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Abu Dhabi is a city of four elements: sun, sea, sand and safety (it was voted the safest city in the world for the sixth time earlier this year). With immaculate beaches, stunning architecture, a climate rarely seen south of 22 degrees and a thriving cultural scene, there’s something for every mood, taste and traveler.
Like other cities in the GCC region, including its close neighbor (but very distinct) Dubai, the UAE capital’s rapid urbanization from desert to global destination (underpinned by abundant oil and gas resources) has transformed the city For a magnificent retail, commercial metropolis, hospitality and industry.
Abu Dhabi trip: 8 highlights of the UAE capital
What sets Abu Dhabi apart is its cultural revolution. By 2025, the city’s Saadiyat Island will become a masterpiece of cultural tourism, placing Abu Dhabi firmly on the world stage of Emirati heritage, culture and international exchange. Arts editor Harriet Lloyd-Smith travels to Abu Dhabi to discover the best of the city’s present and future.
saadiyat i.
Aerial view of the Abraham family residence on Saadiyat Island by Adjaye Associates
(Image credit: Adjaye Associates)
Saadiyat Island, a natural island located 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi Island, will become a mega center of art and architecture in the coming years. Already home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, future expansions currently under construction include the Phenomena Abu Dhabi Gallery (opening 2024), Adamson Associates’ Guggenheim Abu Dhabi ( 2025) and Foster + Partner’s Zayed National Museum (opening 2025). Elsewhere, David Adjaye’s Abraham Family House, due to open in 2023, combines three religious spaces into one – a mosque, a synagogue and a church – designed to To foster acceptance and peaceful coexistence among all faiths.
Saadiyat Island.ae (opens in a new tab)
Bridge Health Center
(Image source: Abu Dhabi Bridge)
Covering an area of 8,000 square meters, Bridge Wellness Hub includes a gym, spa, restaurant, juice bar, nutrition corner, shop, indoor running track and roof garden, and is Abu Dhabi’s all-in-one facility-body-mind lifestyle ecosystem. The center features minimalist design, a wide range of wellness therapies, the latest Technogym equipment and stunning views of the Al Qana Canal. Beyond a simple gym, the center aims to transform the lives of its members through a holistic approach to wellness, reforming the way “wellness” is understood under the UAE’s National Strategy for Health 2031. If there’s any place to start a New Year’s resolution fitness routine, it’s probably here.
www.thebridgehub.com (opens in a new tab)
Al Maryah Island Apple Store by Foster + Partners
Al Maryah Island Apple Store exterior, designed by Foster + Partners
(Image credit: Foster + Partners)
Earlier this year, Foster + Partners unveiled their multi-sensory design for the Al Maryah Island Apple Store, offering a new paradigm for the retail experience. Perched atop a pyramid of Absolute Black granite steps cascading with water, the design is defined by a stainless steel portal entry that welcomes visitors into the single-story interior with panoramic views of the Abu Dhabi coastline. Elsewhere, a 72-foot mirrored foil ceiling provides kaleidoscopic effects, accompanied by a soundtrack of water cascading down the exterior glass walls.
fosterandpartners.com (opens in a new tab)
Louvre Abu Dhabi
(Image credit: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. Photography: Yiorgis Yerolymbos)
envisaged an agreement with the Louvre Museum in Paris, Louvre Abu Dhabi This year celebrates its fifth anniversary.Jean Nouvel’s gleaming white geometric structure, surrounded by a vast intersecting aluminum lattice dome, became an instant international sensation When it opened in 2017. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is considered to be the first universal museum in the Arab world and the first addition to Saadiyat Island’s major cultural development project, aiming to expand through its vast permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, including the current Art Here 2022, an exhibition of ten GCC artists shortlisted for the Richard Mille Art Prize.
louvreabudhabi.ae (opens in a new tab)
Abu Dhabi Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood by Studio Roar
Interior of the Supreme Council of Maternity and Childhood, designed by Studio Roar
(Image credit: Chris Goldstraw)
In its latest project in Abu Dhabi, interior design and architecture studio Roar combines work, play and function UAE Supreme Council for Maternity and ChildhoodSpanning three floors, the space is a haven of traditional Emirati design codes with a modern edge, from dynamic LEGO walls to pastel-toned furniture, play and work areas. As Pallavi Dean, Roar’s founder and creative director, told us: “We wanted the design narrative to subtly allude to the region’s diverse cultural elements while drawing attention to SCMC’s core mission: to foster innovation and creativity in the field of motherhood. childhood.’
The Abu Dhabi EDITION
The Market, an all-day dining concept at The Abu Dhabi EDITION
(Source: Abu Dhabi Edition)
For those looking for a home away from home with a luxurious Emirati flair, the Abu Dhabi EDITION has it all, including three signature restaurants, a three-story social space, two swimming pools, two state-of-the-art fitness centers and a spa. The hotel’s 198 guestrooms are accented with a gray oak herringbone pattern that references Abu Dhabi’s desert setting, drawing on local basket weaving techniques and Brett Weston’s photography. Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens helms three distinct cuisines: The Market, an all-day dining concept featuring imaginative, zero-waste menus using locally sourced produce; an atmosphere of British rock ‘n’ roll; and the outdoor Alba terrace, reminiscent of an elegant Mediterranean summer.
www.editionhotels.com website (opens in a new tab)
Art in Abu Dhabi: Artist commissions from cultural sites
StillTheyKnowNotWhatIDream by Shilpa Gupta
(Image credit: Courtesy of the artist)
Public art installations unveiled for the opening of Art Abu Dhabi on 16 November 2022, as part of the fair’s Heritage Committee program, are now spread across historic sites. On view until 22 January 2023, the project sees a residency of leading contemporary artists in the historic city of Al Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Quipu at Al Jahili Fort, Al Saadi letter Drawing on the Inca writing system of the same name, Shilpa Gupta’s video StillTheyKnowNotWhatIDream Using the artist’s signature double-slab format, reminiscent of train station notice boards. At the Iron Oasis, by Conrad Shawcross Absent Mode (Bb36D10) – Desert Lighthouse Respond to the contemplative power of the desert.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
(Image credit: Harriet Lloyd-Smith)
The scenic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a must-see for anyone visiting Abu Dhabi. Featuring 82 domes, 1,000 columns and a 24-carat gold-plated chandelier, the architectural feat, unveiled in 2007, embodies the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s message of peace, tolerance and diversity in Islam vision. Notable features include the world’s largest hand-knotted rug in the main prayer hall, and the mosque’s stunning 2,000 square meters of floral marble decorations, designed by British artist Kevin Dean.
szgmc.gov.ae (opens in a new tab)
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