#unitedarabemirates

theaitetos@diaspora.psyco.fr

BRICS Gets Bigger

The anti-Western economic alliance just expanded by 383 million people:

Six nations will become full-fledged members of the #BRICS group of nations starting January 2024, after their candidacies were approved by leaders of the current member states, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced. The expansion topped the agenda of the summit in #Johannesburg this week.

#Argentina, #Egypt, #Ethiopia, #Iran, #SaudiArabia, and the #UnitedArabEmirates were welcomed as new members on Thursday. The bloc currently consists of #Brazil, #Russia, #India, #China, and #SouthAfrica.

Ethiopia really stands out as a rather bizarre choice, until one takes into account that it is the 14th most populous state on Earth, ahead of both #Vietnam and #Turkey, two states that I was expecting to join BRICS. Argentina is also a little odd, as I would have expected #Venezuela, with its #oil riches, to join first, but it’s possible that its problems with #foreign #interference into its elections and its government might have prevented it from applying to the new organization.

Anyhow, what this indicates is that BRICS is as interested in raw numbers as it is in oil or technological advancement. So #Pakistan, #Indonesia, #Nigeria, and perhaps even #Bangladesh would appear to be on the short list, although conflict with India might keep Pakistan out and Nigeria appears to be among the #African nations most firmly attached to the #G7 states.

zeugma@diaspora.psyco.fr

"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing in it." ~ Jesse Owens2



#1936 #1971 #ajman #berlin #champion #gold #history #inspiration #inspirational #manama #medal #motivation #motivational #olympics #postage #quote #quotation #record #sports #stamp #uae #UnitedArabEmirates #world

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Foster + Partners surrounds Abu Dhabi Apple Store with stepped waterfall

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Al Maryah Island Apple Store in Abu Dhabi by Foster + Partners 

Foster + Partners has unveiled the Al Maryah Island Apple Store in Abu Dhabi, which is surrounded on all four sides by a stepped waterfall.

Built alongside the Galleria Al Maryah Island Mall, the store sits on a raised podium on the waterfront overlooking the city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Al Maryah Island Apple Store in Abu Dhabi by Foster + Partners The Al Maryah Island Apple Store is surrounded by a stepped waterfall

"The design of Apple Al Maryah Island is all about the view of the extraordinary skyline of Abu Dhabi and creating an experiential route for visitors, as they walk through surrounded by the calming water and mirrors," said Stefan Behling, head of studio at Foster + Partners.

"It seeks to draw the vitality of the waterfront promenade through the site and into the store, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, and generating an exhilarating and inspirational Apple store."

Store under Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange buildingIt was built in a plaza under the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange building

Foster + Partners enclosed the store, which is entirely sheltered by the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange building, with glazed walls on all sides.

It stands on a stepped pyramid formed of black granite stone that has water flowing down it.

Bridge under stepped waterfallA pair of bridges cross the water feature

"Elevated above the promenade, it marks a distinctive new presence as a glistening pearl atop a cascading black water feature," said Foster+ Partners.

The store also creates a direct connection between the mall and the water’s edge, activating the promenade and the public plaza.

Interior of Abu Dhabi Apple StoreThe Apple Store has views across Abu Dhabi

The store is accessed from two bridges that extend across the stepped water feature from the waterfront promenade.

It is directly connected to the mall by a covered walkway made from milled glass that is entered through a stainless-steel doorway.

[ Apple Marina Bay Sands store in Singapore by Foster + Partners

Read:

Apple unwraps spherical glass Apple Store in Singapore by Foster + Partners

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/09/09/apple-marina-bay-sands-store-spherical-singapore-foster-partners/)

The 22-metre-long corridor was topped with a stretched mirror foil ceiling to create "a kaleidoscopic effect" within the space.

Inside, the single-storey store has a 5.75-metre-high ceiling that is covered with stretched gold fabric.

Glass tunnelIt is connected to the Galleria Al Maryah Island Mall by a glass tunnel

The space has stone a floor made from the same black granite as the surrounding water feature. The display tables are arranged around Ficus trees.

In the United Arab Emirates, Foster + Partners previously created a store for Apple surrounded by carbon-fibre in Dubai. Other recent Apple Stores designed by Foster + Partners include a spherical glass store in Singapore and a shop in the historic Tower Theatre in Los Angeles.

The photography is by Nigel Young.

The post Foster + Partners surrounds Abu Dhabi Apple Store with stepped waterfall appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #architecture #publicandleisure #abudhabi #fosterpartners #apple #unitedarabemirates #applestores

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Killa Design's Museum of the Future opens in Dubai

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Killa Design's Museum of the Future in Dubai

A museum in Dubai dedicated to the future, which has been dubbed "the most beautiful building in the world" by the emirate's ruler, has officially opened its doors.

Designed by local studio Killa Design, the museum stands in a prominent location alongside Dubai's elevated train line, a short distance from the Burj Khalifa skyscraper – the world's tallest building.

Museum of the Future in DubaiThe Museum of the Future has opened in Dubai

Designed to be "an architectural and cultural icon", the museum consists of an elongated ring shape with a void at its centre, sat on a grass-covered mound.

The distinctive form led Dubai ruler and UAE vice president Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to state that the museum is "the most beautiful building in the world".

Dubai's elevated train line with Emirates Towers and Museum of the FutureIt stands alongside Dubai's elevated train line

Built for the Dubai Future Foundation, the seven-storey building contains a combination of exhibits dedicated to the future and workshops for testing and developing emerging technology.

"The Museum of the Future is a 'living museum', constantly adapting and metamorphosing as its very environment drives continual and iterative change to its exhibits and attractions," said Mohammed Al Gergawi, chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Museum in downtown DubaiDubai's ruler described the museum as "the most beautiful building in the world"

Killa Design's museum contains a 1,000-capacity multi-use hall, a 345-seat lecture theatre as well as numerous laboratory spaces.

Five floors of gallery space contain exhibits dedicated to space exploration, a digital recreation of the Amazon rainforest and prototypes of future products.

White spiral staircase in Dubai museumInternally the spaces have no columns

The 77-metre-high building is supported by a steel structure, developed with engineering studio Buro Happold, which was "digitally grown" using parametric tools.

This structure means that the building has no internal columns.

[ Dubai Expo pavilions

Read:

Ten must-see pavilions at Dubai Expo 2020

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/10/13/dubai-expo-2020-must-see-pavilions/)

It is clad in stainless steel with windows in the form of quotes from the emirate's ruler written in Arabic calligraphy.

The three sentences written on the building say: "We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone"; "The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. It isn't something you await, but rather create"; and "Innovation is not an intellectual luxury. It is the secret behind the evolution and rejuvenation of nations and peoples".

Gallery showing space travelExhibits include a space station simulator

This year Dubai is hosting the coronavirus-delayed Expo 2020 Dubai.

The event contained pavilions designed by some of the world's leading architects including Santiago Calatrava, Foster + Partners and Grimshaw. We rounded up 10 must-see pavilions at the expo.

The photography is courtesy of Dubai Future Foundation.


Project credits:

Client: Dubai Future Foundation

Developer: North25

Architect: Killa Design

Lead consultant (design, site supervision and contract administration): Buro Happold:

Structural engineering, facade engineering, sustainability, building services engineering: Buro Happold

Bridges, transport, infrastructure, geotechnical engineering, access, people flow modelling, fire and life safety, specialist lighting, acoustics, waste and logistics: Buro Happold

Project manager and employers representative: Matthews Southwest

Cost consultant: AECOM

AoR/EoR: Rice Perry Ellis Cracknell (Landscape),

AV/ICT: Mediatech

VT: RBA

Civils: CDM Smith

Programming: Matrix

H &S: Atkins

Security: Arkan

Auditorium: Theatre Projects

The post Killa Design's Museum of the Future opens in Dubai appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #architecture #cultural #dubai #museums #unitedarabemirates #culturalbuildings #killadesign

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Reports that Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final project is set to be built "misleading"

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Christo in front of a sketch for The Mastaba

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation has denied reports that the duo's Mastaba project is set to be realised in the UAE as it still doesn't have government authorisation.

Despite reports in several design publications that Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 150-metre-high prismatic sculpture was set to finally be built, the organisation that manages the artists' estate confirmed to Dezeen that it remains a proposal.

"Over the last weeks, some publications may have had misleading headlines letting some understand that The Mastaba, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final project, was being built in the Liwa Desert (UAE), which is not the reality," the foundation said.

Christo's scale model of The MastabaChristo's model of The Mastaba, which was intended to be built in the UAE desert. Above and top images of Christo are by Wolfgang Volz

"We are still in the planning phase of this project, which would be Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final and permanent work of art to be realised," said a representative for the foundation.

"Like the artists' past projects, The Mastaba will move forward when and if government approval is received. But we are grateful for public enthusiasm for this project and look forward to the possibility of bringing it to life."

[

Read:

Eight key projects by Christo and Jeanne Claude

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/06/01/christo-jeanne-claude-seven-key-projects-installations-design/)

The artists conceived of The Mastaba for the United Arab Emirates in 1977, more than 40 years ago. After Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009 and Christo in 2020 the work to realise their vision has continued, as per their wishes.

If built, The Mastaba will become the largest contemporary sculpture in the world, topping the Great Pyramid of Giza in height while being significantly wider.

One of Christo's sketches for The Mastaba, which the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation is still hoping to build. Photo is by André Grossmann

With a name and shape derived from a type of flat-roofed ancient Egyptian tomb, The Mastaba would be made from 410,000 55-gallon steel barrels that form a multicoloured pattern, echoing the mosaics of Islamic architecture.

The proposed location is the Liwa desert, approximately 160 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi, and the project would become the only permanent large-scale public sculpture by the artists, who are best known for temporary installations involving fabric and wrapping.

[ CristoChristo

Read:

Christo unveils floating Serpentine sculpture made from 7,506 barrels

](https://www.dezeen.com/2018/06/18/cristo-unveils-the-london-mastaba-floating-on-serpentine-lake/)

The project would be entirely self-funded by the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, but it needs government approval before it can go ahead.

The build would be carried out by Christo's nephew Vladimir Yavachev, who worked with the artists for 30 years and brought to life their L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped in 2021.

Diagram showing The Mastaba containing the Great Pyramid of GizaThe Mastaba would be taller and wider than the Great Pyramid of Giza

The Mastaba would be the artists' final artwork, as Christo authorised no further projects beyond these two before his death.

While a recent tweet from the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation hinted at upcoming updates about The Mastaba, the organisation clarified to Dezeen that this referred to exhibitions and other showcase opportunities.

The Colnaghi Gallery presented some of Christo's sketches for The Mastaba during the Abu Dhabi Art fair at the end of 2021, hoping to cultivate interest in the project's realisation.

Black-and-white photograph of Christo and Jeanne-Claude walking over sand dunes in a desertChristo and Jeanne-Claude searching for a site for The Mastaba in the UAE 1982. Photo is by Wolfgang Volz

The Mastaba was previously brought to life in a mini, floating version in London in 2018. It was the last project Christo completed before his death in 2020, at the age of 84.

He met his wife and creative partner Jeanne-Claude in 1958, and the two went on to produce works such as Wall of Oil Barrels, Wrapped Coast, Valley Curtain and Surrounded Islands. Christo continued to make work under both their names after Jeanne-Claude's death in 2009.

All photography courtesy of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation.

The post Reports that Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final project is set to be built "misleading" appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #design #news #installations #unitedarabemirates #sculptures #christo

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SOM designs UAE diplomacy building with Middle Eastern motifs in Manhattan

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Architecture firm SOM has designed a limestone-clad building patterned with symbolic palm leaves for the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in Manhattan.

The building represents the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) diplomacy to the United Nations (UN) and is located in Manhattan's Turtle Bay neighbourhood, close to the UN headquarters.

Palm leaf motifs on UAE buildingThe building features palm leaf motifs

The Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations is an organisation set up by the UAE to champion the UN and is headed by ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.

Indiana limestone, sourced from the same quarries that provided the facades for the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, clads the diplomacy building.

Turtle Bay neighbourhood in ManhattanIt is located in Manhattan's Turtle Bay, close to the UN headquarters

The 10-storey tower was designed to blend with the scale of the rest of the neighbourhood while also representing the UAE.

SOM added palm leaf motifs to the building's canopy and entrance as an international symbol of peace.

UAE UN building facadeThe facade's tapering limestone piers echo narrowing palm leaves

As the tower rises, the facade's vertical elements attenuate to cater to privacy and light-related needs within the building, which also echoes the narrowing spine of a palm leaf.

"The palm is represented by the tapering limestone piers extending skywards from the second floor to the roof," SOM design partner Chris Cooper told Dezeen.

Interiors inside diplomacy buildingMiddle Eastern courtyards informed the building's interiors

Visitors enter the building via a 40-foot-tall (13-metre) double-height hallway that was designed to echo a courtyard in a traditional Middle Eastern house.

"On the interior, the concept of hospitality blends Middle Eastern tradition with diplomatic decorum," continued Cooper.

Neutral interiors by SOMSOM designed the project to be symbolic of international exchange

"The space brings guests and staff together in an environment that is dignified, understated, and symbolic of international exchange."

Split into three zones, the building's first two storeys house the entry hall and event spaces, while floors three to six feature an amenity level and staff offices.

Staff officesOffice spaces are included in the building

Levels seven and eight are reserved for executive areas, and at the top portion of the building, there is a roof terrace with impressive views of the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza below and the East River beyond.

"The layout of each floor of the building is inspired by the principle of the central courtyard, with a central reception and gathering space that is accessible from the elevator lobby," explained Cooper.

"These spaces choreograph the visitor's progression through the building – heeding the hospitable nature of Middle Eastern culture."

Throughout the building, interiors pay tribute to the Middle East. Conference rooms include a traditional geometric pattern known as mashrabiya, which features in every UAE diplomatic office around the world.

Lebanese designer Nada Debs created the interiors for the building's entry hall with a palette of natural materials intended to evoke serenity, such as Northern Canadian limestone.

Neutral interiors in the diplomacy buildingNeutral interiors are intended to reflect the diplomatic nature of the building

Amenity spaces were designed with flat-cut American walnut and Calacatta marble, while executive spaces house Majlis areas for entertaining guests.

"In designing the mission, we endeavored to integrate Middle Eastern and local motifs, symbolising the power and importance of cross-cultural exchange and rooting the building in New York City's architectural traditions," said Cooper.

Calacatta marble in SOM's buildingMarble features in amenity spaces

SOM is an American firm founded by Louis Skidmore, Nathaniel Owings and John Merrill in 1939. The office was recently chosen to design a mass-timber Olympic village for the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics.

The photography and drawings are courtesy of SOM.

The post SOM designs UAE diplomacy building with Middle Eastern motifs in Manhattan appeared first on Dezeen.

#cultural #all #architecture #usa #marble #unitedarabemirates #skidmoreowingsmerrill #newyorkcity #limestone #unitednations #newyork