Aldar Central Market

Foster + Partners | Abu Dhabi, UAE | 2011 | Grid Shading System

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Grid Shading System, US & International Patents Pending

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Experiment with this system using our Cladding & Shading Systems Interactive

Abu Dhabi's historic Central Market is to be transformed into a dynamic new quarter with markets, shops, offices, apartments, and hotels. One of the oldest sites in the city, Central Market will be a reinterpretation of the traditional marketplace and a new civic heart for Abu Dhabi. The project comprises a combination of lower-rise, ecologically sensitive levels of retail, roof gardens—forming a new public park—and three towers.

Using the Adaptive Building Initiative's Grid System, Hoberman Associates developed several exterior shading roofs that are to be installed in three public squares housed within the retail complex.

The kinetic design works off of an operable grid. In its covered configuration, the shading roof will resemble a traditional coffered Islamic roof. When retracted, the roof will become a slender lattice that complements the Foster team's designs for fixed shading.

Adaptive Shading Coverage: 3,000 sq. ft.
Number of operable units: 72
Materials: Aluminum, Steel, and Wood Laminate
Control System: Each unit driven by a servo motor with custom array control