| Title: | Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Markets: | Public Realm, Education |
| Client: | Masder Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company |
| Services: | Landscape architecture |
| Region: | Middle East and Africa |
| Date: | 2011 |
A major public realm design project for The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, based within the world's first totally green city in Abu Dhabi.
As part of the wider Masdar City Masterplan, Gillespies worked alongside Foster + Partners to deliver the campus's landscapes and urban realm.
The key aim was to create a public outdoor space that could be used all year round, with emphasis on the summer season. The completed campus consists of a series of walkable streets and courtyard spaces shaded by buildings, trees, and a planting strategy, creating comfortable conditions for pedestrians and contributing to reducing the air temperature.
A dramatic main courtyard — 'the Oasis' — provides the campus with a flexible space suitable for individuals, small groups or large gatherings, with numerous seating areas surrounded by lush planting and gently bubbling water features.
Awards
- 2011 RIBA International Award
- 2011 British Expertise International Awards: Outstanding International Architecture Project
