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Sheikh Zayed Bridge, designed by London Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. From Maqta bridge, Abu Dhabi.

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A sinusoidal wave form perhaps inspired by sand dunes. Fluid.
The Road decks are cantilevered on each side of the spine structure. Steel arches rise and spring from mass concrete piers asymmetrically. The main bridge arch structure rises to a height of 60 m above water level.

Link:
www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/sheikh-zayed-bridge/

Extract from More Rough Travel Notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
Abu Dhabi on the Gulf:
Abu Dhabi is capital and second largest city of the UAE. Abutting Dubai, it lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the south-western coast. Its rapid urbanisation coupled with high average income has recently transformed it into an advanced metropolis. Abu Dhabi alone generates about 57% of the UAE GDP.

Located on an island it is, however, less than 250 metres from the mainland and is joined to it by the Maqta and Mussafah bridges. A third, the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, which shows in my photos, was designed by London architect Zaha Hadid and opened in 2010. Abu Dhabi’s island is also connected to Saadiyat Island by a five-lane motorway — we’ll see the future architectural significance in a moment. Further multilayer interchange bridges also exist or are projected.

Abu Dhabi has a hot and arid climate, and blue skies can be expected throughout the year, handy for photographs.

But what of the new architecture? some spectacular. Whereas Dubai, building on trade, has put itself on the map and become the world-noted financial and trade centre of the Middle-East, Abu Dhabi with its vast oil reserves has funding far into the future. It has decided to become an advanced international Cultural Centre. In just a few years global architectural attention will be on Saadiyat Island. Designed by world-leading, or at least celebrated, architects, Saadiyat Cultural District, now underway, is to be a beacon on the international arts scene, home to the Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Performing Arts Centre.

This will be a focus for global culture — an entire district on Saadiyat devoted to the arts, unprecedented in scale, drawing local, regional, and international visitors. The buildings are intended to make a statement of the most impressive architecture of the early 21st century.

The key institutions are:
Zayed National Museum — history of the UAE region and its cultural connections around the world; set to open in 2016. It’s elevated above the rest of the district. The architects are Foster + Partners with the design inspired by the dynamic of flight and the feathers of a falcon. Each steel feather contains a gallery space where visitors can explore the history and culture of the UAE. The building’s surrounded by water and set within landscaped gardens. Construction has started.

Louvre Abu Dhabi is designed to house aesthetic expressions of different civilisations and cultures, from ancient to contemporary. It’s born of an agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France, being the first Louvre outside France. This gallery is set to open in 2015. A fine-arts museum, it’s described by its architect Jean Nouvel as “an island on an island”. Under a supersize “floating” dome the Louvre is a display where light patterns illuminate a micro-city of galleries and landscaping. The construction was awarded recently, following competitive tendering.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a trans-national platform for global contemporary art and culture that will present artistic achievements of our time. Through its permanent collection and educational programmes it’s intended to also present perspective on art history. Frank Ghery was the architect — the scheme is easily read as his, playful, extra large and dramatically sited. Work is underway, and it’s set to open about 2017.

The Performing Arts Centre is to be home for a multiplicity of traditions. It was designed by Zaha Hadid and makes dynamic sculptural-lozenge forms typical of her design, but further advanced and supersized. The centre will house a music hall, concert hall, opera house, drama theatre, and an experimental performance space.

At this stage the workers’ accommodation is built and occupied, and the large schemes underway, just above sand level.

But what I wanted to see at Abu Dhabi was a quick look at several of their more-interesting newly-completed buildings of high-noted architecture already in use. Skyscrapers such as the Investment Tower and the Etisalat building are found clustered in the financial district. Other notable buildings are more peripheral.

Come on. Warm sunny day as promised.

Here, seen from Maqta bridge, is the Sheik Zayed Bridge designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The sinusoidal wave form is perhaps inspired by sand dunes — you’ll appreciate the fluid results. The road decks are cantilevered on each side of the spine structure. Steel arches rise and spring from mass concrete piers asymmetrically. The main bridge arch rises to a height of 60 m above water level with the roadway crowning to a height of 20 m above the water. A whole class better than the usual mechanical, visually ignorant, structure but very expensive I gather.
P :-)

Tags:   PS peteshep Abu Dhabi UAE architecture copyright photo Fuji 2012 Zaha Hadid London architect Zayad Zeyad fluid

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Largest mosque in UAE; one of largest in world.
Impressive to visit; immaculately built.
Capacity: Main hall 7,000; total 40,000.
82 bright-white domes of various sizes.

The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a major national religious and educational building, built for the people of Abu Dhabi by their ruler Sheikh Zayed, (who passed away before the building was completed.)

Including Halcrow Group architects; Spatium architects; Speirs and Major Associates lighting.
A place of worship and Friday gathering and also a center of learning and discovery through its educational cultural activities and visitor programs.

2007.

" The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the world. Completed in 2007, it was designed to embody the cultural diversity of the Islamic world, incorporating architectural styles from various Muslim civilizations. The mosque features 82 domes, over 1,000 columns, and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. Its stunning white marble facade is adorned with intricate floral designs and semi-precious stones."


wikipedia info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Zayed_Mosque

Tags:   PS peteshep Abu Dhabi UAE architecture copyright photo Fuji 2012 Zayed Grand Mosque Speirs and Major Associates Halcrow Group Spatium Architects

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Main courtyard of the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi.

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wikimapia

The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a major national religious and educational building, built for the people of Abu Dhabi by their ruler Sheikh Zayed, (who passed away before the building was completed.)

Including Halcrow Group architects; Spatium architects; Speirs and Major Associates lighting.

Extract from "More Rough Travel notes with an Architectural Eye - 2012":
One of the most well-known new architectural landmarks is the Sheik Zayed Mosque — pride of UAE society, and one of the most opulent anywhere. Its design and construction reportedly “unites the world”, using artisans and materials from many countries, apparently including New Zealand, and of course the Emirates. More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction. Natural materials were chosen for much of its design due to their long-lasting qualities and symbolism, including marble (twenty-eight different types from global sources), gold, semi-precious stones, and ceramics. In conventional manner, axis of the great courtyard leads to the main, encrusted, sanctuary. The maximum capacity is approximately 40,000 people.

The Grand Mosque Centre within was established to manage the day-to-day operations such as the many visitors, as a place of worship and Friday gathering, and as a centre of learning and discovery through its education programme.

Design included work by Halcrow Group and Spatium architects.

The grandeur is crowned by 82 bright-white domes of various sizes — cumulus impressive against the sky. How to keep them pure white in dust-dry climate? As in one of my following photos, these roof-top fellows have a devoted, guess lifetime, job in the sun. I enjoyed noticing them high above with their wiper constantly working on keeping that immaculate white. (I think the biggest dome is 82 metres high.) Beautiful marble.

All very impressive, grandly built, an experience. To locals and other muslims it clicks to tradition and familiar dogma. Unfortunately it adds little to forward-thinking architectural concept.

Tags:   PS peteshep Abu Dhabi UAE architecture copyright photo Fuji 2012 Grand Mosque main courtyard Speirs and Major Associates

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Expansive main courtyard of the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi.

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Materials were from many countries including stone, marble, ceramics, and semi-precious stones.


28 different types of marble are used throughout and include:
Sivec from Greece / Macedonia, used on the external cladding;
Lasa from Italy used in the internal elevations;
Makrana from India used in the annexes and offices.
Aquabiana and Biano from Italy
East White and Ming green from China.

Tags:   PS peteshep Abu Dhabi UAE architecture copyright photo Fuji 2012 Grand Mosque Zayed

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Axis of courtyard towards main sanctuary, Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi.

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Tags:   PS peteshep Abu Dhabi UAE architecture copyright photo Fuji 2012 courtyard axis Grand Mosque

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