Masdar Sustainable City Abu Dhabi
A lovely day out at the elegant Masdar City, conceived as the world’s first carbon-neutral city which I loved exploring! My son-in-law has a passion and career in city planning and took us on a fascinating and fun family visit.
On first impressions, the residential neighborhoods, shops, restaurants and open spaces are so gracefully connected by traditional terracotta geometric screens, with exteriors of baked brickwork and local slate on courtyard floors there is texture and harmony. Structures were clean, elegant and distinctive in their unusual shapes, and interspersed with contemporary art; there are wind towers creating these cool shady areas.
The AI university and student accommodation is still being added and it was a dusty drive past the nearby construction sites. I particularly loved those looming elegant wind towers, drawing me into the shadowy open courtyards, very welcome.
The ancient technology used in harnessing the wind, effectively cooled the sides of the buildings making it a pleasure to sit and enjoy photographing the designs and structures that so carefully reference the traditional Islamic designs of the region, the solar panels that power the city mostly discreetly hidden above walkways and higher buildings.
The labyrinth of connected spaces that is Masdar City, beside the contrasting desert setting and a partly urban space makes for a serene quiet and calm empty space.
The inspiring modern designs adapted from more traditional Islamic architectural constructions with dome roofs, sweeping archways, large courtyard, rounded and curvilinear buildings, interspaced with art and gardens of local plantings. Elegant auditoriums with empty cafes and parks, waiting for people to populate, even awaiting the present to catch up and arrive in this particular future, a ghostly empty part future, part past.
