Bloom Awards Architectural Design contract for National Holding headquarters to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Bloom Properties, a National Holding company and an Abu Dhabi-based master developer of communities and lifestyle solutions, has awarded the architectural design work for National Holding Headquarters (NHHQ) to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), one of the leading architecture, urban planning, interior design, and engineering firms in the world.

The National Holding Headquarters (NHHQ) that is financed by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, is located in ‘Capital Center’, a new micro-city comprising residential and commercial units and developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC) on the Khaleej Al Arabi Street. The 14-storey building will comprise offices and luxury floors, with in-house amenities, restaurants and showrooms as well as a car parking facility that can approximately accommodate 450 vehicles.

Bassam El Khoury, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Bloom, said: "Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been selected among five other international companies that have competed for this project which is considered to be one of our outstanding architectural projects. NHHQ design is expected to rely on new concepts and standards that emphasize sustainability and preservation of the environment.”

The project is built over a total area of 44,000 sq metres with each floor spanning a total area of 1,500 sq metres. Construction work on NHHQ is anticipated to commence in the last quarter of 2011.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) enjoys an international reputation for over 75 years and has a large diversified portfolio of the most important architectural projects that were completed during the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Moreover, since its inception, SOM has been a leader in research and development of specialized techniques, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which had a strong impact on the profession of design and the environment. The company has won more than 1,400 awards in design and building technology in the categories of innovation, quality and management. The American Institute of Architects has twice endowed SOM with an Award for Best Architecture in 1962 and 1996. This company has offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Brussels, as well as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Mumbai.