Fun things to do in Abu Dhabi

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Completed in 2010, this sleek arched bridge was designed by the renowned Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. It is 842 metres long and is one of three bridges that connect the Abu Dhabi island with the mainland.The wave-like arches are said to have been inspired by sand dunes, but looking from the side, some locals liken them to a curvaceous woman sunbathing on a beach! Zaha Hadid's second work on the island is going to be the performance arts centre on Saadiyat Island.

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This multi-skyscraper complex is located on the Corniche just opposite the old Sheraton Hotel. It is called Capital Plaza Towers and contains five towers, three of which are residential, one is an office block, and the last one is the Sofitel Hotel. Each tower rises to a different height, but the tallest one reaches 210 metres. The whole complex was designed by the architectural firm SRSS (Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart), a Singapore-based firm that has developed projects through out the world, including many luxury hotels. Capital Plaza Towers were completed in 2011.

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Undoubtedly the most striking skyscraper in Abu Dhabi, Capital Gate is known as “the leaning tower of Abu Dhabi.” Unlike that of Pisa, however, Capital Gate was designed intentionally so by the British architectural firm RMJM. It rises 160 metres and is supposedly the world’s most leaning man-made tower. It was commissioned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and completed in 2011, but its official opening is only occurring in December 2012. The building contains offices and the Hyatt Hotel, plus a shopping centre at the lower levels. When I visited Abu Dhabi in November 2012, the building was colourfully illuminated by night in anticipation of its upcoming inauguration.

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One of several ambitious development projects in Abu Dhabi, Pearl Island is intended to attract international business and tourists to the capital city of the UAE. While still many months from completion, the construction on the island off the main island of Abu Dhabi is well under way. The attached photos show the progress in the construction from June to October 2008, as seen from the beach at Beach Club Rotana Hotel.

UPDATE: In Feb 2013, a handful of the construction projects on Pearl Island had been completed, and many more were still underway.

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A French architect was the natural selection for the Abu Dhabi branch of Musée du Louvre, a yet-to-be started project on Saâdiyat Island. Jean Nouvel is no stranger to the Arab world, for he has designed the beautiful Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Among his other famous works is la Torre Agbar in Barcelona and Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. His daring design for Abu Dhabi includes a floating dome above the museum to filter the scorching solar rays in that part of the world. The attached model and drawings are photos I took in an exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel.

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Frank Gehry could not be left out of the list of innovative architects tasked with designing monumental edifices for Saâdiyat Island. He was given the Abu Dhabi branch of the Guggenheim Museum to design - a natural choice given that he had already designed the one in Bilbao. In Abu Dhabi, his design seems to be inspired by cubes and cylinders randomly arranged, and could well be one of his best. The project is still nothing but a project, but architecture-lovers must be counting the days... The attached photos are of an exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

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Designed by the renowned Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre is still a project waiting to be built. It will be located on Saâdiyat Island, the new development that will transform Abu Dhabi into a futuristic, eco-friendly, cultural city. Much like her other designs, Zaha Hadid's vision for this edifice is rather unique and will certainly make it a landmark. I took the attached photos of the building's model and paintings in an exhibition held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

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Little more than an architectural drawing on a map and a construction site, Saâdiyat Island is another ambitious development project in Abu Dhabi. The island is adjacent to the Abu Dhabi and Pearl Islands and will eventually be a city in itself with mostly residential and commercial buildings and resort complexes. The first step in this development was the construction of a bridge linking Abu Dhabi to Saâdiyat Island. I managed to capture this under construction bridge in one of the attached photos in 2008. The main photo is of a model of the island at an exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel. The website below contains the vision. Let's keep watching the rest of the island rise...