Abu Dhabi, the capital city the United Arab Emirates will soon have a new extension with a distinct individual character. Located 200 metres from the mainland, the Shams Abu Dhabi project will occupy 385 acres (156 hectares) of land - almost 25 percent of Reem Island. Two other significant development of equal size will occupy the remaining area. For the developers, Sorouh Real Estate Investments, Shams Abu Dhabi is conceived as a landmark and ‘iconic’, embracing the Arabian Gulf heritage while heralding a vision of the future. It is promised as an ideal place to live, work and play and a sustainable environment that nurtures, inspires and excites.
RNL master planned the Shams Abu Dhabi project originally in early 2005, though the final master plan was only completed recently in 2006. All proven urban design techniques and plans are evident in the final layout: entryways celebrate ‘arrival’, centres are identified throughout the plan through a higher and more intensive image development, designs are innovative and varied, yet unified, and the development is visually rich, attractive, legible and diverse; it comprises a gateway village of signature buildings, a marina district, a CBD district, several distinct residential villages, an entertainment village, a resort hotel and a series of residential buildings along a mangrove-lined waterway. Envisaged as a major urban node and the new heart and centre of the metropolis of Abu Dhabi, the plan is bold, yet feasible.
Most of the land at Shams Abu Dhabi is given over to residential use, though the project will provide supporting commercial, retail and recreational facilities. Mixed-use projects and communities help to build a sustainable environment proven to broaden and extend the activities of a town centre, as well as ensuring an attractive, safe and more vibrant character. Mixing the uses also helps to inject architectural interest into the urban landscape; Shams’ residential suburbs will be both, low and hi-rise; there will be commercial office buildings, retail commercial centres, and entertainment district, urban and resort hotels, boutique marinas and pedestrian promenades linking these elements: the overall development area of 1423 acres (576 hectares) and space for 56,320 parking spaces will create an overall built up area of 82.5 million sq. ft. (7.7 million sq. metres) of which, the land uses is projected to be 85.4 percent residential, 6.4 percent office, 2.6 percent entertainment, 3.7 percent retail, 1.5 percent hotel and 0.4 percent community facilities.
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