Waterfront development in Oman will deliver new homes, a cultural quarter and a government campus
Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its US$1.3bn proposals to create a new waterfront mixed-use neighourhood in Muscat, the capital city of Oman.
The practice’s plans for Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning will revitalise an existing administrative and industrial area of the city, introducing new residential neighbourhoods, mixed-use developments catering to government departments, and a new cultural quarter.
ZHA’s proposals, which have a value of £1bn at today’s exchange rates, will also deliver a marina, beaches, sports facilities and a canal walkway. The Al Khuwair district has been designed to house a population of 64,500.
The scheme has been worked up in partnership with consultants Buro Happold and real-estate specialist CBRE. It includes the retrofit of existing buildings for the ministry campus, on-site renewables, interventions to support low-energy and water usage, and a focus on public transport and walkability.
ZHA associate director Paolo Zilli said the development had been designed to connect local and international communities and embrace a sustainable vision for the future.
“Seamlessly integrated within the urban fabric of Muscat, Al Khuwair will create a bridge between the coastal landscapes of the Arabian Sea and the Hajar Mountains that surround the city,” he said.
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Oman has a $33bn (£25.7bn) pipeline of planned urban development projects for the next two decades. The nation’s population is projected to almost double from the current 1.5m to 2.7m by 2040.
A SOM-masterplanned extension to the capital, named after sultan Haitham bin Tariq, will span 1,480ha to the west of Muscat. The first phase alone will accommodate 39,000 people in around 7,000 homes.
Foster & Partners is working on an agricultural city in the Al Najd region with Dar Al Handasah Consultants.
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