The city of Muscat will soon have a huge waterfront development. Known as the Al Khuwair Muscat Downtown and Waterfront project, it is worth $1.3 billion and designed by the famous architects Zaha Hadid. It covers 3.3 million square meters.
The project includes homes, a marina, cultural areas, canals, and government offices. When finished, it will house over 60,000 people.
The Al Khuwair Muscat Downtown and Waterfront project designer
Paolo Zilli is an architect at Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). He spent about one year refining his proposed design for Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning.
At its core, Zilli’s architectural vision aims to enhance accessibility to public transit options. He envisions an environment free from personal vehicles and physical barriers like fences. This would transform the ministerial campus into a multifunctional space designed to attract families and appeal to future generations through its inclusive and dynamic nature.
ZHA wants people to walk more. They will have shade and passive cooling. Bike riding will be safer with special paths. They will use solar energy well. They want to keep and grow Oman’s plants.
Oil was very important to Oman before, but now they want to invest in real estate. The goal is to get money from outside Oman. This goes along with their National Vision 2040 plan. Muscat will grow from 1.5 million to 2.7 million people by 2040.
Dr. Khalfan al-Shueili, Oman’s Housing Minister, revealed big changes ahead. “We’ll base the economy on skills, talents, maybe the digital sector,” he told CNN. Creating 300,000 new homes is planned for Muscat alone. If successful, the number could double to 600,000 residences.
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Who is the owner of Zaha Hadid Architects?
Zaha Hadid Architects, located in the UK, carries the renowned founder’s name, Zaha Hadid. She made history in 2004 as architecture’s first female Pritzker Prize laureate. Hadid sadly passed in 2016, but her legacy lives through iconic structures like China’s Guangzhou Opera House and Germany’s Phaeno Science Centre.
Since then, ZHA has designed notable works: BEEAH Headquarters in Sharjah, UAE, partially powered by Tesla battery packs; and in 2022, they conceived a virtual city in the metaverse, envisioned as a cyber libertarian utopia. Their buildings are complex yet simple, innovative yet functional, a fitting tribute to Hadid’s groundbreaking vision.
When will the construction of the Al Khuwair Muscat Downtown and Waterfront project start?
Construction work will begin before year’s end. It aims for a 10% net gain in biodiversity by preserving local plants. The Al Khuwair plans include protection of flora species.
This project ties into Oman’s Vision 2040 which seeks a diversified economy with sustainable growth. Natural resource preservation and equal development are priorities. Minister of housing and urban planning Khalfan Al Shueili said:
“This visionary project will bring us another step closer to realising the Oman Vision 2040 and delivering a sustainable and prosperous future for the people of Oman.”
“It will help shape the future of both Muscat and Oman more broadly, creating a new destination to welcome visitors from across the globe to our capital city.”
Other projects that will form part of the vision 2040 include a mixed-use district in the Jaban Al Akhdar mountains and a city for 100,000 people that London studio Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is designing in Oman.
