The Gateway Towers mark the entrance to Shams Island in Abu-Dhabi. Two elliptical Towers, one housing a condo/hotel and the other luxury residences, are connected by a podium which rises 8 stories high. The design challenge consisted of incorporating the programmatic elements of the amenity deck, to be built in two phases, into a seamless integrated design.

For this G-top™ ArquitectonicaGEO designed an oasis in the sky. A lushly planted landscape with pools and fountains employs Islamic tile patterns to evoke the traditional geometric decoration. The essence is a sanctuary of calm and beauty covering approximately 8,000 square meters with palm trees, fruit trees, figs, pomegranates, and olives…The gardens provide a welcome haven from the sun. Jasmine, Honeysuckle, and the strong aroma of the carefully chosen plant palette will overtake one’s senses once one ventures into this contemporary oasis in the sky.

The design at the ground level is intended to share principles from the upper deck in a manner more appropriate to its own context. An urban plaza fronts tower 2 and the podium façade promoting movement and a lively pedestrian environment. Paving used in neighboring areas continue through the plaza punctuated by date palms providing shade without inhibiting visual and physical circulation. A shaded walk extends from the north entry at Tower 2 towards the entrance to the podium’s internal retail. It provides comfortable places to sit and stroll in a manner that mimics the circulation on the buildings interior. The main feature in the park/plaza is an ellipse anchoring the walkway in the center of the park/plaza. It is to be comprised of three distinct areas beginning with a “mist” fountain extending into the plaza in order to draw people into the space. The center of the ellipse is a colonnade of palms to be embraced by a trellis making up the third portion.