Abu Dhabi Municipality has announced that it is developing in partnership with the private sector, the unique Dhs 7 Billion Emerald Gateway project located along the main highway Coast Road halfway between Abu Dhabi downtown and Abu Dhabi International Airport along a main artery highway leading into the city. The development includes 88 Towers on both sides of a 3.5 kilometer segment of the Highway. The site offers tremendous potential to become an important high-end residential and hotel destination.
Abu Dhabi Municipality commissioned a Master Plan conducted by KEO International Consultants which was recently approved by His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed that creates a powerful vision for “green” residential communities, a business park and hotel complexes that will be located there.
The Emerald Gateway though is more then just a development to locate commercially viable investment vehicles. The scheme’s impact stretches beyond the location of its 88 towers and sensitively considers national level aspirations and community level desires with dramatic enhancements of all of its surroundings. It will provide an attractive experience for those entering and leaving Abu Dhabi as they pass through the extensively contoured landscaped highway corridor giving a memorable ever-changing experience to those driving by and through the stretch of road of the Emerald Gateway.
At its center, there will be giant artistically designed sculptures inspired by the wings of a falcon. These beautiful forms will be placed inside the Sculpture Park, resting on a reflecting pool that will create an impressive gateway to the city during the day and especially at night when it will be lit to glow as two translucent forms. Their undulating forms will pay tribute to the soaring achievements of the nation and celebrate the national pride of the great city of Abu Dhabi
The scheme also includes integration of its many landscape features through various proposed pedestrian links to adjoining residential communities providing them with wonderful family oriented outdoor spaces.
The Emerald Gateway’ 88 towers are situated in two unique development districts; the Canal Park Neighborhood and the Recreational Park Neighborhood. The Canal District takes full advantage of its location along an existing water canal which will be richly developed with walkways and green spaces to create a Canal Park Neighborhood setting for 42 tower plots along the canal edge. The Canal Park will include enormous green gardens, terraces for ground level cafes, restaurants, and retail, and a meandering boardwalk. It begins at the west edge with the Canal District and stretches to the eastern edge culminating with a fountain promenade serving both the tower residents and also those of Al Maqta area.
The Recreational Park Neighborhood sits along the southern edge of the site and includes 46 tower plots situated in a very richly landscaped setting. The Recreational Park begins at the western edge with two football field size green areas which meanders to the east incorporating tennis courts, children’s playing areas, walkways and gardens. The site includes carefully considered circulation patterns providing for wonderful opportunities for retail, cafes, and restaurants serving the residents and adjacent residential developments.
The scheme also includes the Gateway Reflecting Pool created at the western edge of the site marking the Ceremonial Entrance to the development.
The Abu Dhabi Municipality officials stated that the development will be one of the most important public/private partnering developments launched by the Government of Abu Dhabi. The government is separately funding nearly 1 Billion Dirham ($242.4 million) for all infrastructure services and the extensive landscaping.
The Municipality officials and KEO confirmed that binding design and construction guidelines will be issued to each of the plot owners to ensure quality of design and construction and adherence to the master plan requirements.
Donna Sultan, CEO of KEO, responsible for creating the Master Plan, explained, “Rather than seeing the site as filled with constraints, we saw instead a fantastic opportunity of tying the master planning of the site with its geographically importance between the airport and the city of Abu Dhabi and coming up with a world-class setting for these 88 towers, that spoke to higher national and community goals’.
