A vision of the future

The design concept by international architect, Broadway Malyan for the planned Conrad Abu Dhabi hotel has been announced. The innovative architecture is influenced by the capital's impressive future plans. The 380 room, five star hotel will feature two fluted towers, the tallest of which will be 26-storeys high.

The interior 20-storey atrium entrance will include a water cascade, which will be lit up at night while the exterior of the towers will be clad in a blue/green, solar controlled glass curtain walling. Linking the towers will be a signature Pod restaurant/Sky Bar complete with separate lift which will display scenic views of the Gulf.

The developer of the Conrad Abu Dhabi has clearly recognised the high standards that are being adopted elsewhere in design in the capital, particularly the continuing work on Saadiyat Island. On the design concept, Victor Rodrigues, vice president, technical services, Hilton Hotels Middle East said: "The architecture of the Conrad Abu Dhabi will represent a contemporary iconic design inspired by Abu Dhabi's vision for the future while the interior will combine luxury and contemporary styles."

The design of the hotel was awarded to Broadway Malyan, designer of the Marina Residence, Al Bandar, Abu Dhabi, in addition to other international projects such as the new satellite city for 250,000 people in Wuhan, China, after winning an international competition in January 2006.

Kevin Leahy, director of Broadway Malyan told CID: "With the creation of the Conrad Abu Dhabi we were able to bring the sea to the buildings. This was a decision taken at the beginning of the design process. We felt there was also a need to create two separate buildings for the two principal uses of the development.

Ian Simpson, also a director of Broadway Malyan spoke of the high standards the Hilton expected, he said: "Part of the challenge was to create a distinct identity for the development and the hotel. The hotel will be highly visible in Abu Dhabi and early on we knew we had to create an iconic form for what will become an internationally known hotel."

The Conrad Abu Dhabi is owned by Mazrui Holding and will be managed by Hilton Hotels. The project which is based within The Abu Dhabi Lagoon Club is due for completion in September 2009 at a cost of approximately US$400 million. The Lagoon Club will also include 80 furnished apartments, an office building, 3,500m² of retail space, parking for up to 1,800 cars, a convention centre and a health club and spa.

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