Dutch architectural studio MVRDV has created a development of 525 apartments on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island.
The apartments are of varying sizes and prices, ranging from more affordable studios to spacious, luxury three-bedroom homes.
The idea behind the seven-staggered housing block development was to create a communal plaza and stepped terraces to encourage people to spend time mixing with each other. They hope to buck the trend of ‘luxury over community.’
The seven structures that make up the development are organised around the edges of the site, creating space for the central plaza. The tallest of the seven reaches 92 metres in height.
“With Pixel, we challenged the residential typologies that have become the norm in the UAE. Instead of nondescript, isolated towers made palatable by a veneer of luxury finishes on the interior, Pixel makes it possible for residents to spend some time outdoors, become friends with their neighbours, to invite visitors for a meal in the restaurant in the plaza.
“It encourages a way of life that is not only enjoyable but environmentally and socially more sustainable than the alternatives.”
Jacob van Rijs, Founding Partner, MVRDV
The Pixel scheme is the first project to be completed in Makers District, which developer Imkan has created on Al Reem Island.
Residents and locals have access to a range of restaurants and shops at ground level, and facilities including a gym, healthcare clinic, nursery and offices on the first floor.
MVRDV has arranged the Pixel towers to maximise shade and encourage breeze throughout the plaza. Lining the courtyard-facing facades are shade screens formed of tiles in 14 different pastel shades.
“The facades facing this plaza are what truly bring the project to life. At their bases, the towers crumble into ‘pixels’, spilling out into the plaza to create terraces and bay windows. These extend the living spaces inside into the public realm, encouraging residents to enjoy the outdoors in the cooler months of the year.”
MVRDV
The Abu Dhabi market is increasingly attracting high-net-worth-individuals (HNWI). The super-rich around the world are prepared to spend US$ 408.3m on residential real estate in Abu Dhabi.
Adding to that and a further US$ 388.5m in Ras Al Khaimah, according to global property consultancy Knight Frank’s second annual 2024 Destination Dubai report.
Knight Frank surveyed 317 HNWI – 217 around the world and 100 GCC-based HNWI expats – to gain an understanding of their attitudes, appetite and aspirations when it comes to investing in real estate in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah.
