Architect Dec

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DECEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12DECEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12


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

A LIGHT RAININTERVIEW Stride Treglown’s Richard Philipson & Nathan Hones CASE STUDY Mishascape unveils its signature design

for Dubai Quill CASE STUDY Perkins Eastmann’s Al Maktoum A&E Hospital CASE STUDY ZHA on Rome’s MAXXI museum

Jean Nouvel’s lighting concept is guiding the design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi

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001 www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

CONTENTS DECEMBER

December 2009 ISSUE 12 VOLUME 314

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WHAT’S ON THE WEB MEA keeps you in touch with the latest news from the industry with a synopsis of Construction Week online

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS A roundup of some of the industry’s biggest stories and product launches from December

INTERVIEW: STRIDE TREGLOWNOperations director Richard Philipson and UAE GM Nathan Hones go on the record with Jeff Roberts CASE STUDY: DUBAI QUILLNew firm Mishascape unveils the designs for its Quill and, in doing so, creates a new mythology

CASE STUDY: MAKTOUM A&E HOSPITALPE principal Nadia Tobia deconstructs the design for Jebel Ali’s newest accident & emergency centre

INTERVIEW: BOB KNOTT Jumeirah Golf Estates’ senior development manger of golf courses talks about taming the elements

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY: MAXXI Zaha Hadid’s newest project, Rome’s Museum of 21st Century Art, breaks down and decodes walls BATTLE: PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS Miralles’ Scottish Parliament Building goes head to head with Foster’s famous Reichstag cupola

LAST WORD: CITYBUILD ABU DHABI Graham Wood talks to MEA about how Citybuild differs from Cityscape and why architects need to be there

40

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COLUMNS & FEATURES

HH SHEIKH HAMDAN OPENS BIG 5

HURRICANE DAMEIn Beirut to celebrate the Middle East launch of one of her latest cre-ations, Patricia Urquiola spoke to Selina Denman about practical prod-ucts – and why having a design style is just plain ‘stupid’.

FREEDOM OF CHOICEThe many benefi ts of Free Zones cannot be ignored but, with the possibility of a new ownership law coming into place, will construc-tion companies decide to take their business elsewhere?

the online home of:

IN PICTURES

For more columns & features, go to: www.constructionweekonline.com/comments

For more galleries, check out: www.constructionweekonline.com/in_pictures/

• Alessa signs US $200 million JV with Huntair• Kiwi timber floats AD’s boat• Dubai World restructuring• Deal sought on Dubai World, Nakheel debts • Key points while entering into a joint venture

• Mott MacDonald to oversee island infrastructure • Dubai construction receives professional mediation • Saleh to build Dubailand Marriott• Big 5 2009 ‘beyond all expectations’• Freedom of choice

63.2% It’s worrying; we’ll have to see what happens next.

26.3% It’s not great but DW & Nakheel have a lot of support.

10.5% It’s just a request; there’s no real cause for concern.

To vote in spot polls, go to:www.constructionweekonline.com

For breaking news, go to:www.constructionweekonline.com/news/Stories selected November 24-30, 2009

5 MOST POPULAR

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Stories selected November 24-30, 2009

POLL: Thoughts on DW asking for a ‘standstill’?

PODS ARE THE FU-TURE OF BIG BUILDSOpting for pods makes construction on a project cheaper, requires less labour, produces a higher quality and reduces build times, said Unipods sales and marketing director Mike Usher.

A LONG WAY TO GOThe results of the Con-struction Week salary survey are out, shedding a lot of light on the inner workings of the construc-tion industry. Some pretty amazing trends are revealed, along with some alarming facts.

Kicking off with the offi cial opening by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and

Minister of Finance and Industry, the exhibition saw a number of high profi le deals announced, including a JV be-

tween KSA’s Alessa Group and US industrial conditioners manufacturer Huntair Inc worth US $200mn.

EDITOR’SLETTER

004 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com

I almost titled this editor’s letter ‘A little less conversation, a little more action’, because as I see it, for the last few months, there has been a lot of lip service about the construction industry in the Gulf. Whether it was Cityscape Dubai or Big 5 or Index or the ubiquitous Proleads reports singing the praises of the region’s construction industry, people have been touting the strength of the market for months. I even contributed to the industry-wide love-fest by writing editor’s letters about the ‘post-Ramadan push’ and the bevy of burgeoning building projects. Luckily, my fi rst idea didn’t fi t in the title box.

In light of the latest news from the Dubai World/Nakheel camps—which, at the time of writing, is still largely speculation—I sat pondering how best to convey those poignant Elvis Presley lyrics, but then I paused. Perhaps that’s not fair. Perhaps it’s both unfair and short-sighted to con-demn the building industry in Dubai based on speculation and hearsay.

The European and US pundits wax intellectual on chat shows and in newspapers about how Dubai is fi nished and how it’ll soon become a modern ghost town, complete with dusty saloons and tumbleweed. They sit casting stones in what has become one big global glass house.

Are major developers in the region in debt? Probably. Are major developers in the US and Europe in debt? Very much so. Has the building industry in the Middle East slowed down? Yes, but the pace of building in the GCC is still light years ahead of the grinding halt to which the same industries in the West have come. Have architects, facilities managers, developers and design professionals had to tighten their collective belts to do more with less in the Middle East building market? Absolutely. Using the same metaphor, I wouldn’t be surprised if those same professionals in the West have traded in their belts, trousers, socks and shoes for the proverbial cardboard box.

My point is this: The trend in the Middle East’s building industry sug-gests the status quo is both solid and steady. Those I’ve spoken to in the industry don’t anticipate massive growth, but they’re also unconvinced that we’ll witness the bottom falling out of anything. The reason Western criticism has turned to Dubai in recent months is because throughout Europe and North America, the bottom has already fallen out and they’re beginning the slow and tedious process of rebuilding. When you’re a little guy—a ‘non-player’ if you will—it’s easy to take pot shots at those near the top because frankly, no one takes you seriously.

Those same critics hailed Sheikh Mohammed as a visionary and Dubai as a modern miracle for more than a decade. And, sure enough, now that Dubai has shown a glimpse of mortality, the vultures are circling. To the vultures, my only advice is this: No one has forgotten that your economies have crumbled and that your long legacies lay in ruins. Put your own house in order before training your sights on this one because, at the mo-ment, you are non-players and no one is taking you seriously.

THROWING STONES

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DECEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12


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

A LIGHT RAININTERVIEW Stride Treglown’s Richard Phillipson & Nathan Hones CASE STUDY Mishascape unveils its signature design

for Dubai Quill CASE STUDY Perkins Eastmann’s Al Maktoum A&E Hospital CASE STUDY ZHA on Rome’s MAXXI museum

Jean Nouvel’s lighting concept is guiding the design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Cover image: Jean Nouvel with Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, TDIC Cover Design: Lucy McMurray/ITP

Jeff Roberts, Group Editor

[email protected]

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INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

MIDDLE EAST // The Council

on Tall Buildings and Urban

Habitat (CTBUH)—the inter-

national body that arbitrates

on tall building height and

determines titles includ-

ing “The World’s Tallest

Building”—has announced a

change to its height crite-

ria, as a refl ection of recent

developments with several

super-tall buildings.

The new criteria wording:

“Height is measured from

the level of the lowest, sig-

nifi cant, open-air, pedestrian

entrance to…” allows for the

recognition of the increas-

ing numbers of multi-use

tall buildings with often

several different entrances at

different levels, whilst also

accommodating buildings

constructed in urban or

suburban locations.

This will have an impact

on both the height of tall

buildings and their relative

international height rank-

ings. Burj Dubai, set to open

as the world’s tallest building

in January 2010, will now be

measured from the lowest

of its three main entrances

(which opens into the en-

trance lobby for the tower’s

corporate suite offi ces).

“Beginning in 2007, with

the knowledge that Burj

BURJ DUBAI GROWS TALLER AFTER CTBUH CHANGES

Dubai would be signifi cantly

taller than any structure

ever built, the CTBUH

Height Committee met to

review the criteria by which

we recognize and rank the

height of buildings,” said

Peter Weismantle, Chair of

the CTBUH Height Commit-

tee and Director of Supertall

Building Technology at

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

Architecture in Chicago.

“The resulting revisions

almost two years later refl ect

a general consensus of the

committee in recognizing

the most recent trends in

tall building development

around the world,” contin-

ued Weismantle.

Because of the policy

change, the recently com-

pleted Trump International

Hotel & Towers in Chicago

will be measured from the

publicly accessible Chicago

Riverwalk, which adds an ad-

ditional 27 feet. The addition

means that Trump offi cially

surpasses the Jin Mao Tower

in Shanghai to occupy the

rank of 6th tallest on the list

of completed buildings.

Also in response to the

changing designs and forms

of tall buildings, the Height

Committee has elected to

discard its previous “Height

Dubai’s Burj Dubai just got taller

to Roof” category. “The

roof category just doesn’t

make sense anymore,” said

CTBUH executive director

Antony Wood. “In the era

of the fl at-topped modernist

tower, a clearly defi ned roof

could usually be identifi ed,

but in today’s tall building

world—which is increas-

ingly adopting elaborate

forms, spires, parapets and

other features at the top of

the building—it is becoming

diffi cult to determine a ‘roof’

at all.”

The revised CTBUH

Height Criteria are as fol-

lows: (i) Height to Architec-

tural Top, measured to the

topmost architectural feature

of the building including

spires, but not including

antennae, signage, fl ag

poles or other functional-

technical equipment; (ii)

Height to Highest Occupied

Floor, measured to the level

of the highest, consistently

occupied fl oor in the build-

ing (not including service

or mechanical areas which

experience occasional

maintenance access); and

(iii) Height to Tip, measured

to the highest point of the

building, irrespective of

material or function of the

highest element.

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

ABU DHABI, UAE // At a recep-

tion at the British Embassy

in Abu Dhabi, RIBA—via

sponsorship from Geberit,

global player in sanitary

technology—launched its

new Gulf Chapter, which

aims to support architecture,

architects and design profes-

sionals in the GCC.

With no other architecture

institute in the Middle East,

RIBA Gulf will represent

and engage locally-based

architects and design profes-

sionals through education,

Continuing Professional De-

velopment (CPD), network-

ing opportunities, lectures

and other activities.

“The launch of our Gulf

Chapter highlights the

signifi cance of our members’

presence in the Gulf States

and will enable us to provide

further local support,” said

Ruth Reed, president of

RIBA, at the launch event.

“The Chapter will also be

working to engage further

with the diversity of non-

member architects working

in the region and to promote

best practice in architectural

education by working closely

with local universities.”

RIBA Gulf is open to all

members in the region, as

well as professionals working

across Saudi Arabia, the UAE

and other GCC states.

“The whole business of ar-

chitecture is far more global

now, and UK architects in

particular are more global,”

said Richard Brindley, RIBA

executive director of profes-

sional services.”

RIBA LAUNCHES GULF CHAPTER

RIBA President, Ruth Reed

www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT


INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS

Jean Nouvel has spent almost every waking minute with Mattias Schuler and Schuler’s light sensor


INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

ABU DHABI, UAE // Saadiyat

Island recently played host to

Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon

Al Nahyan, chairman of

TDIC, Pritzker Prize-winner

Jean Nouvel, support staff

from Ateliers Jean Nouvel,

directors from Buro Happold

and Agence France-Muse-

ums and climate engineers

TransSolar at the future site

of Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The collection of distin-

guished offi cials, architects

and engineers were on site

to conduct lighting tests to

determine the precise way

in which beams of light will

fi lter through the building’s

signature perforated alumin-

ium dome. “The dome is the

largest architectural element

in the project and we want to

test both its functionality and

manageability,” explained

Felix Reinberg, project direc-

tor of the Cultural District

for TDIC.

To that end, a six-metre

prototype of the dome has

been installed on Saadiyat

Island for the sole purpose

of testing the play of light

and shadow on the site—or,

the “Rain of Light” concept—

prior to fabrication of the

fi nal structure.

According to Nouvel’s

design statement, the Louvre

Abu Dhabi was designed

as a complex of pavilions,

plazas, alleyways and canals,

evoking the image of a city

fl oating on the sea. “Hover-

ing over the complex will be

a form inspired by tradi-

tional Arabic architecture—a

vast, shallow dome or

cupola—180 metres (590

feet) in diameter—perforated

with interlaced patterns so

that a magical, diffused light

LOUVRE UPDATE: A LIGHT RAIN ON SAADIYAT ISLAND

will fi lter through,” explained

Nouvel. “The cupola will cre-

ate the effect of the light in

the souk, when you play with

different superposition of

different images and enrich

the interiors.”

ENGINEERING THE DOMEWhile the fi nished dome

will undoubtedly convey the

elegance and weightlessness

being sought, as Tim Page,

project engineer and associ-

ate director of Buro Happold

UK explains, the fi nal prod-

uct will belie the complexity

of its realisation.

“What people don’t realise

is that the dome represents a

web of interlaced aluminium

panels, tubes and bars, which

is fi ve and a half metres deep

and 180 metres in diameter,”

explained Page. “To achieve

the design intent, we began

with overlapping rectilinear

patterns or, essentially, the

structural version of a tartan

cloth. We then began to

remove the non-critical pat-

terns to achieve the correct

fi ltering of light.”

To achieve the fi nishing

touches, Page and his team

called upon mathematical

formulae to ensure that ev-

erything was perfect. “Each

layer has been mathemati-

cally matched up with those

above and below it to achieve

an exact size and shape for

each dapple of light. It’s

been a hugely collaborative

effort—especially in terms of

patternization.”

A PROTECTIVE DOMEWhile the UAE enjoys sunny,

dry weather for 90% of the

year (320 days), the risk

of endangering any of the

priceless artworks within the

Louvre galleries was simply

unacceptable. To that end,

Matthias Schuler, adjunct

professor at Harvard Univer-

sity’s Graduate School of De-

sign and managing director

of climate engineering fi rm

TransSolar, has accounted

for everything.

“We began with nine

different dome designs,”

explained Schuler. “[Jean

Nouvel] wanted the feeling

of the connection between

inside and outside.”

For the rare rainy day

in Abu Dhabi, Schuler is

prepared. “The rain will

not affect the museum,” he

explained. “To ensure that

people won’t get wet in the

walking spaces between

the galleries, there will be a

transparent fi lm between the

layers of the dome to ensure

that it does not rain in these

areas. There will also be a

drainage system hidden at

the edge of the dome.”

After stalking back and

forth through the prototype

with light metre in hand,

Schuler also made an impor-

tant discovery. “Initially we

thought the interior walls

should be marble. After test-

ing, we realised that because

of its properties, marble

walls refract an enormous

amount of light onto the

fl oor,” he explained.

He continued: “That

amount of light creates a

refl ection that is harsh on

the eyes and detracts from

the artwork. The walls will be

white, but most likely white

matte. We’ll probably use a

high-density ductile concrete

for the interior walls.”

Not only is Schuler

unfazed by the elements of

sun and rain, but in terms

of accentuating the ‘Rain of

Light’, he actually welcomes

the wind. “We hope to have

wind and dust sometimes.

We didn’t realise it at fi rst

but when the air is dusty,

the beams of light are almost

more powerful,” he said.

A RARE MOMENT WITH JEAN NOUVELWith consultants busy fl itter-

ing and fl uttering throughout

the Saadiyat Island site,

Nouvel was free to wax intel-

lectual about his approach to

architecture and the future of

architecture in the Gulf.

“Every building has its

own DNA,” said Nouvel.

“You have to fi nd the charac-

ter of the building…. Hence,

my buildings are different

each time and more related

to the cultural, economical

and social context…. [For

this site] I wanted to play

with the specifi c conditions

present here. I am an archi-

tect of specifi cs.”

As far as Nouvel is con-

cerned, the architectural

boom witnessed by the Gulf

or the collection of iconic

building on Saadiyat Island

isn’t excessive, it’s progres-

sive. “[This site] is not a

sporting match. It’s not a

competition to see which

building will be the best.”

He continued: “When

the country is at its apogee,

architects always create

buildings that make strong

testaments…. Now, its time

for the Middle East to make

its own testaments; my hope

is that the cultural district of

Saadiyat Island will do that

for the Middle East.

INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS


RIYADH, KSA// The joint venture

between British consultan-

cies Barton Willmore and

Buro Happold has completed

the design for the King Ab-

dullah International Gardens

(KAIG) – a giant botanical

garden commissioned by the

City of Riyadh as a gift to

King Abdullah of Saudi Ara-

bia to celebrate his accession

to the throne.

“While we have extensive

experience in the design and

construction of cutting-edge

projects in the Middle East,”

said Jerry Young, project

principal and partner at

Buro Happold. “The design

of KAIG has been extremely

challenging because nothing

as complex has been built on

this scale and in this kind of

environment before.”

Young continues: “There

has been almost zero rep-

etition during the design

process and the end result

KING ABDULLAH GARDENS GOES TO TENDER, WINS INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD

has been achieved through

a truly multi-disciplinary,

collaborative and innovative

approach.”

Barton Willmore and Buro

Happold won an interna-

tional competition in 2007

to claim the right to design

KAIG. Now, having com-

pleted the design with advi-

sors from the UK’s National

History Museum and Eden

Project, KAIG is to be put out

to tender to contractors.

KAIG’s design, which won

the overall global leisure

category for commercial

property at the International

Property Awards in mid-No-

vember, features a 10-hect-

are building—the equivalent

of 15 football pitches—which

will house the world’s largest

indoor garden.

KAIG will be set within

a 160-hectare site in an

arid desert site within the

KSA central region and, as

a cornerstone of the City of

Riyadh’s growth plans, will

provide a new destination for

KSA nationals and interna-

tional visitors.

Visitors will be able to

walk amongst plants, trees

and fl owers which lived over

400 million years ago, as

well as a range of external

gardens which will include

a maze, butterfl y enclosure

and aviary.

The project’s centrepiece

will be a ‘paleobotanic’ build-

ing formed by two adjoin-

ing crescents that will rise

40 metres in height. The

building’s roof, which will

be the largest ETFE-covered

structure in the world, will

span up to 90 metres. KAIG

will also feature an array of

specialist tensile, pneumatic

and grid shell structures.

KAIG will also showcase

sustainable development

and incorporate renewable

and low energy technologies.

It will employ thermal ice

storage and black and grey

water recycling systems, with

underground reservoirs for

storage and, with the outside

temperature reaching up

to 50°C, this approach will

be vital to the control of the

different historical climates

inside the various gardens.

“KAIG is just one example

of where we are working

closely with a partner to

create a new type of sustain-

able community,” said Nick

Sweet, project director and

partner in charge of urban

design at Barton Willmore’s

London offi ce.

Sweet explained further:

“Indeed, this project epito-

mises our desire to marry

manmade structures with

the natural environment and

produce a broader narrative

about their complex inter-

relationships over time.

The achievement in

pulling together the KAIG

designs is the result of a

monumental joint effort.

Collaboration has been key

in order to integrate all disci-

plines and services to ensure

we stayed true to our original

design concept,”

Barton Willmore provided

masterplanning, architec-

ture and landscape design

services while Buro Happold

pwrovided project manage-

ment services and structural,

building services and infra-

structure engineering design,

as well as a range of special-

ist consultancy services.

The JV team has also been

responsible for the design

of KAIG’s infrastructure

including earthworks, roads,

footpaths, coach and car

parks, an energy centre, sew-

erage treatment systems and

services including electricity,

telecoms, gas and water.

KAIG is an example of architects and engi-neers working together to build sustainable communities

www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

013

ABU DHABI // In conjunction

with last month’s launch of

the RIBA Gulf Chapter, the

results of a RIBA student

competition—‘Urban

Exchange: The Souk’—were

announced at the British

Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Chaired by Peter Jackson,

Architect Advisor to HH

Ruler’s Offi ce in Sharjah, the

jury included principal judge

Sir Michael Hopkins CBE, Dr

Yasser Elsheshtawy of UAE

University, Dr Adil A. Al-

Mumin of Kuwait University,

George Katodrytis from the

American University of Shar-

jah as well as two observers

from RIBA Competitions.

Students were given the

challenge of exploring new

visions and developing de-

sign proposals for ‘the city’.

The jury set the challenge

of re-addressing the nature

of street culture and its hu-

man activities in an urban

context. Students were asked

to choose a site in an urban

context which they felt was

in need of rejuvenation, and

come up with ideas and con-

cepts representing a modern

interpretation of the souk.

“RIBA Gulf, by virtue of its

stated aims of supporting the

education of young architects

and continuing professional

development of practicing

architects, is a fundamental

way to positively infl uence

the quality of architecture

in this region,” said Simon

Crispe, RIBA Gulf Chapter

RIBA GULF STUDENT COMPETITION SEES FIVE WINNERS

Ambassador and regional

director for Atkins.

Overally, 19 student teams

entered the competition

and the judges were pleased

to see a wide variety of re-

sponses to the architectural

brief. Schemes largely fell

into three broad categories:

urban grain; building spe-

cifi c; the process and generic

issues around the theme.

Although no single winner

emerged from the shortlist—

the jury felt the aims of the

brief hadn’t been fully met—

the judges recognised quality

elements within fi ve schemes

and thus, elected to com-

mend fi ve entrants equally.

“While the entrants might

be disappointed that no

1st, 2nd, or 3rd prizes were

awarded, this was not an

easy competition brief,” ex-

plained jury chairman Peter

Jackson. “Student architects

are generally taught to focus

a great deal on the form and

function of individual build-

ings and, as a result, often

fail to see buildings in rela-

tionship to one another, and

in particular to the spaces we

can create between them.”

Sir Michael Hopkins add-

ed: “The bringing together

of the Schools in the GCC to

think about issues of context,

place and sustainability, in

their related but particular

areas, is a very valuable

exercise, which it would be

worthwhile to repeat…. I’d

very much like to come back

next year to help judge it.”

Regarding the future of

RIBA Gulf and creating

conscientious, eco-friendly

places, Crispe urges a recon-

sideration of the traditional

way of fi nding solutions in

the built environment.

“The focus of the commu-

nication [between architects

and clients] should be on

quality of design, combined

with support and promotion

of quality education of archi-

tects at all levels, ages and

experience to understand

and address global challeng-

es as never before,” explains

Crispe. “The RIBA felt this

was the time to foster those

communications and reach

out to not only its own RIBA

architects in the region but

all architects and students

alike who are practicing and

learning here in the Gulf.”

The RIBA Student Com-

petition was sponsored by

Geberit and commendations

went to the following student

teams: Shruti Gupta (School

of Planning & Architec-

ture, New Delhi); Haitham

Mohammed Al Busafi , Aliya

A Sattar Al Hashim, Ahmed

Abdullah Al Muqbali, Adi

AL Farei (Sultan Qaboos

University, Oman); Nasreen

Al Tamimi (Institute of

Advanced Architecture of

Catalunya, Spain); Esraa Ali

Osman Mohammed, Marwa

Ahmed (UAE University, Al

Ain); Navid Nikpour, Islamic

Azawd University (Dubai).

RIBA President, Ruth Reed with some of the

student entrants

Students were surprised and slightly dismayed at the jury’s decision to commend fi ve teams

Peter Jackson announc-es those commended in the RIBA student competition

The RIBA Gulf launch and student competition took place at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi

INTERVIEW STRIDE TREGLOWN


MOUSTACHIOED MAESTROSStride Treglown looks to build facilities in the Middle East that everyone can access

Q&AFLORIS SMITH

In a profession where practicality can

easily give way to pomposity and pre-

tentiousness, Stride Treglown—Abu

Dhabi’s newest kid on the block—seems

a breath of fresh air. Take, for example,

the fact that the entire fi rm, whether in

Abu Dhabi or London, participated in the

well-known tradition of ‘Movember’, the

month-long moustache-growing charity

event created to raise money and aware-

ness for men’s health (specifi cally prostate

cancer and depression).

Observing the tradition, and in honour

of an affl icted colleague, the 280-strong

fi rm set up shop in the UAE capital less

than six months ago and is hoping to bring

a building typology of which the region is

in drastically short supply: well-designed

schools and hospitals.

Despite feeling slightly sheepish about

their new facial hair, London-based

director of operations, Richard Philipson,

and general manager of the UAE offi ce,

Nathan Hones, agreed to give Middle East Architect an hour of their time. And, much

to their chagrin, we took pictures.

Richard, what can you tell me about the Stride Treglown story?RP: Stride Treglown has been around

since 1953. It was founded in Bristol. In

the early 1950s, it was mostly post war,

public work and fairly traditional, com-

mercial architecture. It did a bit in the

health and education sectors. It was a

relatively small provincial practice. For

the next 20-30 years it stayed that way,

until the 1980s. Toward the end of the

80s, Stride Treglown began to grow and

develop further.

To date, what is the fi rm’s core competency or primary skill set? RP: We’re able to provide architectural

services in pretty much every sector. The

business is mostly defi nitely a commercial

practice with its founding in well-designed,

well-considered, buildings that are deliv-

Richard Philipson Nathan Hones

015

INTERVIEWSTRIDE TREGLOWN


ered on time, buildings that don’t leak and

buildings that give clients what they want.

That is changing a bit now though. I think

Stride Treglown is being recognised for

good, innovative, cutting-edge architec-

ture. In fact, in the UK, we’re about to start

on site with our new offi ce in Cardiff which

will be the fi rst BREEAM ‘Outstanding’

offi ce building in the UK. It achieved 89%,

which is the highest Outstanding score in

the UK as well.

Nathan, as the man on the ground, what is your remit? NH: Well, I joined Stride Treglown

in July 2009 after being in the Middle

East for more than fi ve years. My main

responsibility is to oversee the day-to-day

operations of the fi rm in Abu Dhabi. That

includes: Responding to queries, attending

meetings, turning around presentations,

submissions, eventually authority approv-

als and documentation guidelines. And,

very importantly, working with Richard

to integrate my contacts with those of the

fi rm to create a solid network of clients,

consultants and contractors.

What is the most valuable thing you bring to Stride Treglown?NH: I came to the UAE six years ago and

I was based on site at Dubai Festival City.

As the project architect, I oversaw a team

of architects, engineers, interior designers

and landscape architects. Working on site

you learn very quickly about documenta-

tion and the approvals process. That sort

of thing you can only really learn being

based in the place.

After that, I moved out to another site

at IMPZ. The fi rst time I went out there, I

was with the engineer from Halcrow, who

were doing the roads at the time, and I

asked him to take me to the site. So we got

into his 4X4, and after driving over several

sand dunes quite quickly, he stopped on

one of the taller ones and he pointed off in

the distance to a camel that was walking

between two dunes.

He asked me, ‘Do you see that camel

down there?’ and I nodded my head and

then he said, ‘Well that camel is walking

along the southern boundary of your site’.

So that was my introduction that project. I

helped to establish an architectural site of-

fi ce for about 40 staff—that was everything

from designing and fi tting out the offi ce

interiors to establishing logistics for the

staff to liaising between the established

offi ce and the mobile one.

Q&A FLORIS SMITH

33-49 Victoria Street Build-ing, Bristol, United Kingdom

NATHAN HONES

IN THE UAE, THERE’S LESS OF A NEED FOR HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL; THERE’S LESS OF A NEED FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE. THERE IS A REAL NEED FOR WELL-DESIGNED, WELL-CONSIDERED EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE PROJECTS.

INTERVIEW STRIDE TREGLOWNINTERVIEWSTRIDE TREGLOWN

To answer your question, I bring

fi ve years of on site experience where I

designed and delivered pre- and post-

contract. Stride Treglown was looking for

someone who had been involved in setting

up and organisation from the grass roots

level. From a hardware and logistics per-

spective, Stride’s was starting here from

scratch and what I bring is experience

and contacts in terms of consultants and

government authorities.

Given the global economy, why come over to the UAE? Why now?RP: We do quite a bit of strategic planning

in Stride Treglown. We have a strategy for

growth—not something that is particu-

larly aggressive—but we recognise that we

provide a national service in the UK and I

think we started to consider opportunities

for an international offi ce approximately

three or four years ago.

We’re a Top 20 architect in terms of

turnover and staff numbers, and it seems

all of our competitors are getting a reason-

able portion of their income from work

abroad while we are not. It makes you

think, what could we be doing differently?

From there we began to look at places

where we thought the environment

was right for expansion. Around the time

of Cityscape Dubai 2008, our chairman

and marketing director had a look around

and thought that the UAE might be one of

those places.

At that time, the observation they made

was based on the confi dence and vision

coming out of Abu Dhabi and the 2030

plan. They saw a clear opportunity for any-

one involve in the construction industry

to get involved. But more than that, they

came back with a feeling that Abu Dhabi

was place with a bit of heart and soul and

they really liked that.

Now that it’s here, how will Stride’s distinguish itself?RP: From the beginning, we recognised

the vision of the 2030 plan but we also

knew that Stride Treglown isn’t exactly an

iconic architecture fi rm. We’re not going

to be designing skyscrapers for people. It’s

not our core competence. At the moment,

our expertise is in educational buildings—

right through primary school, secondary

school and on to universities.

And, the same goes for health-

As an architecture student, who or what inspired you? RP: On the way here today, I thought to myself, he’s going to ask me that question and now I’m glad I thought about it. For me, it’s easy, it’s a guy called Aldo Rossi. He was a rationalist architect. I studied at Liverpool University and for our BArch, 19 of us hired a red double-decker bus and drove around Europe. During that time, I saw my first Rossi building, it was the Cemetery of San Cataldo in Modena [Italy]. It was a pivotal moment in my architectural career. It was very evocative, very emotional and that marked the first time that a building affected me that way. At that moment, Aldo Rossi became my guru. NH: My inspiration came from a not dissimilar source. I went to Sydney University and we also took a tour around Europe on two buses and we visited a lot of modernist architecture. We started in Paris and worked our way down to the south of France. We stayed in some of the most amazing examples of architecture; things that had been designed by Le Corbusier, for example. We went to [Notre Dame du Haut] Ronchamp, which is one of my favourite buildings. I heard a service sung by a priest in Ronchamp with the light coming through the windows and it was amazing. If that can’t lift your spirits then nothing can. Most of the stuff we saw on that trip was mind-blowing.

My favourite building is...RP: Rossi’s Cemetery at Modena. NH: One that responds to the place. One of my favourite Australian architects is a guy called Glen Mur-cutt, who often talks about the genius loci of a building or ‘sense of place’. I honestly think a building needs to be of the place.

What three words describe you as a person or as an architect? RP: Friendly. Accessible. Mentor. NH: Organised. Approachable. Innovative.

As an architect or as a person, what is something you love? RP: Open space. NH: My family. The sense of family.

What is something you hate?RP: Lack of order. And, I have to say, moustaches. I’ve just seen myself in the mirror and I look ridiculous.NH: I don’t think I really hate anything. I have some immense dislikes of some things but I’m not sure what I hate. I guess I really dislike when someone is unhappy about something but then they don’t do anything about it. If you’re at a point in your life where something is bugging you to that extent, change it, do something about it. Increase your knowledge base; expand your network; change your environment; do something.

THE MEN BEHIND THE MOUSTACHES


017 017 www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT


care facilities. From GP surgeries to

community clinics to specialist units to

hospitals. One thing we recognised when

we got here was that all of that expansion

that is happening throughout the country

requires community-based infrastructure

to support it and provide a level of accom-

modation and facility that will provide the

support the public and providers need.

That’s one of our strengths. We know a

number of our competitors that are here

providing those types of buildings right

now and we feel we can compete with

them on a level playing fi eld. We do in the

UK and we feel that it’s possible here too.

So, for the time being, our business plan

for the future identifi es those two par-

ticular areas of the market place that

we’ll focus on: Education and

healthcare facilities.

Linked into public and community facili-

ties is the real opportunity to demonstrate

a capability in inclusive design. That’s a

real advantage for us. We bring the whole

of our services together in one package

that responds to client needs. That’s where

we think we can compete most effectively.

NH: In addition to that, there was obvi-

ously a need. In the UAE, there’s less of a

need for high-rise residential; there’s less

of a need for commercial space. There is

real need for well-designed, well-consid-

ered education and healthcare

projects. The UAE gov-

ernment has an-

nounced

AED 17 billion over the next year for social

infrastructure. It’s not only something

Stride Treglown has a strength in, it’s

something that has been identifi ed at the

federal level as a necessity in the UAE.

That federal intiative and Stride’s focus in

the UAE meld together perfectly.

RP: There’s a need for those facilities

throughout the MENA

as well. A lot of

place

Windsor Building, Royal Holloway,

University of London


INTERVIEW STRIDE TREGLOWN

The University of Reading’s Carrington

Building demonstrates Stride Treglown’s core

competency

019



in the MENA are growing and expanding

and those infrastructure projects need to

be there to support that growth. For us, we

need a foothold and we need to establish

ourselves in one place in order to test our

systems and procedures. Once we’ve done

that, we can analyse them and determine

whether or not changes need to be made

and whether our initial assumptions were

correct. After that, we can look at offering

our services elsewhere in the region.

If we fi nd we need to expand our ser-

vices and competencies, we are prepared

to do that as well. We’ve got a very strong

master planning team in London. If you

get a chance to design a master plan for a

university campus, you’re in right at the

very beginning and there’s also the oppor-

tunity to look at the building blocks that go

along with those types of project as well.

What do you see—or perhaps not see—in the Middle East in terms of inclusive design? RP: Focusing on the positives, I think

there is a recognition that inclusive design

is important. I think there is either lip

service to it, or, and this is probably more

likely, the level of understanding of what

it actually means isn’t very sophisticated.

From our point of view, inclusive design

actually includes everyone throughout

their lives. Most people immediately start

talking about people with physical dis-

abilities because those are the most easily

observed and the solutions are the most

obvious. They’re very straightforward

solutions—despite having been largely

ignored in the West for a long time.

But inclusive design is also about de-

signing for the partially-sighted, the hard-

of-hearing, and its also about mothers

with children in prams or elderly people

using a cane to assist them. It’s also about

people who are colour blind or dyslexic or

have memory issues. It has to include our

society as a whole. We fi nd that as soon as

you begin to recognise architecture can be

improved by inclusive design you produce

better buildings.

That’s where our architecture is going

in the UK, we’re still educating clients

to some extent and a similar thing is

needed here. We’ve talked to people at

Estidama and Abu Dhabi Municipality and

we’ve found that as soon as you mention

inclusive design, there’s a real keen desire

for more knowledge. The authorities are

beginning to recognise a need for inclusive

design, which is very encouraging.

NH: Generally what happens here is that

architecture competitions or proposals

to key clients that are prepared by very

talented, very skilled CGI concept archi-

tects, fail to include some key elements of

inclusive design.

Because the pace of development—as in

most emerging markets—is quite rapid,

people have started piling and started en-

abling works and have only realised after

approaching authorities that they needed

to allow for certain aspects and so they’ve

just been added on.

Regarding sight or hearing impaired

people, no one would normally do audit

tests in reception areas or large foyers to

determine reverberation time or provide

a PA system to explain ways to move

through a building. Because that means

additional service and it means another

person who has to have input in the de-

sign, in the past there hasn’t been enough

time for that design, it has unfortunately

been overlooked.

The benefi t of an economic slowdown—

if there is a ‘benefi t’—is that people have

been able to look back at the ways things

have been done and improve on areas

that have been neglected. I think this is a

unique selling point of Stride Treglown.

It’s been really well-received with the

authorities because they realise it is a

necessity and now we have the time to

include these elements in a more holistic

design. The neglect of inclusive design

really is a product of an emerging market

but, hopefully, that will change now.

Abu Dhabi is Stride Treglown’s fi rst international offi ce, where do you see it in 12-18 months? RP: Well, we’ve got a plan in place. While

everything doesn’t always go according

to plan, if you’ve got a roadmap, at least

you know the direction in which you’re

headed. Stride Treglown, in 12-18 months

time, will be a business of fi ve or six people

on the ground in Abu Dhabi. That team

will be able to respond decisively, work

quickly, make decisions with authority and

also come with the experience of working

in the region already.

Our tripartite model is simple: light-

touch responsive team here; talent and

expertise in the UK; talented, fast, accurate

production information guys in Vietnam.

In 18 months time, hopefully that’s in

place and hopefully we’ve got some big

schools and master planning projects on

the ground working for us and we’re start-

ing to look at Oman, Qatar and elsewhere

in the region. It’s a steady but focused ef-

fort to build on the plan. After six months,

I think we’re on track.

NH: Well, I’ve worked for a few architec-

ture fi rms and none of them have had a

strategic, goal-oriented plan in place like

Stride Treglown. From a micro-level, I’ve

learned all about the strategy and growth

and organisational development. From

a day-to-day perspective, my aims and

aspirations tie in with Stride Treglown’s,

so when Richard talks about growing the

company to fi ve or six people, I need to be

bringing to the table the opportunities that

enable that growth to occur. That means

speaking to clients and government agen-

cies and letting people know we’re here.

I’ve got my own KPIs so that’s refreshing.

It’s measurable; it’s justifi able. Personally,

I know I need to do certain things for the

company to succeed.

RP: We’ve got a budget of just over £1

million to set up our offi ce here. That’s

what we can afford to spend; we’ve had a

good few years. We’ve got the strength to

enable us to invest that. We knew we could

come here and risk that £1 million on the

opportunity, which is potentially beyond

our dreams.

THE OBSERVATION [OUR DIRECTORS] MADE WAS BASED ON THE CONFIDENCE AND VISION COMING OUT OF ABU DHABI AND THE 2030 PLAN.... THEY CAME BACK WITH A FEELING THAT ABU DHABI WAS A PLACE WITH A BIT OF HEART AND SOUL...

RICHARD PHILIPSON

CASE STUDYDUBAI QUILL

020 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com020


Dubai Quill was de-signed to pay homage to a new symbol for the city and the UAE

Sky Café (+44) • Main area 125 m²• Lower level area 60m²

Library (+4) • Finite area 215 m²• Escalator lobby area 60 m²

Rose Garden (+1) • Open area 725 m² • Lobby area 195 m²

Auditorium (-2)• Main area 690 m²• Foyer / waiting / reception area 340 m²• Lobby area / restrooms 280 m²

Car park (-5)• Escalator lobby area 170 m²

Total Built up area• 2135 m²

Total Usable area • 2860m²

AREAS



THE DUBAI QUILLDubai’s newest fi rm, Mishascape, unveils its signature project and, in the process, introduces new mythology

Created for a competition that called

for a ‘Tall Emblem Structure’ in

Dubai’s Za’abeel Park, Dubai Quill

aims to be an emblematic symbol that rep-

resents the aspirations of the city of Dubai,

its leaders and its inhabitants.

Designed by Misha Stefan-Stavrides,

founder of Mishascape, one of Dubai’s

newest architecture studios, Dubai Quill

responds to the sociocultural demographic

of the city while, at the same time, offering

recreational, scientifi c and cultural space

within the overall plan.

While at fi rst glance, Dubai Quill may

resemble something more science fi ction

than sand dunes and cityscapes, Stefan-

Stavrides actually designed his structure

around an Arabian folk tale he wrote.

In fact, despite its space-station-like

fi rst impression, according to his original

design brief, Dubai Quill is completely

organic and totally contextual.

“The building’s curve, earthbound by

gravity, captures the graceful tension

between earth and sky, balanced between

present and future. The architecture uses

a soft geometry to defi ne nature’s poetry of

motion, written in a single line,” explains

Stefan-Stavrides.

“As seen in the curvaceous architecture

of mosques and tents…the fl owing robes of

local dress…the organic fl ux of Arabic cal-

ligraphy…or the soft swirls of sand dunes.

The Quill’s form captures the essences of

the visual iconography surrounding us in

the UAE,” he adds.

Once upon a time, a lonely feather lived in a beautiful Palace, where exotic birds flocked and flew in the lush tropical gardens. The feather was lonely because she wanted to be part of a wing of one of

the exotic birds, but the birds had enough feathers of their own. All the different birds rejected her pleas. The Peacock had long colourful feathers of his own and couldn’t use her. The Falcon had strong wide

feathers and another would make him too heavy. The Dove had graceful white feathers and another would unbalance her peace and harmony. Even the Flamingo refused, stating that he was too tall and refined for

another feather. So one day, as the winds blew in from across the sands, the feather asked the wind to carry her away.

The wind gently picked her up and whisked her into the sky. She swirled round and round, up and down and eventually came to land in a grassy opening with trees and palms all around. She settled next to a

solitary rose growing on the grassy slope. The scent was lovely. At one end of the opening, a lake rippled against the soft bank. Children took boat rides on the lake and people picnicked under the shade of the

trees. Some walked together along the paved walkways, enjoying the sunshine and smiling. It was perfect, thought the feather. I will stay here in this beautiful park.

But that night, as the winds left, a huge storm came over the park. The sky growled and cold rain fell from the angry clouds. As the thunder raged above, a bolt of lightning cracked down from the heavens onto the feather lying on the wet grass. Instead of burning it to a crisp, something strange and magical

happened. The feather began to change. She started to grow and transform. She was changing into whatever she dreamed she could be. She

dreamed as hard as she could. She would have the beauty and form of the Peacock feather, the strength and width of the Falcon feather, the grace and balance of the Dove feather and the height and elegance of the Flamingo feather. She would shape herself to reach the sky, where all the other birds fly—as high as

the minarets. She would be a symbol for inspiration, because even a feather wants to be more that just a feather. For a

thousand nights she transformed herself from the spot beside the rose where she was let down by the wind and now she was ready, knowing what she would be.

A symbol of knowledge and learning. A place where people visited, a spectacle where ideas could be discussed within her frame. A space where people could view the park from the sky just like a bird. A

place where new ideas could inspire others and where rose gardens would scent the air. A place where the continuing history could be forged and written for future generations. The lonely feather had transformed

herself into a Quill. The Dubai Quill.

THE FOLK TALE

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com022


“I must have heard ‘inspired by the

palm leaf’ a hundred times to introduce

a new scheme…. I’m always looking for

overlooked metaphors which are just as

relevant to the region,” said Stefan-Stavr-

ides. “The UAE has a rich legacy associated

with birds. Falconry, fl amingos at Dubai

Creek, peacocks at the royal palaces and

even the dove graphics used for the logo

for Dubai’s Parks & Horticultural Depart-

ment. It therefore seemed apt and timely

to introduce the symbol of the feather to

develop the aesthetic.”

THE ROSE/FEATHER INTERACTIONThe rose, Stefan-Stavrides explains, is

much like the feather in this part of the

world—very prominent, yet very over-

looked. “Alongside the reference of the

feather, the rose is a particularly interest-

ing and appropriate fl ower to the region

and one that very few parks have, even

though they do well in this climate when

shaded from direct sunlight.”

He continues: “Both Attar of Rose, a

steam extracted oil used in the creation of

WHY A FEATHER? While the Arabian connection makes sense

after a bit of explanation, it certainly isn’t

immediately intuitive. So, it stands to rea-

son that the architect might have chosen

a more obvious or straightforward design

to illustrate his vision. But, according to

Stefan-Stavrides, that wasn’t an option.

“The starting point for the design was

the feather, but that wasn’t the design

itself. The Quill isn’t an enormous, over-

scaled feather. It’s much more refi ned

than that,” explains Stefan-Stavrides. “A

lot of buildings [in the Middle East] end

where they begin—at the starting point.

Architecture should go through a series of

permutations, developing the diagram, in

order to reach maturity. If not, the result is

pastiche, or worse, a design that is predict-

able and lacking in subtlety.”

In order to achieve that subtlety, he

purposely stayed away from the common,

sometimes pastiche, symbolism of UAE

architecture and sought to highlight some-

thing just as prevalent, but something that

remains slightly unnoticed.

The Quill’s curve captures the graceful tension between earth and sky, balanced between present and future



perfumes, and Rose Water, which is used

for cooking, are widely used locally and

throughout the Middle East…. [Moreover]

a Roman custom, borrowed from ancient

Arabs, was to place roses outside a place

where confi dential discussions and meet-

ings were taking place.”

The Rose Garden is elliptical. Cut roses

are set into vases built into the curved

edge wall in a grid formation and can be

purchased from the kiosk at the narrow

far end. Curved, ramped, timber pathways

lead the visitor to walk around the rose

bushes growing in the soil.

The observer may view the horticulture

from lower and higher levels, fi nally being

tempted at the kiosk to purchase a bouquet

or rose products, all under the shade of the

splayed fronds above, which overlap the

open void and beckon potential visitors.

DECONSTRUCTING THE DESIGNThe conception of Dubai Quill was an

effort to marry nature and architecture,

using the fl uidity of curvilinear forms

growing out of the landscape to curve

upwards and embrace the sky.

Moreover, the purity of the forms is ex-

pressed as a symbol of strength, longevity

and individuality, where the fragmented

parts reconstitute to form a linear, direc-

tional composition.

“The Quill’s curve…captures the graceful

tension between earth and sky, balanced

between present and future. The architec-

ture uses a soft geometry to defi ne nature’s

poetry of motion, written in a single line,”

explains Stefan-Stavrides.

The structure itself—which is construct-

ed of shiny, iridescent material—refl ects

and refracts the surrounding landscape

and fl ora set against the backdrop of

Dubai’s metropolis. By employing a repeti-

tive series of parabolic lines in the self-

supporting quill-like structure, the profi les

splay upwards from an elliptical plan at

grade to a focal centre, a vertical point

134.5 metres above the datum level.

The Quill, its vane orientated south-

wards, shades the Grand Plaza and

glazed auditorium roof below from direct

sunlight. The Sky Café, embedded into the

structure of the Quill, is oriented to catch

the light from the western sunset, bathing

the space in a crimson glow.

Internally, the kinetic expression of

repetition permeates from the structural

forms themselves through to decora-

tive internal elements, thus blurring the

boundaries of where the architectural

The Quill is orien-tated to catch the the western sunset

The Quill’s form is meant as a symbol of strength, longevity and individuality



BOTH ATTAR OF ROSE, A STEAM EXTRACED OIL USED TO CREATE PERFUME, AND ROSE WATER, WHICH IS USED FOR COOKING, ARE WIDELY USED LOCALLY AND THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

shell stops and the interior design begins.

The two disciplines fuse into one overall

concept, creating forms and spaces which

engage the local heritage and culture.

FORM AND FUNCTIONThe organization of the composition

is instantly visible, allowing visitors to

understand the program, which offers

a fl exible arena within the Grand Plaza

and the area between the auditorium roof

and the splayed profi les of the Quill for

live events and exhibitions. The adjacent

terraced amphitheatre can also be used for

live shows and events.

The public realm at this level (+4.00) of-

fers an elliptical paved promenade area in

plan, with the Quill rising at one end and

the pealed-away fronds of the sunken rose

garden at the other.

Entry to the children’s library and eleva-

tors to the Sky Café are at ground level,

with secondary perpendicular ramps lead-

ing down to the rose garden (+1.00) and

Conference area (-2.00) entrances below.

Further escalators and elevators located at

the Grand Plaza, allow for vertical circula-

tion to the underground car park (-5.00).

The Conference area houses the main

auditorium space, with the proscenium

stage and the VIP area behind. The oval

plan includes two compartmented areas

that can be screened off to provide sepa-

rate lecture rooms, or opened up to accom-

modate larger conferences.

A strip water fountain uniformly fl ows

over the glazed roof into the 1.5 metre wide

pool, which wraps the form. The water is

recycled, providing a self-cleaning mecha-

nism for the glazing. It also cools the

surface and space around. Events can be

held in the surrounding area, where kiosks

and stands can be positioned.

The main space is created by two cylin-

drical elevators, contained within the spine

of the Quill. The elevators are conceived of

as funicular pods hanging off cables that

run up the inside of the hollow shaft.

A WORD TO THE WISEThere is no hesitation when Stefan-Stavr-

ides explains that he designed the Quill to

push the envelope. He wanted to create

something that would be distinct in its

form, yet subtle in its approach.

He sought neither the latest palm nor

a ‘modern’ series of mashrabiya. Instead,

Stefan-Stavrides designed the Quill to

perform a specifi c function for its specifi c

context and, as such, the Quill could ex-

ist nowhere else on Earth than Dubai’s

Za’abeel Park.

When asked if the Quill could bring

about a new typology for Middle Eastern

cities, Stefan-Stavrides seems surprised by

the question. “I don’t think the Quill gives

way to anything. It has an identity which

is its own…. If the UAE seeks recognition

for good architecture, it must understand

that the design process requires time and

patience…. Slow down, do it properly and

leave a legacy for future generations.”

His parting advice for young architects

is simple and straightforward: “Invent,

risk and don’t be afraid to fail. As is com-

monly said, fortune favours the brave.”

PowerThe Quill is considered as a self-supporting structure, where the splayed profiles contain a steel structural frame. The frame is clad in aluminium panels in the way aluminium boat hulls are fabricated.

Solar panels are embedded into the flat profile, which receives direct sunlight throughout the daylight hours. The solar panels generate power to light the various components of the project and power the AC systems.

Photo-luminescent materials will be used, where zero electricity is required for emergency lighting.

WaterCold water tubes, laid within the splayed profiles of the Quill, will cool the alu-minium surface of the vane. During the evening hours, the humid air condenses on the surface and moisture trickles down channels set along the profiles. The water is collected at the base and recycled to be used within the building and for watering the rose garden.

PlantPlant areas are located adjacent to the existing services to the northern end of the site. A looped service road allows uninterrupted access to this zone. Tree planting will camouflage these out buildings.

MaintenanceSelf cleaning paint surfaces can be employed for use on the Quill. The audi-torium roof utilises water over the glazing to cool and clean the surface. This water is filtered and re-cycled within a closed fountain system.

BIOMIMETIC CONSIDERATIONS

Roses were his-torically used to signify confi den-tial meetings

Across from the rising Quill at one end, is the sunken rose gar-den at the other

026

PROJECT SNEAK PEAK

026

AL MAKTOUM ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

The atrium or ‘spine’ of the building is its

main focal point

By Nadia Tobia, Principal, Perkins Eastman

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 12.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com

PROJECTSNEAK PEAK


Nadia Tobia is a Principal of Perkins Eastman and the firm’s leader of the healthcare sector in the Middle East. She has more than 25 years of experience in master planning, urban design, interior design, and project management for civic, healthcare, and hospitality projects. Ms. Tobia has significant experience on large-scale master plans with international multi-disciplinary teams. In addition to her work in North America, she has completed projects in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, China, Ireland, and for the United Nations. Recently, Nadia has been a key player on the firm’s work in the Middle East, including the Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah and the Al Maktoum Accident and Emergency Hospital in Jebel Ali.

Helipads grace the roof and exterior of the trauma centre

International design and architecture

fi rm Perkins Eastman designed the Al

Maktoum Accident and Emergency

(A&E) Hospital in Jebel Ali Dubai for

the Dubai Health Authority which, when

complete, will become the Emirate’s fi rst

dedicated A&E facility.

“Based on our experience with large-

scale complex care facilities, we believe

that the Al Maktoum A&E Hospital will

create a new standard for innovative,

patient-centered care in the UAE,” says

Jonathan N Stark, principal and managing

director of Perkins Eastman’s internation-

al operations. The state-of-the-art facility

is expected to be complete in 2012.

The design creates a facility capable of

providing immediate care for minor- to

high-level trauma accidents and emer-

gencies. The 300-bed, 95,000 sm facility

includes a four-story inpatient unit and a

large clinical including the emergency de-

partment and support services component.

Led by Toronto-based Principal Nadia To-

bia, the design team had to cater to a brief

that required state-of-the-art healthcare

design and technology, while at the same

time maintaining world-class design using

a non-institutional approach.

The highly integrated design provides

signifi cant fl exibility and a focus on patient

care and family needs utilizing the most

the interior of the building. Superimposed

on the “medical mall” concept is the hospi-

tality model of design with cafes and shops

in a comfortable environment. The design

approach throughout the project was a re-

sponse to cultural needs but also provided

a high standard of clinical function.

Being a trauma center, a ground and

rooftop helipad and an ambulance receiv-

ing area are directly linked to the trauma

resuscitation suite and the OR rooms,

diagnostic imaging unit with MRI, CT, and

X-ray capabilities. Additional spaces for

diagnostic imaging, surgery, endoscopy,

lab functions, and an outpatient clinic are

also included within the facility’s design.

A learning center with lecture hall, library

and clinical teaching labs are provided and

linked to the public areas.

Architectural features such as light-

ing, exterior and interior courtyards with

plants and water features, signage and

wayfi nding elements and art displays will

be highlighted to create a positive and

pleasant environment. “Designing with the

environment in mind is more challenging

for hospital setting than for other types

of buildings,” says Tobia. The volumes of

energy consumed by a hospital, as well as

the challenges presented by infection con-

trol measures and clinical standards are

particular challenges in healthcare design.

A FACILITY OF THIS IMPORTANCE AND MAGNITUDE DEMONSTRATES THE COMMITMENT OF THE DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY TO BRING WORLD-CLASS EMERGENCY CARE TO DUBAI.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

advanced medical technology, interna-

tional design, and healthcare planning

solutions available. “A facility of this

importance and magnitude demonstrates

the commitment of the Dubai Health

Authority to bring world-class emergency

care to Dubai,” says Tobia.

From a planning perspective, the con-

cept focuses on the atrium or “spine” of the

building which provides direct access to all

medical departments—crucial for organiz-

ing circulation fl ow and departmental

adjacencies. This serves as the main spatial

organising element. The atrium provides

a central gathering space for patients and

family and brings in natural light deep into

The project team is targeting EHS certifi -

cation and LEED Silver certifi cation.”

Aesthetically, the Al Maktoum A&E

Hospital will be natural and soothing—an

oasis for healing. The choice of colours

in the main public areas are infl uenced

by natural sandstone colour of the desert

and are complemented with dark wood

paneling, granite fl ooring and fritted glass.

The colours in the clinical patient areas

also display a soothing palette and change

on every fl oor to aid in patient and visitor

wayfi nding. Materials with good infection-

control characteristics for the clinical areas

include resilient sheet fl ooring and solid

surface for counters and sinks.

The project team is aiming for LEED Silver certifi cation

The design of the facil-ity is both cultural and clinically sound

FEATURE GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE

HARNESSING THE ELEMENTSMiddle East Architect catches up with Bob Knott, senior development manager of golf courses for Jumeirah Golf Estates, to talk about designing, building and maintaining Earth, Fire, Wind and Water in the Middle East

The Earth golf course at Dubai’s

Jumeirah Golf Estates (JGE)—

which recently played host to the

Dubai World Championships—is a sharply

defi ned, sculptured course that was

inspired by the parklands of Europe and

North America. Designed by golf legend

Greg Norman and executed by Norman

and JGE’s director of golf operations,

Bob Knott, the course paints a magnifi -

cent pastiche of fl ora, rolling terrain and

rushing water. These natural components

also provide differing angles and changing

perspectives from each tee.

The Earth course is streaked with what

JGE calls, “Meandering, and occasionally

daunting, water features [which] are ever-

present factors when lining up one’s next

golf shot”. Fully grassed since April 2008,

JGE gave Earth two seasons to mature

before the championship tournament.

neighbourhood draws on rustic Mediter-

ranean architecture that complements the

desert context. The seven communities

sited around the Fire course are land-

scaped to complement the beauty of their

desert surroundings. Middle East Architect

caught up with Bob Knott, to talk about

sustainability, design and maintenance

of the Middle East’s most expansive golf

course development.

First, how does one build a green golf course in the desert? BK: When we started, we didn’t have the

Dubai World Championship in mind. This

began as simply a residential golf real

estate development. When you build a golf

course in the desert, the most important

thing you need is water.

I can shape anything in sand, it’s a won-

derful medium to work in, but if we have a

40mph wind coming through, everything

I’ve shaped that day could be blown away.

So as soon as we shape, we need access

to water, so the fi rst thing I did when I

came here was create a temporary lake.

We had a specifi c 24-inch main from

Dubai Municipality that would service

With a variety of inspirations that range

from the olive groves of Spain to classic

Roman towns and villages, the homes of

the Earth neighbourhood offer a compel-

ling variety of architectural styles. This di-

versity, coupled with the district’s verdant

topography, lends an air of expansiveness

and encourages residents to congregate in

the development’s ample outdoor space.

Because of the publicity surrounding

last month’s Dubai World Champion-

ships, the Earth course has become very

familiar to golfers and golf course design-

ers throughout the world. But JGE’s next

offering, the Fire course—which Knott

claims is completely fi nished—is still

shrouded in a bit of secrecy.

In terms of golf course architecture, Fire

is framed by a wide variety of fl ora, care-

fully selected to refl ect the overall theme

and to enhance its natural setting, which is

largely burnt grass and red sand. Accord-

ing to JGE: “Fire is in complete harmony

with its surroundings. The undulating to-

pography, with considerable protrusions,

creates a more challenging level of play.”

Rich tones of terracotta refl ected on

walls of stucco, stone and brick, the Fire


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LEGRAND’S JGE COMMITMENT

029

FEATUREGOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE

WHEN WE FIRST CAME HERE, THE SITE WAS A RAW DESERT. SAND WAS BLOWING ALL AROUND, DUNES WERE SHIFTING AND GREG NORMAN WAS SURROUNDED BY CAMELS.

our temporary lake so everything we built

emanated away from that water source.

When we fi rst came here, the site was a

raw desert. Sand was blowing all around,

dunes were shifting and Greg Norman was

surrounded by camels.

The fi rst thing he did was create a

‘routing’ which is a basic idea of where

the course will lie from tee #1 to green

#18—hopefully this is done in two loops of

nine holes so you’re always coming back

to a central point, which is the clubhouse.

Once we had that routing, we began decid-

www.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 029

ing on the style of the course. We began

looking at features we could design

into the landscape, whether those

were lakes or streams or trees or

general landscaping. After that,

we began the plotting process.

At tee #1, we put a stake in the

ground, then we would walk

down what would be

the middle of where

the fairway would

be and we would

identify the turn-

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POGGENPOHL’S JGE COMMITMENT

B&B ITALIA’S JGE COMMITMENT

Bob Knott, the man on the ground at JGE, was tasked

with executing Greg Norman’s vision

FEATURE GREEN COMMUNITIES

ONE 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE, BY PHOTOSYNTHESIS, WILL PROVIDE ENOUGH OXYGEN FOR 100,000 PEOPLE PER ANNUM. THIS IS A MAJOR FACILITY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. EVEN FOR NON-GOLFERS, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE.

ing point—at around 275 yards away—and

we put a stake in the ground there, which

would then become the centre of the fair-

way. Then we would go another 180 or so

yards and that’s the centre of your green.

After that, we brought in a team and

began shaping. I had shapers here from

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South

Africa, the USA, Mexico and Great Britain.

The shaping team literally came from all

over the world.

At the rough grading stage we focus

on the general look and shape of the golf

course. Then another team comes in a

does a fi ne grade. After that, another team

comes in and starts putting in all the fea-

tures. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Then we get

irrigation and topsoil and eventually grass.

To get to this level of quality, you have

to spend an inordinate amount of time

preparing those surfaces.

What can you say about ‘Fire’? BK: The Fire golf course is a very special

course. It is a hidden gem. It is the most

beautiful golf course. The beauty of JGE

is that the four golf courses have differ-

ent themes. The formality of the Earth

golf course, with its very formal shaped

bunkers and so on, contrast sharply with

the featured bunkering on Fire, which has

a much more rustic feeling.

It goes much deeper than just one hav-

ing red sand and the other having white.

Fire is a beautiful course. Of the two, Fire

is certainly the equal of Earth as playing

strategies goes—but Fire is a bit shorter.

For Fire and Earth, tell us more about what kind of shaping, sculpt-ing and construction was required? BK: I’ll give you some statistics. We

moved and shaped two million cubic me-

ters of earth for these courses. Across Fire

and Earth, we have 60 hectares of playing

surface. We have 30,000 square meters of

greens and 25,000 square meters of tees.

Normally, I’d usually use a half metre of

sweet soil under the surface, but on these

courses we have used a full meter of sweet

soil, that means we’ve got 600,000 cubic

metres of sweet soil beneath the playing

surface on these two courses.

How did you import all of that veg-etation, specifi cally the grass? BK: To ensure we achieved the grass we

wanted, we took six or seven months

locating the Bermuda grass from a specifi c

farm in Pike Creek, Georgia. One of the

fi rst things I did when we found that grass

was to build a 100,000 square foot nursery

for us to grow the grass we needed and

then whenever we were growing areas, we

simply harvested from our own nursery.

That was absolutely necessary because

you cannot import that amount of grass we

needed here. We needed to control the en-

vironment in which that grass was grown;

we wanted to control the percolation rates;

we wanted to control the type and quality

of the grass on the surface and to do that,

we needed our own nursery.

It’s about controlling the environment

of the golf, as much as you reasonably can.

Remember, we’ve got in excess of 450,000

square metres of bark mulch and 3,600

mature trees. I have trees out there that

are 11-12 metres high already.

To harvest and maintain that amount of vegetation, what are your water requirements? BK: I’ll give you a couple fi gures on ir-

rigation. We have 20,000 linear meters

of mainline ranging from six to 24 inches

in diametre. We have 70,000 metres of

lateral irrigation piping out there.

We have 17,000 metres of power cable

and 20,000 metres of communication

cable. On just those two courses, we have

4,000 sprinkler heads. During construc-

tion, we were using 4.5-5.0 million gallons

During construction JGE was using up to 5.5 million gallons of water per day


FEATUREGREEN COMMUNITIES


of water per day. We expect the cost of

water after maturation to be about AED 6

million per year. Maintenance should be

about AED 8 million per year.

But, it’s important to keep in mind,

every gallon of water used on the course is

treated water. Nakheel is building its own

sewage treatment plant on the project site,

which is big enough to supply water to the

entire 1357 hectares. It’s creating a habitat

for both human beings and wildlife. We

have an extremely sophisticated computer

system to regulate our water usage as well.

Some of those numbers are astro-nomical. In the era of sustainability, do you feel you have to justify us-ing the amount of resources used?BK: I think you do. For people who don’t

understand golf courses, they can appear

to be wasteful of resources and energy. As

you might imagine, I have a totally reverse

opinion. On a golf course you have the

most wonderful natural environment. You

only have to walk around this project site

now to see some of the most marvellous

wildlife, which has made its home here.

Up until 3-4 weeks ago, we had about 20

fl amingoes living on the golf course. Next

year, when they come back, we’ll have

double that. I had a family of swans arrive

18 months ago and they’ve never left. I

have tens of thousands of bird species that

have found homes here. It’s an environ-

mentally friendly place. We’re creating this

environment, we have to be conscious of

the environment as well.

In fact, Greg Norman and our chairman

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem were founding

members of the Environmental Institute of

Golf. We’ve been very conscious that as we

built this that we were mindful of where

we were going with it. To build quality is

expensive but it’s an enhancement to the

environment. Let me give you another fact,

one 18-hole golf course, by photosynthesis,

will provide enough oxygen for 100,000

people per annum. This is a major facility

for the environment. Even for non-golfers,

this is a beautiful landscape.

What is the future of JGE? BK: I think JGE is a jewel in the crown.

I know times are diffi cult and things are

hard but when this project is fi nished—

hopefully in the next 12-18 months—I

think it’ll set a benchmark for projects of

this kind in the region. To be frank, golf

courses are just like hotels; hotels need to

put bums in beds, golf courses need play-

ers on the courses. If I have 500 people out

there playing golf everyday, I’ll be happy.

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MIELE’S JGE CONTRIBUTION

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BANG & OLUFSEN’S JGE COMMITMENT

Between Fire and Earth, JGE boasts 450,000 square me-tres of bark mulch

JGE employed the services of the some of Dubai’s best F&B providers for DWC

JGE is “creating a habitat for human be-ings and wildlife”

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INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDYROME’S MUSEUM OF 21ST CENTURY ART

MAXXI

MAXXI represents an attempt to bundle, twist and build mass in some places and reduce it in others

The Italian capital’s National Museum of 21st Century Arts

The MAXXI relates with the urban

context within which it is set by renew-

ing the horizontal development of the

former military barracks. The geometrical plan

of the project aligns itself with the two urban

grids that regulate the town planning structure

of the area and the new interpretation of these

two geometrical plans within the proposal

generates the surprising geometrical complex-

ity of the campus.

“The site has a unique L-shaped footprint

that meanders between two existing build-

ings. Rather than seeing this as a limitation...”

explains Zaha Hadid, principal and founder of

Zaha Hadid Architects, “...we used it to our ad-

vantage, taking it as an opportunity to explore

the possibilities of linear structure by bundling,

twisting, and building mass in some areas

and reducing it in others—threading linearity

throughout both interior and exterior.”

The two urban grids are mediated by sinuous

lines that harmonise the plan and facilitate the

fl ow within the site. The pedestrian walkway

that crosses the campus is open to the public

and has been reinstated after approximately

100 years of being blocked by the barracks.

This walkway follows the soft outline of the

museum, sliding below the upper level galler-

ies towards Via Masaccio. The interior of the

MAXXI can be seen by visitors and pedes-

trians through the numerous openings in its

curvilinear walls that on the one hand, protect

its contents, yet beckon the visitor through the

broad glazed surface on the ground fl oor.

The main concept of the project is directly

linked to the purpose of the building as a centre

for the exhibition of visual arts. The walls that

cross the space, and their intersections, defi nes

interior and exterior spaces of the MAXXI. This

system acts on all three levels of the building,

the second of which is the more complex—with

a wealth of connections with various bridges

that link buildings and galleries together. The

visitor is invited to enter into a series of con-

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Total site area 29,000 m²Exterior spaces 19,640 m²Interior spaces 21,200 m²Exhibition spaces 10,000 m²Facilities 6,000 m²MAXXI Art 4,077 m²MAXXI Architecture 1,935 m²Total volume 113,000 m³Maximum height 22.90 m

CONSTRUCTION DATATotal Steel used for structure 6,700,000 kgConcrete cast in-situ 50,000 m³ Total surface of fair-faced con-crete 20,000 m² Total surface area of glazing 2,600 m²Total working hours 1,250,000

Cost EUR 150 million Visitors forecast 200,000 – 400,000 per year

Works of art 350Architectural drawings 75,000

FACT SHEET

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY ROME’S MUSEUM OF 21ST CENTURY ART


tinuous spaces, rather than the compact

volume of an isolated building.

“The MAXXI should not be considered

just one building—it should be thought

of as several buildings,” says Hadid. “The

idea was to move away from‘the museum

as an object’ and towards the idea of

a ‘fi eld of buildings’.”

The interior spaces,

defi ned by the

exhibition

walls,

are covered by a glass roof that fl ood the

galleries with natural light fi ltered by

the louvered lines of the roofi ng beams.

These beams underline the linearity of

the spatial system, aid in articulating the

various orientations of the galleries and

facilitate circulation through the museum

and campus.

“I see the MAXXI as an immersive

urban environment for the exchange of

ideas, feeding the cultural vitality of the

city,” says Hadid. “It’s no longer just a mu-

seum, but an urban cultural centre where

a dense texture of interior and exterior

spaces have been intertwined

and superimposed over one

another.”

THE FIELD OF POSSIBILITIESThe MAXXI addresses the question of its

urban context by maintaining a reference

to the former army barracks. This is in no

way an attempt at topological pastiche,

but instead continues the low-level urban

texture set against the higher level blocks

on the surrounding sides of the site. In this

way, the MAXXI is more like an ‘urban

graft’, a second skin to the site.

At times, it affi liates with the ground

to become new ground, yet also ascends

and coalesces to become massive where

needed. The entire building has an urban

character: prefi guring upon a directional

route connecting the River to Via Guido

Reni, the Centre encompasses both move-

ment patterns existing and desired, con-

tained within and outside. This

vector defi nes the primary entry

route into the building.

By intertwining the circula-

tion with the urban con-

text, the building

shares a

MAXXI is designed around the concept of directional drifts and the distribution of densities rather than key points

“We want to use light to create worlds of experience, make work easier, improve communications and safety while being fully aware of our responsibility to the environment.”

Ever since the company was founded in 1950 by Dr. Walter Zumtobel, this vision has guided Zumtobel in developing innovative and individual lighting solutions. The objectives at the heart of this philosophy have always been the emotional effect of light within its architectural surroundings, people’s well-being, and energy- optimised use of light. Zumtobel generates unique customer benefit through the combination of technology, design, emotion and energy-efficiency.

The new MAXXI National Museum of the XXI Century Arts represented a target to develop a synergetic strategy in accordance with the development of internal (exposition galleries) and external design. The target to provide a scenario with the right illumination throughout the day offered the chance to combine natural light with the integration of different lighting solutions. It was necessary to develop a solution which embraced solar shields and dimmable luminaries.

Zumtobel has been involved in the following Gulf projects: Yas Island Marina Hotel (Abu Dhabi), Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall (Porsche Design, Paul Smith, G-Star, Swarovski Crystal), Atlantis Palm Hotel Dubai

Regional office contact (MENA):Oliver Schwarz (Regional Manager)[email protected] T:+971(0) 4299-3530F: +971(0) 4299-3531

ZUMTOBEL’S LIGHTING SOLUTION

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDYROME’S MUSEUM OF 21ST CENTURY ART


public dimension with the city, overlap-

ping tendril-like paths and open space. In

addition to the circulatory relationship,

the architectural elements are also geo-

metrically aligned with the urban grids

that join at the site. In thus partly deriving

its orientation and physiognomy from the

context, it further assimilates itself to the

specifi c conditions of the site.

SPACE VS. OBJECTOur proposal offers a quasi-urban fi eld; a

‘world’ to dive into rather than a build-

ing as signature object. The campus is

organised and navigated on the basis of

directional drifts and the distribution of

densities rather than key points. This is

indicative of the character of the MAXXI

as a whole: porous, immersive, a

fi eld space. The exter-

nal as well

as internal circulation follows the overall

drift of the geometry. Vertical and oblique

circulation elements are located at areas of

confl uence, interference and turbulence.

“After many studies, our research

evolved into the concept of the confl uence

of lines, where the primary force of the site

is the walls that constantly intersect and

separate to create both indoor and outdoor

spaces,” explains Hadid. “It’s an intrigu-

ing mixture of galleries, irrigating a large

urban fi eld with linear display surfaces.”

The move from object to fi eld is critical

in understanding the relationship the

architecture will have to the content of

the artwork it will house. Whilst

this is further

expounded by the contributions of gallery

and exhibitions experts, it is important

here to state that the premise of the

architectural design promotes a disinherit-

ing of the ‘object’ orientated gallery space.

Instead, the notion of a ‘drift’ takes on

an embodied form. The drifting emerges,

therefore, as both architectural motif, and

also as a way to navigate experientially

through the museum.

It is an argument that, for art practice is

well understood, but in architectural he-

gemony has remained alien. We take this

opportunity, in the adventure of designing

such a forward looking

institution, to confront

the material and

conceptual

dissonance

evoked

by

I SEE THE MAXXI AS AN IMMERSIVE URBAN ENVIRONMENT FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, FEEDING THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF THE CITY.

ZAHA HADID

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY ROME’S MUSEUM OF 21ST CENTURY ART


art practice since the late 1960’s. The path

led away from the ‘object’ and toward

fi elds of multiple associations that are

anticipative of the necessity to change.

INSTITUTIONAL CATALYSTAs such, it is deemed signifi cant that in

confi guring the possible identity of this

newly established institution—housing

both art and architecture—with its aspira-

tion towards the polyvalent density of the

21st century, conceptions of space and

indeed temporality are reworked.

Modernist Utopian space fuelled the

white ‘neutrality’ of most 20th century

museums. Now, this disposition must be

challenged, not simply out of willful nega-

tion, but by the necessity of architecture to

continue its critical relationship with con-

temporary social and aesthetic categories.

Since absolutism has been indefi nitely

space, exchanging pavilion and court in

a continuous oscillation under the same

operation. And further deviations from the

Classical composition of the wall emerge

as incidents where the walls become fl oor,

or twist to become ceiling or are voided to

become a large window looking out.

By constantly changing dimension and

geometry, walls adapt themselves to what-

ever curatorial role is needed. By setting

within the gallery spaces a series of poten-

tial partitions that hang from the ceiling

ribs, a versatile exhibition system is cre-

ated. Organisational and spatial invention

are thus dealt with simultaneously amidst

a rhythm found in the echo of the walls to

the structural ribs in the ceiling that also

fi lter the light in varying intensities.

STAGE FOR THOUGHT/ARTIt is in this way that the architecture

performs the ‘staging’ of art, with move-

able elements that allow for the drama to

change. ‘Sets’ can be constructed from the

notional elements of the gallery spaces.

These are attuned to the particularities of

the exhibition in question, materialising or

dematerialising accordingly.

The drift through the MAXXI is a trajec-

tory through varied ambiences, fi ltered

swpectacles and differentiated luminos-

ity. Whilst offering a new freedom in the

curators’ palette, this in turn digests and

recomposes the experience of art spectat-

worship as liberated dialogue with artefact

and environment.

suspended from current thought on the

issue of art presentation, it is towards the

idea of the ‘maximising exhibition’ that the

design for the MAXXI gravitated. In this

scenario, the MAXXI makes primary the

manifold possibilities for the divergence in

showing art and architecture as well as ca-

talysing the discourse on its future. Again,

the ‘signature’ aspect of an institution of

this calibre is sublimated into a more pli-

able and porous organism that promotes

several forms of identifi cation at once.

ON CONTEMPORARY SPATIALITYIn architectural terms, contemporary spa-

tiality is most virulently executed by the

fi gure of the ‘wall’. Against the traditional

coding of the wall in a museum—i.e. the

immutable vertical armature for the dis-

play of paintings, or delineating discrete

spaces to construct order and linear nar-

rative—walls in MAXXI create a critique

of that coding through their emancipation.

The wall becomes the versatile engine for

the staging of exhibition effects.

In its various guises—solid wall, projec-

tion screen, canvas, window to the city—

the exhibition wall is the primary space-

making device. By running extensively

across the site, cursively and gestural, the

lines traverse inside and out. “The walls of

the MAXXI create major streams and mi-

nor streams,” explains Hadid. “The major

streams are the galleries and the minor

streams are the bridges and connections.”

Urban space is coincidental with gallery

MAXXI decodes the traditional notion of the ‘wall’ by making them versatile engines for displaying artwork

Architects Zaha Hadid & Patrik SchumacherProject Architect Gianluca Racana (Zaha Hadid Limited)Structural Engineering Anthony Hunt Associates, OK Design GroupMechanical Engineering Max Fordham & Partners, OK Design GroupLighting Design Equation LightingAcoustic Design Paul Gilleron AcousticDesign Team Paolo Matteuzzi, Anja Simons, Fabio Ceci,Mario Mattia, Maurizio Meossi, Paolo Zilli, Luca Peralta, Maria Velceva, Matteo Grimaldi, Ana M.Cajiao, Barbara Pfenningstorff, Dillon Lin, Kenneth Bostock, Raza Zahid, Lars Teichmann, Adriano De Gioannis, Amin Taha, Caroline Voet, Gianluca Ruggeri, Luca Segarelli, ABT David Sabatello & Giancarlo Rampini

PROJECT DESIGN

039

ARCHITECTURECOMPARE & CONTRAST

039 www.constructionweekonline.comt | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGSBATTLE OF...BATTLE OF...

Location Holyrood, Edinburgh, ScotlandArchitect Enric MirallesStyle Modernist, Abstract

Construction commenced June 1999Construction finished October 2004

Estimated cost £414 millionFirst debate September 7, 2004

Fun Fact Notwithstanding the level of controversy surrounding cost, the Scottish Parliament Building proved controversial in a number of other respects: the decision to construct a new building, the choice of site, the selection of a non-Scottish architect, and the selection of Bovis as construction manager after having earlier been excluded from the shortlist.

In 1997, the initial cost of constructing a new Parliament building was given as £40 million, the final cost was more than ten times that amount.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT BUILDING

Location Berlin, GermanyArchitect Paul Wallot (1894); Norman Foster (1999)Style Neo-classical, Modernist

Original Reichstag building 1884Destroyed by fire 1933

Original distinctive architectural feature Glass/steel cupolaRefurbishment + new Norman Foster cupola 1999

Fun Fact Construction of the building actually began well after 1871. In 1872 an architectural contest with 103 participating architects was carried out to erect an all-new building. Work did not start until ten years later though, ow-ing to various problems with purchasing property for the new building and arguments between Wilhelm I, Otto von Bismarck and the members of the Reichstag about how the construction should be performed.

In 1882, another architectural contest was held, with 189 architects partici-pating. The original building was most acclaimed for the construction of an original cupola of steel and glass, an engineering masterpiece of the time.

REICHSTAG PARLIAMENT BUILDING

THE LAST WORD GRAHAM WOOD


and Dubai both underperformed compared to previous years. Is there any worry of a less-than-desirable turnout for CityBuild? GW: At a time when many exhibitions

were cancelled globally, Cityscape Abu

Dhabi and Dubai bucked the trend and

delivered very impressive exhibitor and

visitor numbers. For CityBuild, we are very

bullish about the expected turnout—as

MEA readers will witness when they visit

the show at ADNEC.

CityBuild is being touted as a B2B event but will consumers, dis-tributors or contractors be able to seal deals while attending? GW: There will be no reason for a con-

sumer to visit CityBuild as it is a trade

only exhibition. But to answer the other

part of you question, yes, distributors and

contractors will be there signing deals

alongside procurement managers, devel-

opers and architects.

Point blank question: How will CityBuild help architects & engi-neers do their jobs better? GW: Under one roof, design profes-

sionals, architects and engineers will be

able to source new products, learn about

innovation in the Middle East construction

industry, meet several new business part-

ners and achieve in four days what would

take months to do without this exhibition

taking place.

CityBuild AD is a new international

trade exhibition for the building

and construction industry. It is

happening on 18-21 April, 2010—in con-

junction with Cityscape Abu Dhabi—and

aims to become a B2B platform bringing

together buyers, suppliers, manufacturers,

distributors, and importers of products

used in the construction of real estate and

infrastructure projects. MEA caught up

with group director Graham Wood to

get the lowdown on this upcoming event.

Put simply, what is the funda-mental difference between City-scape and CityBuild?

GW: Cityscape is the leading B2B exhibi-

tion for the real estate investment and

development industry. CityBuild is the

co-located exhibition for all product

companies involved in the building and

construction industry.

Is it fair to say Cityscape is for those funding projects while City-Build is for those building them? GW: Yes. The co-location of these two

events is exactly what the industry is look-

ing for. Investors can source new invest-

ment opportunities at Cityscape. Develop-

ers and architects can source new products

and contractors at CityBuild.

This is Abu Dhabi’s fi rst City-Build. What needs to happen for

the it to be considered a success? GW: There are many ways to view the

success of an exhibition. The number of

exhibitors already confi rmed has exceeded

all expectations, and with several months

to go, we expect the exhibition area to sell

out. That will be deemed a success.

In terms of visitors, the co-location with

Cityscape Abu Dhabi will guarantee an

excellent fl ow of trade visitors to CityBuild.

Add to this CityBuild’s extensive market-

ing, advertising and PR campaign and

you have the foundations for high visitor

numbers—which will also be deemed a

success for a launch event.

What kind of exhibitors are you expecting to attend?GW: International companies from across

the building and construction industry;

tiles, aluminium, steel, concrete, water

technologies, marble and stone etc etc

Will CityBuild include a lecture series like Cityscape’s Green Day or World Architecture Congress? GW: There will be a series of confer-

ence sessions, Innovation Zone displays,

Showcases and workshops. At the time of

writing, these sessions are being re-

searched with key industry professionals

and visionaries, to ensure that all topical

and industry critical issues are covered.

In 2009, Cityscape Abu Dhabi

CITYBUILD ABU DHABIBuilding cities and communities, one product at a time

UNDER ONE ROOF, ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS WILL BE ABLE TO SOURCE NEW PRODUCTS, LEARN ABOUT INNOVATION IN THE GCC CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, MEET MANY NEW BUSINESS PARTNERS AND ACHIEVE IN FOUR DAYS WHAT WOULD TAKE MONTHS TO DO WITHOUT THIS EXHIBITION TAKING PLACE.

Leading by Design...naturally

Buro Happold is an international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with a world class reputation for delivering landmark

projects in both public and private sector markets. We are renowned for bold and elegant design solutions which encourage the effi cient use of materials, energy and natural resources.

The practice operates across four key areas: Buildings, Infrastructure, Environment and Specialist Consulting. We adopt an integrated approach, combining structural, civil, building services and technical consultancy skills with an in-depth knowledge of urban planning, environmental impact and sustainable construction.

Celebrating thirty years in the Middle East

Buro Happold has been working across the Middle East since the practice was founded in the 1970’s and over the past 30 years our

people have worked on many ground-breaking projects in the region. Today we are proud of our achievements in the Middle East and look forward to contributing to the region’s economic prosperity over the coming years.

Abu DhabiTel: +971 (0) 2 626 8622

DubaiTel: +971(0) 4 335 8180

Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaTel: +966 (0) 1 419 1992

KuwaitTel: +965 689 3888

www.burohappold.com

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