Dubai, Nakheel has revealed the masterplan for Waterfront City, the vibrant centrepiece of Waterfront, the largest urban development project in the world.
Waterfront City is planned to become a lively city center 24 hours a day for a predicted residential population of 92,000 and a working population of approximately 310,000 people. Covering a land area of more than 330 hectares, Waterfront City comprises of a central island surrounded by four neighbouring districts - the Boulevard, Madinat Al Soor, the Resort, and the Marina.

Located on the western shores of Dubai, the entire Waterfront development will transform 1.4 billion ft² of empty desert and sea into an international community for an estimated population of 1.5 million people that is twice the size of Hong Kong Island.

Matt Joyce, Nakheel Managing Director, Waterfront, said: "Waterfront City is set to form the ‘heart' of Waterfront and the masterplan has been designed in such a way to cater not only for businesses, but for Dubai residents and visitors alike. Each of the five districts making up Waterfront City possess their own individual character and are vital for the promotion of a diverse and unified city.

"It will have a density similar to that of Manhattan, and with that in mind, commerce, retail, culture, and private accommodation will be overlapped to create a compact city center. Waterfront City will include a central park, large mosque area, and iconic landmark attractions that will enable visitors and residents to enjoy a lively global city."

The Central Island district, a grid of five streets by five streets, is the defining element of the design of Waterfront City; it will create walkable distances between blocks, easing the flow of traffic passing through the city. To ensure maximum shading and climate control in the city, the higher building masses are concentrated on the south side also making efficient use of wind flows for cooling. To guarantee further protection from the sun each city block is lined with arcades and planted with trees.

Rem Koolhaas, Founder & Principal, the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), who were involved in the masterplanning of Waterfront City, said: "Waterfront is the largest and most ambitious urban development project to be masterplanned from scratch. We were tasked with creating a central business district that not only competes on a global scale, but that acts as the center for a new, to be developed, city.

All of the surrounding areas as well as the Central Island will be connected by a comprehensive public transport system, including Dubai's new metro train system. Waterfront City will also have a direct link to the Al Maktoum International Airport, currently under construction and set to become Dubai's main airport hub.

OMA's Ras al Khaimah Convention and Exhibition Centre by Rem Koolhaas

 

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