GREENING THE DESERT
30 Apr 2014
A submerged oasis park is planned for the desert landscape of Abu Dhabi in a bid to provide the city with much needed green space.
Heatherwick Studio has revealed images of ‘Al Fayah Park’, a proposed 125,000 square metre public space for Abu Dhabi. Located below a thick canopy that resembles sun-baked ground, the design provides the ever expanding city and its citizens with a much needed green area within the desert landscape, offering protection from the region’s hot climate for both visitors and the park’s vegetation.
Embracing the scheme’s location, the project considers the patterns and cracks in the desert formed by the heat of the sun. The scheme’s sectional development also pays homage to how ancient tribes were able to grow vegetables in the shade of palm trees, with a design based on revealing partially sheltered areas of a pseudo-subterranean plantation. The fragmented pieces formed after cracked terrain is elevated on columns, forming gentle domes spanning the site. These raised pieces establish a perforated canopy enabling a lush garden to grow naturally below. This lower level oasis becomes a landscape of plants and trees and water features, forming a series of connected recreational spaces.
‘Al Fayah’ is envisioned as a civic destination where individuals and families can relax and congregate. It also serves as a place for educational activities and public festivals. The project includes cafés, play zones, a library, pools and streams, as well as communal vegetable gardens.
From an environmental perspective, the overarching canopy reduces the amount of water lost to evaporation, improving the park’s energy efficiency and sustainability. Above, the elevated plates not only provide the shade in the daytime, but become a network of meeting places during cooler evening hours.
