DBI - Architects, Etihad Towers, 2011
The Etihad Towers are a clearly recognisable landmark in the urban landscape of Abu Dhabi. The complex is composed of five towers of different heights connected by a platform: one tower houses a luxury hotel, another comprises offices and three are for residential use with a total of 885 flats. The ethereal volumes in reflective glass gently flex upwards, as if shaped by the power of the wind. The Observation Deck at 300m, located on level 74 of the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers skyscraper, is the city's highest viewing point, from which to enjoy a cocktail and take in spectacular sights of the Corniche and the Arabian Gulf.
Photo offcaania via Adobe Stock
Founder's Memorial
Since Sheikh Zayed's death in 2004, his figure as a foresighted strategist still hovers in the air as the Founder's Memorial suggests. The monument to the memory of the "founding father" consists of a garden planted with typical desert essences and enriched by water features (Heritage Garden), a visitors' centre and a monolithic cubic pavilion (Sanctuary Garden) housing "The Constellation": Ralph Helmick's installation that evokes the Sheikh's face shaped by more than a thousand suspended light points and suggests his ineffable presence, especially after sunset.