set in wood-

CONGRESS lands on near Libya’s capital city, and
CENTRE is designed to host world leaders and
media that are visiting the country
Architect: for forums and conferences. De-
Tabanlioglu signed by Turkish fi rm Tabanlioglu,
Architects the building is the flagship develop-
Location: ment in much larger site that will
Tripoli, Libya eventually include hotels, residences
and other facilities designed to en-
hance Libya’s reputation as a hub for
international conferences.
MECCA This huge development on the

4 MILLION GATEWAY outskirts of Islam’s holiest
CULTURAL
METRES2 OASIS
city will include museums,
residences, conference facilities
OF HOUSING,
and a conference centre on a
SCHOOLS AND
HOSPITALS WILL Architect: DWP site just outside Mecca’s haram
BE BUILT Client: Sumou line. Designed by Bahrain-based
Real Estate architects DWP, the project fuses
Location: Saudi the architecture of the Hejaz
Arabia region with modern design, using
features such as mashrabiyas and
shading.

SPA YACCINE Spa Yaccine is the first spa and
health centre to be built in the
Architect: West African nation of Gabon, a
Ahmed Chami country of 1.5 million bordered
Location: Gabon by Cameroon. Moroccan-born
architect Ahmed Chami designed
the exterior of the 30,000m2
building while his wife, Nadia
Benmoussa, designed the interiors.
The spa is located between the
airport and Gabon’s capital city of
Libreville.
BURJ RAFAL This 62-storey tower in the
305
heart of Riyadh, will be one
Architect: P&T of only three tall towers in
Client: Rafal
METRES
the city and contain the
Group first Kempinski hotel in
Location: Saudi Arabia. The tower TOTAL EXPECTED
HEIGHT
Riyadh – which will be the tallest in
the capital – will include 260
luxury apartments, a 297-room
hotel, and 6,000 sq2 of retail. The
19,315 m 2 site is on King Fahd
Road near the KAFD site.
LUANDA Portuguese fi rm Risco architects

SKY CENTRE have designed these two towers to
form part of a significant develop-
Location: ment in Angola’s capital city of
Angola Luanda. Work has begun on Sky
Designer: Risco Residence II – a 22-storey residen-
tial tower – and the adjacent Sky
Business Tower. Risco has designed
the facades of the buildings to have
two layers, increasing the cooling ca-
pability of the building to make them
less reliant on air conditioning.
KHAN SHATYR The Khan Shatyr Entertain-

ENTERTAINMENT ment Centre contains over
CENTRE 100,000m2 inside an ETFE 100,000
Architect:
dome, which has recently
been announced the tallest METRES2
Foster + tensile structure in the world. TOTAL
FLOORSPACE
Partners The tent-like, cable-net struc-
Location: ture soars 150-metres into the
Astana, air from an elliptical base to form the
Kazazhstan highest peak on the Astana skyline.
Inside the tent is a park, along with
shops, cafes and areas for events.

CULTURE | LIKE WANT NEED
LIKE
WANT BATHROOM
NEED
BELLE
Bruna Rapisarda
Designed by Bruna Rapisarda, Belle minium and zinc, with a glossy chrome
was inspired by a study of the rotation of finishing. Meanwhile, toilet brushes,
several elliptical shapes. The collection soap dishes, soap dispensers and brush
consists of a hanger, towel bar and paper holders are made of ‘velvet’ synthetic
CULTURE holder made of a special alloy of alu- resin, a non-porous material.

LIKE WANT NEED | CULTURE
KITCHEN GAMES
FRIDGE TABLE FOOTBALL
LG Electronics B Lab Italia
LG Electronics (LG) has launched The Teckell Collection is B Lab Ita-

its latest multi-door refrigerator. The lia’s high-end reinterpretation of table
new refrigerator forms part of the football. B Lab worked with product
Multi Door Five Star range, and comes designer Adriano Design to give
in two models. LG is the first brand to new life to the popular game. Most
launch linear compressor technology recently, the company unveiled Gold
which saves up to 40% of energy. Teckell, table football embellished
with exclusive gold plated accessories.
BOOK The collection consists of 99 limited
SOLID STATES: CONCRETE IN TRANSITION eces.
edition pieces.
Princeton University Press
In Solid States: Concrete in Transi-

tion, an interdisciplinary group of
architects, historians, theorists,
engineers, fabricators, and materials
scientists collectively explore the past,
present, and future possibilities of
steel, which yields composites stronger
than steel, lighter than water, and as
beautiful as natural stone.
LIGHTING
KUDLIK
Axo Light
The new hanging light collec-

tion from Axo Light, is inspired by
the Inuit and their igloos. Designed by
Manuel Vivian, the Kudlik collection is
made of etched white blown glass with a
white-painted metal frame. It is available
in two sizes: 35cms and 50cms diametres,
with a fluorescent light source.

LAST WORD | HEIDAR SADEKI
MOVIE MAN
THE LAST WORD
Heidar Sadeki, interior designer, film buff and

architect takes some time out to talk to MEA.
I founded the Richard Sadeki studio with my partner

Clarissa Richardson around ten years ago after finishing
Princeton University, which is where we met.
I’m untalented and defeated fi lmmaker. Architecture was

my second choice.
There is something about this part of the world that

makes working here as an architect very exciting.
Dubai is built like a cowboy village, with one central street

and the entire village built around it, but you see more urban
sophistication in Abu Dhabi.
I fi nd the Chinese market somewhat reckless and

irresponsible.
We approach an interior as if we were making a movie.

We create a special narrative.
When you watch a movie your mind does not say, I liked
that movie because the third shot was only 42 seconds long –
rather the movie leaves an impression which enables you to
simply know you liked it. I believe spaces do the same.
I have always wanted to design a mosque, because I

have very rarely seen Islamic culture depicted in a modern and
minimal language in architecture.
I cannot believe that over 98% of hospitals in the world

are places that, unless I was ambulanced in, they would have to
pay me to step into.
I’m a complete sucker for 1970s new wave cinema. Film

is very rich and architecture is very boring.
We don’t think about who likes or doesn’t like what we do.

If we did then we’d be politicians, not designers.
Architecture is perhaps the dumbest and slowest

industry around. It moves about one inch every 100 years.
56 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 01.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com

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towels every year. so it’s hygienic.
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• Drake & Scull Head of Database & Circulation Gaurav Gulati

considers Australia MARKETING

the streets ITP GROUP

‘DIFFICULT YEAR’ IN 16 DAYS design classic

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To find out more about our forward-looking innovations,

UAE Sales Ofﬁce:

Qatar gets ready to prove us wrong

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GCC architects need to get together

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“It wasn’t our

Iraq’s current Gross Domestic Product (Page 12)

“Hospitals are Qatari

TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE SHARD (Page 44)

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Eric Kuhne says that modern architecture

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UAE-based Al Maabar and Bonayan

$50 reportedly shown interest

BILLION dian Traugott Building

The Rotana will become one of the pilot buildings in post-war

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The largest and most comprehensive

January 16 – 18, 2011

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The opera house

ing construction had been organising

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OUTSIDE MAN THE INTERVIEW

DSA Architects’ Steve Kelshaw on chasing cash, meeting challenges and

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ONE AND ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE

HILTON DEAD SEA

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TILAL LIWA HOTEL

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Firstly, congratulations, you These stadiums have been planned

We hope that we will continue our planning

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