[Tom In Chicago]

Foster & Partners Architects

http://www.centralmarket.ae/images/right.jpg
© ALDAR Properties

http://www.centralmarket.ae/pictures/img_1.jpg
© ALDAR Properties

http://www.centralmarket.ae/pictures/img_4.jpg
© ALDAR Properties

http://www.pbase.com/temper/image/96661780.jpg
© Tom in Chicago

http://www.pbase.com/temper/image/96662471.jpg
© Tom in Chicago

http://www.pbase.com/temper/image/96662543.jpg
© Tom in Chicago

http://www.pbase.com/temper/image/96662609.jpg
© Tom in Chicago

. . .

[Aleks]

I really like these towers. Very nice. And the base mismatches the rest of the towers. But the sleek stainless steel look looks great with the rusty colored base.

[giallo]

Now this is a Dubai tower(s) I can get behind. Fantastic!

[malec]

From March 3rd

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/2308621254_22bb6aebd5_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/2307813709_a743127227_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/2307812809_64cc499fba_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2096/2308618248_9bb069cef4_b.jpg

http://flickr.com/photos/thearchigeek/sets/72157600169785460/

[Tom In Chicago]

Again. . . these buildings are in Abu Dhabi. . . NOT Dubai. . .

[Dac150]

I don't know, I just don't see the attraction in this architecture. I'm sure in person these (or buildings such as these) are a sight to see, but from just looking at pictures, they're not doing much for me.

[malec]

Some more pictures.


http://sniper1980.googlepages.com/img_04.jpg

http://sniper1980.googlepages.com/img_9.jpg

http://sniper1980.googlepages.com/img_016.jpg

http://sniper1980.googlepages.com/img_03.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/altind/ADCentralMarket.jpg

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/800FosterDubai.jpg

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/3710/52387174hs8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/5493/28571249fs1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3239/17507608mn4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6320/84064610lo3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3076/27983799bf6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/9097/12089059pj0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[StatenIslander237]

That mall is friggin' sexy!!!

[giallo]

Again. . . these buildings are in Abu Dhabi. . . NOT Dubai. . .

Oh yeah, thanks. I just assume everything is in Dubai.

[Lecom]

Wow, sleek, and the interiors... hot damn

[jlousa]

IMO Abu Dhabi will come out superior to Dubai after all the dust settles. Larry Beasley and friends are doing a great job with planning there.

[Tom In Chicago]

Abu Dhabi has hundreds of huge projects that don't get talked about. . . what they're doing on the islands is no less impressive than what we already know is going on in Dubai. . .

[samoen313]

Foster + Friends have been one of the most consistent firms in the past two decades. I can think of few of his projects that are objectionable and, more importantly, they all seem to stand out as really unique towers, or as unique as you can get with a somewhat standardized architectural "vocabulary." A very sleek project.

[chex]

very nice, but i dont understand the name of the thread... 2 88 floor towers.. and the tallest???
the mall is very nice, cool interiors...

[photolitherland]

They should build something new and refreshing, Dubai has done these designs to death.

[Tom In Chicago]

Someone felt it necessary to change the title of the thread. . . not sure what they used as sources, but I think it's 55, 57 and 88 floor buildings. . . if memory serves me correct. . . the tallest - of course - topping out over 382 meters. . .

[Lecom]

Foster + Friends have been one of the most consistent firms in the past two decades. I can think of few of his projects that are objectionable and, more importantly, they all seem to stand out as really unique towers, or as unique as you can get with a somewhat standardized architectural "vocabulary." A very sleek project.

Agreed.

[Bergenser]

That is a great project!

[gttx]

These towers remind me of Twizzler's Pull 'N Peel. Mmmm.

[LoverOfDubai]

IMO Abu Dhabi will come out superior to Dubai after all the dust settles.

Despite what my user name says, I have to agree with the above statment, jlousa. Abu Dhabi is much more urban (and has a better city structure) and is doing things much more slowly. The history and culture of Abu Dhabi are much more visible than in Dubai.

[LoverOfDubai]

They should build something new and refreshing, Dubai has done these designs to death.

Dubai has "done these designs to death," but Abu Dhabi has not. Remember, this is in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai.

[malec]

http://adimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=AD&Dato=20080730&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=403867209&Ref=PH&Item=6&Maxw=455

http://adimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=AD&Dato=20080730&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=403867209&Ref=PH&Item=7&Maxw=455

http://adimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=AD&Dato=20080730&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=403867209&Ref=PH&Item=8&Maxw=455

Taken from the national newspaper
http://thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=AD&Dato=20080730&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=403867209&Ref=PH

THese photos are from July 20th.

[StatenIslander237]

I just love the mall, I just want to go shopping there.

[Lecom]

Green suits? Well that's a departure from Dubai's standard Blue Man Group. I guess Abu Dhabi is doing its own thing. Green ftw.

Nice to see the towers progress so far. As most of the foundation work seems to be done, we should see these shooting upwards in no time.

Love Abu Dhabi's downtown density too. Seems much more walkable than Dubai's current highrise areas, while Dubai's dense districts lack the height that Abu Dhabi has. In the meanwhile, the new project provides a much needed central open area for the district, anchored by a massive space for congregation and signature towers. A great way to handle the focal point of a dense business center.

[Chitown]

I'm going to be very interested to see how the curtainwall looks in real life. I don't see how they can replicate the look of the render, but I sure hope they do.

[malec]

Updates from cleveraz on SSC


updates 8 SEP 2008 ( PLS IGNORE THE DATE ON THE PICs,ITS MY MISTAKE)

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/269/1000272pj9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/341/1000277uz7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/957/1000279zk0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6228/1000285ys2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/8259/1000284eh0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[glowrock]

It's going to be very interesting seeing projects like this one in person when I arrive in Abu Dhabi this weekend!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Tom In Chicago]

Make sure you take lots of construction photos for us. . .

[glowrock]

Will do, Tom. Got to Abu Dhabi late last night, already starting to explore (generally by taxi) the place. Pretty amazing stuff, though the vast, vast majority of the buildings are in the 15-25 story range... :)

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Tom In Chicago]

^I would have rented a car if I were you. . . I covered a lot more ground that way and didn't find any trouble with parking. . .

[glowrock]

Can't rent a car, my company's policy. Of course, with the insane drivers, I'm glad I'm NOT driving! :)

Aaron (Glowrock)

[malec]

Very late yes I know.

From flickr, November 22, by Archigeek

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/3097388329_f86ab322ba_b.jpg

[malec]

Updates:

updates feb 3 09

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7218/p1010076kv1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8008/p1010078aw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6894/p1010079en7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6933/p1010080xe5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Aleks]

I hope these towers get really nice cladding like the Guangzhou Twin Towers. Those towers have some sexy glass! And hopefully these don't get that cheap, crap that looks like it's gonna pop out of the window frame.

[malec]

Photos from Archigeek on flickr from sometime in february

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3513/3312012174_a7d425f3d7_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3311181721_29138e082d_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3312012098_44c29720f4_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3311181621_847c616590_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3311181567_b499540b3d_o.jpg

[malec]

Starting to get tall now.

I'm surprised we don't find any more updates on this to be honest. Neary a 400m tower in any other country and it would be the talk of the city.
Anyway its rising nicely.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/3575299173_13885beda0_b.jpg
High-Res (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thearchigeek/3575299173/sizes/o/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3576105964_2cd2655647_b.jpg
High-Res (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thearchigeek/3576105964/sizes/o/in/photostream/)

[malec]

Good fast progress on these now. Go to the link for an update and click on central market.

http://www.aldar.com/construction_progress.en

[malec]

Getting tall:

The Central Market: 7/Aug/2009

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8711/img1324c.th.jpg (http://img259.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1324c.jpg)
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7258/img1326wia.th.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1326wia.jpg)
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5427/img1330d.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1330d.jpg)
http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/1029/img1332c.th.jpg (http://img30.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1332c.jpg)
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4069/img1334z.th.jpg (http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1334z.jpg)
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6374/img1335q.th.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1335q.jpg)
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3406/img1336.th.jpg (http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1336.jpg)
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5638/img1329n.th.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1329n.jpg)

[malec]

Updates:

Developers update >> August 2009

More pic's here (http://www.aldar.com/construction_progress_gallery.php?m=construction_centralmarket_09-08)


http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9498/market1.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9259/market2.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/2796/market4.jpg

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1300/market3.jpg

[Aleks]

Nice progress, but whatever happened to the other tower? And that mall will be one of the best looking on earth!

[malec]

Update

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1392/dscn2867p.jpg

Dose anybody have any information on that tower seen on the project board?

[malec]

Update

New Render

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5265/centralmarket.jpg


10th December

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5720/centralmarketupdate.jpg

[Tom In Chicago]

update. . .

January 11th by Archigeek

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/8937/42659884857d10fbcd2fo.jpg


We have cladding!

January 11th by Igor
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/8263/img0419u.jpg

[Lecom]

Took these long enough to get some cladding.

[chex]

great! really dig these towers!

[Fabb]

Looks like Foster recycled his WTC design.

[Lecom]

Looks like Foster recycled his WTC design.

Aside from the very basic massing, I see no similarity at all.

[malec]

Update showing this and Landmark Tower

Aldar's January update

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5342/capture4.jpg

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/4893/capture1u.jpg

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1904/capture5z.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3999/capture2ai.jpg

LOVE this affect
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4573/capture3ko.jpg

See more here (http://www.aldar.com/construction_progress_gallery.php?m=construction_centralmarket_10-01)

[Hoodrat]

Stunning!