Bahrain's green necklace

Durrat Al Bahrain is the latest in a number of island projects in the region. Michele Howe looks at the challenges of designing offshore.

If you log on to Google Earth, you can just about make out the beginnings of the distinctive outline of the Durrat Al Bahrain development that is currently being shaped off the south east coast of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The approximately US$4 billion project consists of 13 interconnected man-made islands: six atolls which form the outer ring of the development, five fish-shaped islands, called petals, which make up the inner ring, and the crescent, a semi-circular island protruding off the mainland.

At the geographic centre of Durrat Al Bahrain is a circular island containing a hotel, which represents the pearl of the development.

The 20km² project is being positioned as a resort island city.

Each of the six atolls will have 160 villas, the five petal islands will have between 124 and 140 villas each, while the crescent, seen as the hub of the development, will have a site for 2,000 apartments as well as coffee shops, and leisure facilities.

The development will also feature an 18-hole golf course, designed by Ernie Els, covering between 5,000m2-6,000m² and a 400-boat marina. Once complete, it is estimated that approximately 60,000 people will live in the area and that it will attract up to 4,500 daily visitors.

The concept for the development's unique design came about as the result of collaboration between the client and Tom Wright, technical director Atkins, explains Terry Bradbury, director of operations for the Northern Gulf at Atkins, the firm which designed and masterplanned the development.

"Tom met with the client in 2003 and got them to tell him what their vision was for the actual development. He then went away and conceived the idea of the necklace of pearls, the six atolls and the whole theme for the project," he says.

"The client was giving key words like paradise, lush, tropical and Tom came up with the idea of an atoll island themed on the pacific atolls, and the idea of the six atolls as an outer arc became the main theme for the whole project. The petal islands support those, and the central island was seen as the pearl in the middle of the development," he says.

The development, which is the first main development in the south of the island, is located 54km from Bahrain International Airport, and will be connected to the capital of Bahrain, Manama, by a highway, enabling people living in the area to commute to work, Bradbury explains.