The UAE-based Al Guhrair development has announced it has signed up internationally-acclaimed practice Pelli Clarke & Partners as the lead masterplan design architect for its large-scale transit-connected, mixed-use masterplan community in Al Jaddaf, Dubai.
Spanning one million square feet of land across Dubai Creek Harbour, the development will bring together residential, commercial, cultural and hospitality spaces within a walkable, mixed-use district neighbouring the planned HSR Etihad Station and the Creek Metro, said a statement.
The masterplan represents Al Ghurair Development’s largest and most ambitious project to date and a significant step into district-scale development.
Founded in 1977, Pelli Clarke & Partners has shaped some of the most recognised urban landmarks of the past five decades, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the World Financial Centre in New York and Sales force Tower in San Francisco.
The practice has also led the masterplanning of transformative mixed-use districts, most notably Porta Nuova in Milan and Azabudai Hills in Tokyo, both of which integrate transit connectivity, public space and diverse programming into cohesive urban environments. The Al Jaddaf commission marks the practice’s first masterplan in Dubai, bringing their internationally proven approach to the city for the first time.
The firm’s accolades include the AIA Gold Medal awarded to founder Cesar Pelli in 1995 and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Petronas Towers in 2004. Pelli Clarke & Partners will design a comprehensive masterplan for a high-density district, including parks and community areas. The development will be designed to support a five-minute-city lifestyle, with daily needs, green spaces and transit connections all accessible on foot.
On the contract award, CEO Sultan Al Ghurair said: “Al Jaddaf sits at the intersection of Dubai Creek and some of the most significant transit infrastructure planned for the city. That combination of waterfront and connectivity is rare and it demands a development that thinks at the scale of a neighbourhood.”
