AECOM provided project management consultancy and contract administration services on Qasr Al Hosn, the home of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s most significant heritage structure.
Cultural value
The Cultural Foundation Building (CFB) and the other buildings that make up the Qasr Al Hosn urban block are of national importance, as they represent the essence of what Abu Dhabi was historically and modern identity. It includes the first permanent structure constructed on Abu Dhabi Island (QAH Fort), the Federal Council Building (NCCC) and the CFB. The CFB, a 40-year-old concrete structure, has historically represented Abu Dhabi’s cultural progress, housing the country’s first library, exhibition hall and theatre.
The planning of The Cultural Foundation Building aligns with the city’s urban grid. This large, 3 storey, in-situ-cast concrete building was internally planned to contain three main functions; Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Literature. These functions were supplemented by a 900-seat theatre, a National Library and an arts exhibition space. As well as these primary spaces the CFB also contained office space, a cafeteria, lecture theatres and flexible circulation areas for cultural displays and traditional handicrafts demonstrations.
Overcoming obstacles
The restoration of the CFB revealed more deterioration than initially estimated, leading to an expanded scope of work. AECOM’s close coordination and management of the information flowing to the contractor from the consultant and prioritising the information required to keep the workface productive was key. We provided services outside of our scope on many occasions, such as the involvement of our stakeholder managers to provide support when parts of the project were failing.
By leveraging our global reach, we provided a second opinion on design issues by consulting with our design team. This added tremendous value to the project at no additional cost.
Achievements and recognition
The project team successfully supported the public opening of a large part of the project four months ahead of schedule, coinciding with the 100 Years of Zayed celebrations. This was achieved through close coordination with the event team and additional efforts by the project team.
Due to the collaborative efforts and high standards maintained throughout the restoration process, Qasr Al Hosn was awarded the gold accolade at the 2021 World Architecture News (WAN) Awards, surpassing six other world-class international competitors in the ‘Mixed Use’ category.
