Abu Dhabi Week takes care of business when looking at the newest developments on Al Maryah Island
Abu Dhabi is a city in motion; towering cranes and construction vehicles can be spotted on all corners and side streets, fresh ribbons of glistening black road are being laid out on the sand and the chaotic, pulsing influx of people constantly streaming in and out of the capital can mean only one thing – development.
As the dust begins to settle in the early morning light, residents of the capital have a front-row seat to witness the growing and dynamic changes taking place all across the city. The Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, a blueprint of how the emirate is to be developed in the future, is laying the foundations of the thriving and sustainable world-class city to come.
Al Maryah Island, the capital’s new Central Business District (CBD), is one such development already making waves in the community. Situated strategically between the capital’s existing downtown and the new residential districts, the island aims to reinvent modern urban living with thriving commercial, leisure, retail and residential districts.
Formerly called Sowwah Island, this 114 hectare mixed-use development has been earmarked by the Urban Planning Council’s Capital 2030 Plan to become the emirate’s newest business hub. Modelled on the world’s leading mixed-use, 24-hour CBDs, think of Al Maryah Island as a Middle Eastern version of Canary Wharf in London. Already, a number of blue-chip global and regional companies have set up offices on the island, including Deloitte, GE, Gulf Capital, Booz & Co, JP Morgan, Macquarie Bank, Herbert Smith Freehills and the Regulation and Supervision Bureau. And Sowwah Square, which has been developed by Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure, will also be home to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
“Modelled on a selection of the world’s most dynamic urban hubs, Al Maryah Island was intended to create a modern and dynamic CBD which would project a powerful image of Abu Dhabi as a leading contemporary Arab city,” said Ali Eid AlMheiri, executive director of Mubadala Real Estate and Infrastructure. “Our partnership with internationally established entities has ensured the standard of service offerings and amenities available on the island are at the forefront of conceptual urban living,”
Already residents can drive past and spy gleaming facades glittering in the sunlight and towering glass buildings that seem to have sprung out from the white sands. So what is on offer and what is to come?
Retail Therapy
The Galleria on Al Maryah Island should have the city’s shopaholics drooling – and for good reason. The 33,000 square metre luxury shopping and dining development that opened earlier in the year houses a number of prestigious brands and international food and beverage outlets, making this retail outlet a premier destination to drop some serious dirhams.
Currently home to 130 retail and dining outlets, the new offerings will provide residents and guests with more accessibility to luxury retailers here in the capital. Iconic high-end fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bulgari, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Lanvin, Tory Burch and Saint Laurent, just to name a few, are all housed in the complex.
More impressive than the outlets, however, is the design. In a land where iconic and architectural gems are a dime a dozen, The Galleria certainly could be considered a crown jewel. The $25 million dollar roof, which is made entirely of steel and glass is both an impressive and important feature of this landmark shopping centre.
The roof is spread across the length of the Great Room, the centre and main entrance of the facility, and provides panoramic skyline views of the Abu Dhabi mainland waterfront. Based on a pattern of steel and glass diamonds inspired from snakeskin, the roof’s intricate design offers three layers of structural and thermal protection, in addition to special shading devices to keep visitors cool and protected from the harsh desert sun.
The structure was designed by engineering experts from RFR, who have previously designed similarly iconic projects of glass and steel such as the inverted pyramid at the Le Musée du Louvre in Paris.
Developed by Gulf Related and Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure, Kevin A. Ryan, managing director, Development of Gulf Related said: “We know from our past development that strong designs have the power to anchor new structures into their urban surroundings. This is why we felt strongly about creating a sculptural, iconic blueprint for The Galleria. We have created a dynamic, sophisticated and architecturally significant place for visitors to shop, eat, and enjoy the panoramic views of the city.”
“The vision for The Galleria was to create a signature flagship destination that would activate Al Maryah Island and its waterfront for all of Abu Dhabi’s residents, guests and visitors,” adds Kenneth A. Himmel, co-managing partner of Gulf Related, president and CEO of Related Urban. “We’ve filled this destination with a carefully curated collection of the best brands in retail today and chef-driven destination restaurants. Presenting one of the highest concentrations of luxury retailers in the Middle East, and a world-class repertoire of aspirational brands.”
If high-end shopping isn’t for you, Al Maryah will offer another up-and-coming mall for visitors to frequent – Sowwah Central. To be initiated during the second phase of expansion on the island, the 148,644 square metre, mixed-use development will feature regional retail, food and family entertainment. The multi-use facility will also include two 37,000 square metre towers – one a high-end residential development and the other a luxury hotel featuring serviced apartments. Also developed by Gulf Related, and set to open in 2017, the space will be linked to The Galleria, for streamlined shopping and entertainment.
Hotel haven
A modern CBD in Abu Dhabi wouldn’t be complete without a five-star hotel. The ultra-luxurious Rosewood Abu Dhabi, which is conveniently situated between Sowwah Square and the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, opened earlier this year.
Boasting 189 rooms and suites and 137 luxury residences, the 34-storey tower was designed by Handel Architects and is inspired by the waters of the Arabian Gulf by which it sits. Covered in reflective glass, which shimmers in the daylight and gleams in the evening, the landmark hotel has a handful of signature restaurants and state-of-the-art facilities equipped for both the business traveller and tourist.
And that’s not all; the Four Seasons Hotel, which will also be based on the island, is to be completed by 2016 and will have 190 guestrooms.
Whichever way you slice it, the new developments on Al Maryah Island are certainly worth the buzz. For both business and leisure, Abu Dhabi’s newest CBD aims to cater to all, and establish itself as a vital element of the capital’s landscape for generations to come.
Visit: www.almaryahisland.ae
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
The large rectangle-shaped glass façade of the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been a fixture in the skyline for quite some time. With construction set to be completed in April 2014, residents will soon have access to another world-class multi-specialty hospital. Created with Mubadala Healthcare, the extension of the renowned US-based Cleveland Clinic brand will feature more than 30 medical and surgical specialties including: Heart and Vascular, Neurological, Digestive Disease, Eye and Respiratory, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology.
The medical facility will be served by North American board certified (or equivalent) physicians, and will feature 364 beds, five clinical floors, three diagnostic and treatment levels and 13 floors of critical and acute inpatient units.
Want more? Check out: www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae
