1.41 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Arada reveals final masterplan of Aljada’s Central Hub in Sharjah

Published
By WAM

Arada has unveiled the final master plan of the Central Hub, the focal point of its ground-breaking Sharjah mega development, Aljada.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Central Hub is a bold new leisure and entertainment destination for the UAE and also cements Aljada’s role as a transformational project for Sharjah.

Over 25 football fields in size (1.9 million square feet) – or slightly larger than London’s Green Park - the Central Hub is defined by its lush green space and many water features and is designed to be fully walkable, even during the summer months. In total, there will be 732,000 square feet of green space in the Central Hub, including a large landscaped community park that covers a quarter of the complex, which will be home to thousands of specially selected trees and plants.

A car-free zone, the Central Hub will include a public square in its centre for large community gatherings, such as New Year’s Eve and National Day celebrations, which will include a showpiece water feature as well as dining outlets and cafes built around a stunning waterfront setting. In addition, a circular walkway will allow residents and visitors to Aljada to explore the complex. Alongside the many entertainment, leisure and sporting attractions, the Central Hub will also include sizeable retail and food and beverage (F&B) components, bringing many exciting new concepts and brands to the destination.

Work on the first phase of the Central Hub – which will include Arada’s state-of-the-art sales centre, an outdoor cinema space, a food truck village, skating rink and other family-friendly facilities – has already begun and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2019. Arada is on track to complete the entire complex by 2022.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada, said, "Our plan has always been to build extraordinary, engaging and life-changing communities. That is reflected in the bold final design of the Central Hub, which will soon be a new focal point not just for Aljada, but for the whole of Sharjah and the rest of the UAE as well. We are working on putting together some incredible new partnerships for the Central Hub, and we will be announcing these in the coming months."

As announced earlier this year, the design of the futuristic complex conceptualises the first moment a water droplet strikes the earth’s surface, captured in an array of elliptical buildings that are designed to channel prevailing winds into public spaces and courtyards to aid natural cooling during the hot summer months. Arada’s dedication to sustainability and smart technology is reflected elsewhere in the Central Hub, with the complex’s entire natural ecosystem irrigated by recovered and recycled water. Meanwhile, tensile canopies will sustain a microclimate at ground level for gardens featuring plant species native to the region, while the Central Hub’s lighting requirements will be entirely provided by smart solar power.

The main contract for the first phase of the Central Hub has been awarded to Modern Building Contracting Company, MBCC, which has already mobilised on site, and this part of the destination will be completed by the end of the first quarter of next year. Over 328,000 square feet in size, the first phase of the Central Hub will include.