Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Completed: 2020
Architect: CEBRA Architects
Engineering Consultancy: GHD
Along the southern shores of the Arabian Gulf, the eastern coastline of the UAE extends for more than 644 kilometres. This alluring stretch of coast and the surrounding islands in the Abu Dhabi Emirate are home to over 70% of the total mangroves situated in the Gulf. The mangrove habitat in Abu Dhabi is the only coastal forest that links the sea and land in the UAE and is a significant resource for managing pollution and maintaining the biodiversity of a wide variety of flora and fauna that have a symbiotic relationship with this unique habitat. Recognising the country’s crucial role and responsibility towards this environment, the government has committed to revitalising and conserving the mangrove habitat by planting 100 million more mangrove plants by 2030.
Jubail Mangrove Park is one such collective feat of the government and private developers to build a one-of-a-kind eco-tourism destination that has a minimal ecological footprint on this distinct marine habitat while creating an exciting and serene experience for visitors of all ages through learning and entertainment.
Design
CEBRA Architects describe the core idea surrounding their design process as “Learning from the Landscape.” To achieve this, the architecture is developed from a deep understanding of the geological and biological conditions of the habitat, creating spaces that reflect a programme allowing people to continuously learn from the landscape through their experience of it. The design mainly includes the visitor centre, the boardwalk, and the learning nodes, which have been strategically distributed and adapted to varying site conditions. The simplicity and beauty of the form are achieved by permuting and combining only three physical design elements: the paths, shading roofs, and boxes.
The average tourist’s experience of the park primarily involves wandering through the boardwalk. This simple experience is designed to be a memorable journey for anyone. The trail is designed to be in three loops of 1km, 1.6km, and 2km, with a staggering and deviating line geometry that creates intrigue that no first-time visitor can easily predict. The varying lengths of the loops give the visitor a choice to turn back at different points of their journey without causing disruption to the flow of movement and allowing them to continue their experience seamlessly.
Materials and Construction
One of the bigger challenges of the project was its execution in an ecologically sensitive marine environment, which was done by the Australian firm GHD. The structure of the 2.6km long boardwalk is made to withstand varying degrees of saline water conditions in the tidal lagoon. Any construction that blocks or alters the flow of current could have detrimental effects on the mangrove habitat. Therefore, even during the construction process involving many labourers and heavy equipment, GHD claims to have taken precautious care to educate workers on the sensitivity of the habitat and design and plan for less invasive construction techniques. By incorporating newer ecologically sensitive practices in construction like “eco-engineering” instead of massive imposing structures, the park can create these microhabitats that invite a diversity of aquatic animals that we can learn from and interact with.
The materiality of the project involves durable and protected steel and concrete foundations that support the boardwalk floating over the water. The benches, trellises, tower facades, shading roofs, and walkways are covered in treated timber that blends in colour and texture with the natural environment around.
Sustainability
Due to the hot and arid climate of the Arabian Gulf, these areas have greater salinity levels and higher annual temperature fluctuations than most other seas in the world. Only one of the 50 mangrove species in the world thrives in these conditions – the Grey Mangrove (Avicennia marina), known locally as the Al-Qurum. But, despite its resilience, increased human activity and global warming put it at risk of extinction.
A walk through the Jubail Mangrove Park’s trail puts anyone in awe of the beauty of these small yet abundant sparsely scattered mangroves in clear blue-green waters. From kayaking and tree planting to viewing decks and play nets for children, there are small and large interactive experiences made possible for the public through conscious design and programme development. The park’s design and architecture, which blur the boundary between built spaces and the natural environment, act as an educational testimony to how positive, controlled human interventions through sustainable practices can mutually benefit both humans and nature.
While this project is an inspiring ecological marvel, it is important to remember that it is not possible to right all our wrongs through simple restoration. The effects of most of our irreversible actions towards the environment have already taken hold. Before the human exploitation of the Gulf marine habitat, historical records demonstrate that there was one other species of mangrove called Rhizophora Mucronata once in Abu Dhabi. But this species soon became extinct in the region as a result of wood cutting and over-exploitation. Today, extensive trials and research are being conducted to bring back this species while maintaining the existing ecosystem without much human intervention. While the Jubail Mangrove Park is a testament to what can be achieved with government-level policy changes and private-sector investments, the truth is that our planet cannot take any more undeserved hits. Carbon sinks like mangrove habitats are one of the few buffers left to protect the survival of our planet.
References:
Alsumaiti, T.S., Hussein, K. and Al-Sumaiti, A.S., 2017. Mangroves of Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE, in a Global Context: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 6(4), pp.110-121.
CEBRA Architecture, n.d. Mangrove Park. [online] Available at: https://cebraarchitecture.dk/project/mangrove-park/ [Accessed 23 June 2024].
GHD, n.d. Jubail Mangrove Park. [online] Available at: https://www.ghd.com/en/projects/jubail-mangrove-park [Accessed 23 June 2024].
El Amrousi, M., Paleologos, E. and Elhakeem, M., 2024. Waterfront Developments and Public Space: Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangroves as a Case Study. International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 12(1), pp.44-58. DOI: 10.14246/irspsd.12.1_44.
