Lord Norman Foster Visits Abu Dhabi's SOUK Project

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Global architecture firm Fosters + Partners chairman and founder Lord Norman Foster recently visited The Central Market, Aldar's major redevelopment of the traditional commercial heart of Abu Dhabi. The firm was appointed in 2006 to design the towers and unique retail spaces which have already become a key landmark.

The SOUK at Central Market opened its doors to customers in August and has seen a steady stream of retailers launching their stores. An interpretation of the traditional souk destroyed by fire in 2003, the new centre features modern and contemporary Arabic architecture to create a vibrant retail environment. Lord Foster's visit also included a demonstration of the retractable roof in the Al Dhabi square of the SOUK.

Good progress has been made on Emporium, Central Market's prestigious shopping address and Abu Dhabi's prime fashion destination. Anchored by the first House of Fraser department store in the region, this elegant multi-level shopping centre stretches across 62,000 sq m featuring 170 shops.

Trust Tower, which will become the tallest dedicated Grade A office building in the city at 278m, reached its full 59-storey height in July 2010. Construction efforts are focused on installing the building's facade which is now over 80% complete. Fitting of internal services and finishes are also underway.

The residential tower, The Domain, has reached 85-storeys, with works on the complicated structural ringbeam at the top of the building due to complete at the end of the year. Installation of the glass facade is over 50% complete.

Commenting on the visit, Sami Asad, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar, said:

"I am pleased to welcome Lord Foster and his team to Central Market, where his firm's exciting designs have become a reality.

It was essential that our flagship redevelopment of the commercial centre of Abu Dhabi was sympathetic to the historical importance of the site whilst creating a vibrant environment that chimes with the city's contemporary Arab culture. I am pleased to say that the Fosters + Partners design helped us to deliver our vision for Central Market."

Lord Foster, Chairman and founder of Fosters + Partners stated, "I'm delighted to be here, to walk through the souk at Central Market and to see work progressing with the current phase of the project. In its intensity and scale, the traditional Eastern market place is set apart from its European equivalent. Our aim was to combine many of the traditional elements of the souk with a contemporary experience.

Aldars Central Market captures the souk's special qualities of dappled sunlight and its variety of colors, sights and sounds. The project echoes the dense network of alleyways and squares with a variety of spaces that invite exploration."

 

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