Al Maryah Island

Al Maryah Island is a world class central business district shaped by the UAE’s Urban Planning Council’s objective to create an environmental, economic, and socially sustainable urbanism. Located on a 114-hectare reclaimed island linking central Abu Dhabi with Al Reem, Saadiyat, and Mina Zayed, the island is being developed in three phases comprising high-density residential, retail, leisure, hotel, and commercial district. The island will provide homes for up to 30,000 residents and sustain a working population of 75,000 in an urban enriched modern cityscape including parks, cultural institutions, community centers, high fashion retail, and restaurants.

Utile, in collaboration with OverUnder, worked at numerous scales throughout Al Maryah Island, both as urban design and architectural consultants to Mubadala Real Estate and Hospitality. The design became engaged with master plans to develop building concepts and guidelines based on the individual character of each district.

These guidelines ensure that buildings are situated on a low-rise podium, establishing a protected pedestrian network of public spaces. Tower setbacks and orientation constraints create a predominate east-west axis to the island, protecting buildings and public spaces from north-south exposure, and maintaining cross breezes for natural ventilation. The team explored facade and screening typologies for each tower in order to create a coherent language among the buildings, while minimizing solar gain in accordance with local sustainability principles.