Markus Jatsch reveals Abu Dhabi beachfront plans

The firm will redesign the emirate’s Corniche Beach for the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

Working with American landscape stars Martha Schwartz Partners, Markus Jatsch has been tasked with restoring the beach’s past as a landmark and giving it a future as a sustainability icon.

Jatsch, who has worked at David Chipperfield Architects and co-founded Jatsch Laux Architects, told the AJ that his new practice hoped to capitalise on a wave of public realm projects in the region.

‘We hope to win more work like this not only in Abu Dhabi but across the Middle East,’ he said.

‘There is real potential in the Middle East – they seem to be starting to realise that signature buildings by famous architects can not solve all their problems.

‘There is a second generation of schemes focusing on the public realm.’

The Corniche Beach scheme involves turning existing and reclaimed beaches, promenade and parkland into multi-use and flexible space.

Facilities will include changing rooms, snack bars, restaurants, beach clubs, bike trails, sports areas and children’s play areas.

According to the practice, the design will ‘maximize the visual connections back into the city and out to the sea, as well as mitigating the impact of the busy road using a raised landscape’.

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