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The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation has today announced plans to redevelop a 125,000sqm park in the heart of Abu Dhabi, and will offer a sneak preview to thousands of visitors tomorrow (22 April) at Cityscape Abu Dhabi, the UAE Capital's premier real estate investment and development exhibition.
Al Fayah Park will be located on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street opposite the Dome@Rawdhat, and will be showcased for the first time at Cityscape Abu Dhabi, which takes place from 22-24 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
The new park, inspired by the beauty of the desert landscape, is being designed by London-based Thomas Heatherwick, whose studio is behind world-class projects including the award-winning UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the Olympic Cauldrom for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and London's new Garden Bridge.
Construction of the park will commence immediately after the design phase is completed at the end of 2014, with its gates opening for the public by the early 2017.
Al Fayah Park will feature play areas, exercise paths, an organic fruit and vegetable garden which will supply the cafes and restaurants in the park, along with an oasis of flowers and plants native to the GCC.
The park will also have a dedicated public library, picnic area, mosque, outdoor cinema, and indoor/outdoor arenas to host live performances, local festivals and community activities.
Iman Khouri, Communications Manager at Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, said: "The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation is committed to creating sustainable and lasting contributions that enhance the UAE community's wellbeing."
"Al Fayah Park is one such contribution, offering a beautiful and iconic space for the community to come together and create special memories with friends and family. The park will incorporate a plethora of activities and unique features that support the Foundation's key pillars of education, arts, culture, heritage, and health.
"It will be reminiscent of traditional design inspired by the UAE desert, but thoroughly modern in its presentation that will attract both local residents and international visitors alike. As such, it puts Abu Dhabi among the world's leading global cities for innovative outdoor public spaces."
Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, will introduce the project at the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation stand at Cityscape Abu Dhabi to give visitors an insight into what they can expect at Al Fayah Park.
"Al Fayah Park incorporates a series of very special column structures, like the cracked pieces of a desert surface, which gently raise to form a three-dimensional landscape across the site", said Heatherwick. "These elevated pieces create a perforated canopy of partial shade under which a lush garden can grow, protected from the hot desert sun."
"This sunken oasis becomes a landscape of plants, mature trees and a cluster of public recreational spaces. The twenty meter high shaded garden is conceived as a place for families to gather and picnic, as well as a place for learning and festivals.
"By creating partial shade for plants, the canopy reduces the amount of water lost to evaporation, improving the park's energy efficiency and sustainability. Whilst providing shade in the daytime, the elevated plates also become a network of unique meeting places in the cooler evening hours."
Organised by Informa Exhibitions, the eighth edition of Cityscape Abu Dhabi is held under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Abu Dhabi's foremost real estate event has grown for the first time since 2009, with pre-registered visitor numbers growing by 26 per cent ahead of the opening day. The event will welcome more than 120 exhibitors from across the Middle East and further afield including Turkey, Russia, USA and UK.
Exhibitors supporting Cityscape Abu Dhabi on an official basis include Strategic Partner Department of Municipal Affairs, Headline and Official VIP Sponsor, Ejadah Asset Management Group, Platinum Sponsor, Emirates Steel, and Official Mortgage Provider Abu Dhabi Finance.
Key highlights for this year include the Abu Dhabi Market Overview conference tomorrow (22 April), jointly organised with JLL and supported by Masdar City; and the VIP Networking Reception on the 23rd April in association with RICS and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Finance.
Cityscape Abu Dhabi will also introduce Sandscape, an exciting showcase where visitors will watch artists re-create, out of sand, Abu Dhabi's heritage and iconic buildings. Located in Hall 4, Sandscape is hosted in association with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and sponsored by Pasco.
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