In 2004, the original building of the city market burned down - a concrete structure from the 1970s, inside which the atmosphere of a traditional bazaar reigned. Then it was decided to restore the structure, "improving" it in the spirit of the UAE. Instead of an ordinary shopping pavilion, construction began on a shopping center in its place, dominated by three skyscrapers. These towers, the office Trust Tower, the residential The Domain (it is also the highest at 382 m) and the hotel will be completed in 2012, while the shopping center that occupies the space at their foot has opened.
According to Foster's plan, the new Central Market did not become another faceless mall, but retained the classic look of an Arab bazaar, even surpassing its modest predecessor in this. Openwork wood panels, such as traditional musharabiya lattices, cover the walls from the outside and form the facades of the shops inside. Numerous alleys and courtyards are illuminated through the same lattice openings in the ceilings and through stained glass windows in blue tones. It should be noted that even the shopping center has not yet fully opened: now only “The Souk” (“market”) is ready. Its spaces are occupied by shops, many of which sell goods familiar to the Arab bazaar - sweets, handicrafts, jewelry, carpets. Soon, a slightly more luxuriously decided "Emporium" will open nearby, given over to boutiques of leading fashion brands. When the Central Market is fully operational, the roof of the center will be open to all comers: a spacious garden will be laid out there, a rarity in Abu Dhabi.
N. F.
