Foster + Partners unveils Abu Dhabi world trade centre

Foster + Partners has unveiled its design for Abu Dhabi World Trade Center, which will be constructed in a new waterfront city near Abu Dhabi.

The design for the building, which will sit on a peninsula extending into the vast semicircular marina of Al Raha Beach, was revealed this week at the international property fair Mipim in Cannes.

The architect says its design strategy was “a highly specific response to the climate and topography of this dramatic coastal site”.

The building, which will include offices, apartments, a hotel and shops, features a variety of sustainable design elements.

The building's voluptuous outline appears swathed in a skin of shimmering stripes that are actually a reactive louvered shading system angled to minimise solar gain.

The south side of building is indented to reduce the external area exposed to direct sunlight, while its roof is streamlined according to the local prevailing winds to encourage cooling air currents around and through the building.

The main entrance leads into a soaring central atrium that is buffered from the climatic extremes of desert winds and strong sun by the apartments and offices surrounding it.

Around the outside of the building, the roof overhang creates a shaded walkway for pedestrians.

The project is due to start on site this summer.