By Ali Al Yousifi
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnkeGhSqUXOM5rawfmTK06DXw96MaNTkJOvju2gBTuQ0NvlgKyGQIxSxa0MCgHvuPVwKl80ra0xMzWJ5PlcvkWTTvOJmyUaYbm67M1_6OFoOQJEcOy7zbOU6x33q7SZjNGrThuBf9uRg/s640/IMG_8111.jpg) |
Masdar Institute |
Masdar City is a new development
currently under construction in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The London-based firm Foster + Partners are responsible for the urban
planning of the city, and also the design of many of its buildings. At
completion, which is set to occur between 2020 and 2025, Masdar City will be
the first zero carbon, zero waste, all renewable energy city in the world
[wikipedia]. I recently visited Masdar:
We drove through the main gate of the
city. Signs guided us to a small visitors’ car park. From there we abandoned
our car and started walking around. We were then only at the periphery of the
city, but even from there I could sense that this place was different, the
whole environment felt like a scientific experiment. Behind a small guards’
cabin were several rows of solar cell panels. A little further were an aligned
set of white metal structures that (at least to me) looked like high-tech labs.
After a few minutes of walking we
found a small electric car with a driver ready to take visitors to the city’s
heart: Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, which is the only completed
part of Masdar City. The driver took us to a large multistory car park. From there
we took another car ride, but this time it was in the self-driving electric PRT
(Personal Rapid Transport) pods. These pods, like driverless taxis, form an
underground transport network serving Masdar City’s users, allowing the city’s
streets to be car-free. The pods took us to our next destination, A PRT station
right under the Masdar Institute. There, we were greeted by a breathtaking
spiraling staircase. I couldn’t wait to climb up the steps and explore the
city.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE5WCgqG0gRd5d1GQ7MP-LvMASC5VTbBvV8E8vtpFt1i5dbeZeaoAltAzov69tB3rCijDRlyb62cJdwRqF6tfmsrw6fM6wsHRy2d0gZKs7pfBmo-KaVs370j9yU4Bw2kn8vFtwG84k2M/s640/IMG_8212.jpg) |
PRT station |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokF6lQk09GH5HttmJbG9rqQmnDWH8eEvwmzrCqjFmd9vjysJ9z9YEZbK-vdp-IIqA4YpC7wqHJelWG0vvio2T27ZSMnhO2P400ofNVQYI8Kvh6rerx4_kAhDp3Oh5YeykWbf1aQYCFYE/s640/IMG_8120.jpg) |
spiral staicase |
Walking around the pedestrian-only relatively-narrow shaded streets of Masdar was a special experience. The pathways were slender enough to feel safe and protected (from the sun mostly), while they were open enough to allow ample sunlight to illuminate the space. The buildings that created the street facades were also a major factor in enhancing the pedestrian experience. Throughout Masdar Intitude there was an interesting contrast between two types of buildings. The first had a reddish-brown undulating façade that’s a clear reference to the region’s indigenous mud architecture; the other type had a blue-silver color scheme and sharp perpendicular edges, making clear the high-tech nature of Masdar.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U0ybesLyFNtRIlSONHBdNqLMsO-qOu_t-o6sPFdmy9sj16opStudqB61stZHXGzRuy19ZiODjAvY098Qa7cL9XrW1_ncXGLl1769pelHc6Lx-CbBvCv3I9_5WKpS6WkB8LJMwPNG7m8/s640/IMG_8179.jpg) |
shaded street |
Aimlessly wandering around the shaded
streets I came upon two urban courtyards. Having been endlessly impressed by
what I had since seen in my Masdar visit, these courtyards were slightly
anti-climactic. They included some patches of vegetation, shaded peripheral
colonnades, and outdoor café seating; but they still seemed to be missing
something. What was interesting about the courtyards though, was that each one included
an architectural structure that was designed to be the center of attention. One
courtyard had a Windtower, which helps cool the courtyard; the other had the
Knowledge Center, which includes Masdar Institute’s library.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvn1CIa6vnGLoZf_09K3nY3vKyB-USDyHLF_nDVK7YA7mHWzLpjzMWS7Uk_hh2vySrs9HqmqTdw0dHO114LIKjL5UtLjFMpmBeAMURqRjwYJhlKbS0lo18ezoPb7nPNV_s-NBi5ufRfw/s640/IMG_8136.jpg) |
Windtower |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiskWnxUqHX9OrpupvjCphZUprd3GocFudoZU6Xiogn3OTnKkzJG8izPxT9WjxIwlYUb6rM2gDzs4zDppbk37MgmkVq-Ik_ZJ_75VGs5guu69xjZjW11eLixmOsoBWWdRZdfY_35fMrpc/s640/IMG_8191.jpg) |
Knowledge Center |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQE6NsINHiBoK3NSYijKtMAOFnwxjz5bet9MREcEWVkjoum-tlRzpc8TDhUdEtQk69H1CffpP5Qj5tM6i1p8fyCJNJ6kbw4GIUgAQf9neUvekykSkbUBoPOKKnFvnyDUVu2CeA5mvaEE/s640/IMG_8206.jpg) |
fountain under the Knowledge Center dome |
Being the only completed part of
Masdar City, my visit only included the campus of the Masdar Institute of
Science and Technology. Future developments, temporarily slowed by the recent
financial crisis, will include many other facilities including residential (52%
of built area), commercial (38%), retail (2%), and community (8%) [Masdar].
My most lasting impression of Masdar
is of how the space felt pioneering; there was something exciting in the air. I
felt I was walking in a place that resulted from great ambition and hard work.
It was less the physical buildings, and more the invisible spirit of Masdar, in
its creative usage of technology and design that was most striking. Its
Masdar’s undoubtable optimism of a better and more sustainable future that is
most inspiring.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExvh1bBMrg2LTsTiCBfdNl89dvBMqFti0_pK77j-CTKO_GBjy6dTD8x0faQyYhyphenhyphenYufosBOsLuitux2wTccQXQxMRmcfQ3C5voqMEGuUya4LtM1zhQswxdOkdLsjKjZO6XlhDsTMVxEWU/s640/IMG_8194.jpg) |
under construction |
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