The GCC is home to a number of high-calibre leisure and tourism projects
JOINT WINNER GCC LEISURE & TOURISM PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Oman
Royal Opera House
Entrant: Al-Futtaim Carillion
Project owner: Royal Court Affairs
Project contractor: Royal Court Affairs
Engineering consultant: Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo
Architect: Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo
Description: The Royal Opera House has helped enrich cultural exchanges within Oman and beyond and has made a valuable contribution to increasing the sultanate’s tourism revenue. All shows and performances for the inaugural season were sold out to international and local visitors. During the opera house’s construction, 3,000 people were employed and training in specialist fields was included as part of the scope of work. Many local subcontractors were engaged in the project and international companies collaborated with local firms to develop their skills. An environmental study was undertaken, which required specialist consultancy in the areas of stage engineering, acoustics and sound and communication engineering.
JOINT WINNER GCC LEISURE & TOURISM PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Qatar
Extension to Qatar National Convention Centre and Link Bridge
Entrant: Six Construct
Project owner: Qatar Foundation – Astad
Project contractor: Midmac Contracting/Six Construct
Engineering consultant: Burns & McDonnell
Architect: Burns & McDonnell
Description: Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) was built to be a hub for international collaboration among leading specialists and delegates and to make Qatar one of the most dynamic, knowledge-based economies in the world. Sustainability was a main focus and QNCC has solar panels installed on its 3,500-square-metre roof, which provide 12.5 per cent of the building’s total electricity consumption. In addition, QNCC is the first building of its kind to receive gold certification from the US’ Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (Leed). QNCC is a six-storey structure with a basement that is 250 metres long and 110m wide. It is designed to resemble two intertwined sidra trees, the emblem of the Qatar Foundation.
UAE
Matajer al-Quoz
Entrant: Sharjah Holding
Project owner: Sharjah Holding
Project contractor: Al-Habtoor Leighton
Engineering consultant: GHD Global
Architect: Archcorp
Description: Matajer al-Quoz is a new neighbourhood shopping centre in Sharjah and is anchored by a supermarket featuring a range of high-quality retail, food and beverage brands and services. The centre was developed to bring the design, quality and ambience of larger-format shopping malls to local communities. The first Matajer opened in the Al-Quoz district of Sharjah in October 2011 and three more centres are set to open in the second quarter of 2012. The design brief required a simple, efficient structure that embraced local architecture, while creating a unique brand identity for the shopping mall that can be carried across Sharjah Holding’s entire portfolio of retail projects. Matajer al-Quoz’s architecture references traditional Arabic design and incorporates modern features in tune with the style of the local community.
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