issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

Project profilesCelebrating excellenceDesertoasisLuxury five-star resort risesfrom the sandsLet there be lightCalgary Eaton Centre (courtesy of MMC International Architects Inc)Flooding the space below with natural light, Canada’slargest skylight will float above the Calgary Eaton Centreand TD Square development, bridging three city blocks.The property team is providing structural and glass designservices for the 213m-long, 26m-wide structure which willfeature steel tube arches with glass suspended below –without any visible expansion joints.Minimal discernible supports maximise visibility, whilethe sweeping, vaulted design provides a unique methodof stabilising the external arches under gravity, wind andthermal loads.And just as the light is set to pour in, the redevelopment isattracting new tenants, revitalising the existing mall.he Empty Quarter – which crosses SaudiTArabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, andYemen – is the largest continuous body of sandin the world, but is changing fast.It’s already home to some of the world’s largestsand dunes (taller than the Eiffel Tower), a rich varietyof plant and animal life, including the rare Arabianonyx gazelle, and a scattering of local villages. ComeSeptember 2009, it will also be the backdrop to Qasr alSarab, a luxury five-star Arabian retreat.Located 90 minutes from Abu Dhabi in the Liwa Oasis onthe northern edge of the Empty Quarter, this emergingdesert resort will boast a luxury health spa, observatory,tented villages and a royal pavilion for visiting dignitaries,royal families and the global rich.The project – owned by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Developmentand Investment Company (TDIC) – sprang into life in2007. Halcrow will provide multidisciplinary design andsupervision services to Dubai-based architect Dubarch.This will include structural, mechanical, electrical,plumbing, roads and infrastructure design services, aswell as civil engineering and construction supervision.Halcrow’s assistant projectmanager, Fadi Azzam, said:“The fast-track nature ofthis project is a major – butsurmountable – challenge forus. The contractor was alreadyon board as we began work on the design. This meant wehad to work fast and issue information at key stages tokeep the contractor busy.”Another hurdle for the project team was the lack of utilityservices, as Fadi explains: “The site is in the middle of thedesert, so there was no water, electricity or gas supply –just sand.”Adding to the already impressive degree of co-ordinationrequired, Halcrow proposed a reinforced earth systemfor the 5km retaining walls. This is a fairly new methodof construction in the area and helped reduce both costsand the environmental impact of the works.With an anticipated finish date of September 2009, theopening of Qasr al Sarab will be just in time to host someof the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s elite away from the crushof the city.Qsar al Sarab (from top):East entrance,west entrance andvillas under construction18Vox | issue two