Place making

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The development will contain a number of unique water features.

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The development will contain a number of unique water features.

The Al Raha Beach development in Abu Dhabi promises to bring new meaning to the use of open space in the region. Michele Howe takes a look.

When it comes to exciting projects in the UAE, the attention tends to focus on Dubai. But one of the most exciting projects under way in the region at the moment in terms of use of the outdoor space is Aldar's Al Raha Beach development.

Located at the juncture between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, just off the main highway into Abu Dhabi, Al Raha is a massive project, spanning over 570 hectares of land and with a total development area of 12,240,178 m².

Built largely on reclaimed land, the area is envisaged as becoming a great waterfront space, and one that will eventually be home for an estimated 120,000 people.

"What we observed when we first began working on the Al Raha Beach project is Abu Dhabi as an archipelago of waterways and islands, with a more rounded city plan than Dubai which is more linear," explains Allan Stevens, director of Australian design firm Esquisse, which did the masterplan for the project.

"Our concept was to create Al Raha Beach as a Great Arabian Water Village, and the gateway to Abu Dhabi; with the idea that it was a microcosm representation of what Abu Dhabi, is as well as of what it can become."

Water will be a key aspect of the project. Not just through the beaches and marinas, but also through the inclusion of a number of unique water features, something that was specifically requested by the client.

The main stretch of land - the area has a total length of 11,280 metres - is broken up into 11 precincts or villages, each of which will have its own individual character.

Giving each area a separate identity was an important part of the masterplan, explains Naomi Fry, also a director at Esquisse.

"Usually cities are built over time and by nature they develop their own character precincts or neighborhoods, but because everything is built fast track it is important that we build in those contextual differences and urban grain from the outset."

Some of the areas are more residential based, some more entertainment based, others more urban based.

The Al Seef precinct, for example, is mixed use, but has an emphasis on entertainment and restaurants.

The landscape of the area has more of a resort character than the Al Dana precinct, which is more urban in style. One of the main focal points of the Al Seef area is a canal which weaves through the precinct, and which has a surrounding area of narrow promenades and water features.

The Al Dana area, on the other hand, is planned to be the urban centre of the project. The central feature of this area is a marina.

The precinct will also contain a high street, a classic open air shopping street, an uncommon feature in this region of indoor malls.

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