The client (Emirates Palace Hotel) wishes to create a floating lounge on the peers of his yacht marina located at the west of Cornice road at the tip of Abu Dhabi peninsula of the Arabian Gulf. His vision entailed the creation of a unique memorable experience that both serves the marina users and reflects the identity of the palace.
For many generations, the people of Abu Dhabi spent half of the year fishing and pearling around the islands and the other months farming and ranching in desert oases. This two-sidedness of place and people is an important constituent of the Abu Dhabi identity that is deeply rooted in its culture and heritage.
Inspired by the fishermen’s vivid culture of Abu Dhabi, the fishing net was the optimum solution that addresses the structural challenge of the project yet paying tribute to the memory of the place. The floating lounge extends itself towards the sea like a fisherman casting his net. Inspired by the shapes, textures and structure of a traditional fishing net, The floating lounge is a contemporary statement that advances into the future yet celebrates the old and lasting culture and heritage of Abu Dhabi, creating a multi-layered, dynamic and transparent indoor space ,and an iconic buoyant exterior.
Structurally, the building cannot float on a deck due to its weight. Therefore, a structure was introduced, supported on the land, to carry the weight of the building, just like a fisherman stands on the land and pulls the net out of the sea. The net became the structure that is suspended by the sturdy mass on the adjacent solid shores.
The experience begins where the solid land extends itself to create the upper deck that contains the entry foyer, the bar , and other supportive services. Gently stepping down, the view to the sea opens up, and you find yourself on a floating peer where people relax, refresh and interact.
The floating lounge concept is about oneness, people of the land and people of the sea, two distinct identities linked in one place.