SEPTEMBER 2015 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \
53
“The whole experience was kind of sur-
real,” reflects Gallagher. “Sitting in this
ornate palace with our laptop hooked up
to an old school projector ... between jet
lag, and all the redesigns, which required
working all night so they could be pre-
sented the next morning, I never slept
much while there. All in all, though, it
was an amazing experience.”
On Site in Abu Dhabi
In 2010, Denver-based S. A. Miro Inc.
was brought on board as architect/engi-
neer of record under the leadership of
Milton Lanser, managing director of its
Abu Dhabi headquarters, to complete the
design and construction documents, and
to oversee onsite construction adminis-
tration and program management. The
designer of the park’s 14 stunning foun-
tains, Toronto-based Crystal Fountains,
also became a critical contributor to the
overall park experience.
Lanser reflects on what he has learned
about working in the Middle East. “Be-
cause 85 percent of the population of
Abu Dhabi comes from somewhere else,
English is actually the second or third
language for most of our local staff. So,
when it comes to project management,
communication and cultural sensitivity
is key,” he shares.
He also explains that in the UAE the
percentage of project cost devoted to la-
bor is dramatically different than in the
U.S., one of the reasons why cast-in-place
concrete is so popular. In addition to re-
duced material costs, manpower is a frac-
tion of what we’re accustomed to.
“Constant negotiation is also somewhat
of a sport there,” laughs Michael Miro,
director of project management in S. A.
Miro’s Denver office. “If you have a signed
contract, you can never be sure if that’s
the deal until you’ve completed the con-
tract and have been paid. In the U.S., the
contract is a milestone. There, it’s merely
a point in time.”
In the end, the project, completed in
the spring of 2015, was a huge success for
the Denver-based team with an extraor-
dinary 50,000 people visiting Mushrif
Central Park on its opening weekend.
Perhaps even more notable, however,
is the statement in a recent Emirate of
Abu Dhabi invitation for a park design
competition: “Entrants should consider
the newly developed Mushrif Park, Abu
Dhabi Island a benchmark in the design
quality, design resolution and innovative
approach towards enhancing the recre-
ational life for the Abu Dhabi public.”
An exemplar for Middle East park de-
sign is certainly a fitting ending for this
nearly decade-long cultural odyssey on
the other side of the world.
\\
\ Cultural Odyssey: Designing Abu Dhabi’s Mushrif Central Park \
Photos by
OPENING PHOTO:
Photo courtesy Gerry O’Leary
Photography
The back-lit patterned
glass of the Park Entrance
Pavilion portal frames the
main circulation axis of
the park.
FAR LEFT:
Photo courtesy Crystal
Fountain, Inc.
The Amphitheatre, as
viewed from the Shade
House, features a stage
that doubles as an
interactive water feature.
LEFT:
Photo courtesy Gerry O’Leary
Photography
The Park Entrance
Pavilion includes an
art gallery, conference
space, café, park offices
and prayer room.
PROJECT TEAM
DESIGN LEAD/
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT:
ValleyCrest Design Group,
Denver
DESIGN ARCHITECT:
Semple Brown, Denver
ARCHITECT/ENGINEER
OF RECORD:
S. A. Miro Inc., Denver and
Abu Dhabi, UAE
WATER FEATURE
CONSULTANT:
Crystal Fountains, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
LIGHTING CONSULTANT:
Architectural Engineering
Design Group Inc., Denver
SIGNAGE DESIGNER:
Arthouse Design, Denver
