LAVA wins the international design competition for the heart of Masdar
As the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources, Masdar in the UAE is a planned city located 17 kilometres from Abu Dhabi.
A government initiative, the city is being constructed over seven phases and is due to be completed by 2016. With giant umbrellas design that based on the principles of sunflowers, will provide moveable shade in the day, store heat, then close and release the heat at night in the plaza of a new eco-city in the United Arab Emirates.
The Masdar city centre includes a plaza, five-star hotel, long stay hotel, a convention centre and entertainment complex and retail facilities.
The solar powered ‘sunflower’ umbrellas capture the sun’s rays during the day, fold at night releasing the stored heat, and open again the next day. They follow the projection of the sun to provide continuous shade during the day.
Some other key innovations of the winning plan include:
- Building façade angles that can be altered to offset or optimise solar glare.
- Materials on wall surfaces respond to changing temperatures and contain minimal embedded energy.
- Water features can be stored underground during the day and at night trickle or flow strongly, triggered by passersby.
- Interactive light poles, inspired by the oasis fire, transform the plaza into a 3-dimensional interactive media installation.
- Interactive, heat sensitive technology activates lighting in response to pedestrian traffic and mobile phone usage.
- Roof gardens integrate food production, energy generation, water efficiency and the reuse of organic food waste.
East and west are fused in the plaza design inspired by both the oasis, as the epicenter of Arabic nomadic life, and the iconic piazza of historical European cities.
The organic forms created by the forces of natural erosion in geographical landmarks such as great canyons and wadis are the design inspiration behind the key buildings in the city centre.
LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture)
Founded in 2007 with offices in Sydney, Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi. Directors Chris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser and Alexander Rieck have completed a range of projects in Germany, Australia and the U.A.E. 2008 saw the successful launch of the Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower an ultra-luxury residential tower in Abu Dhabi, the future hotel Showcase suite in Germany and Green Void in Australia.
Images credit: MIR, Simon and LAVA
LAVA
Laboratory for Visionary Architecture
Chris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser, Alexander Rieck
Asia Pacific
Surry Hills
Sydney NSW 2010
Australia
Phone: +61 2 92801475
Europe
Heilbronner Strasse 7
70174 Stuttgart
Germany
Phone: +41 711 722 329 01
www.l-a-v-a.net
directors@l-a-v-a.net
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