Iconic Campus of the Zayed University Abu Dhabi

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is planning for the post-oil era, so education plays a central role in its Master Plan 2030. The new building complex of the Zayed University, intended for 6,000 students, is located in the future Capital District directly on the important connecting road between the Abu Dhabi international airport and the old town peninsular.
Hamburg architects BRT’s (Bothe Richter Teherani) symbolism-rich design moulds the 100.000 m2 GFA ensemble of buildings in the central area into a huge sculpture. The linking element is a jointless free-form roof of 8,000 tonnes of steel with aluminium cladding whose shape and lightness echoes the traditional Arabic chador.
A very short time for design and construction required close cooperation within the international team set up by a main contractor. The project required mastering of numerous engineering challenges, different design philosophies, difficult interfaces between design and construction works on a huge construction site with up to 8,000 workers running in parallel to the design works.