Skyscrapers Maryah Plaza in Abu Dhabi by Richard Rogers

The London office of Richard Rogers has gained its first opportunity to build in the Middle East, with a quartet of skyscrapers in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The project, named "Maryah Plaza," bears the clear signature of hi-tech design, with which Rogers celebrated success in the 1970s and 1980s. The project in the Persian Gulf spans an area of 153,000 m² and includes a five-star hotel, five hundred apartments, and office spaces. The ground floor, which will be lined with waterfalls and water bodies, will host shops from renowned fashion designer brands. The building's ground floor will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day. The urban plan includes the creation of a landscaped park with an art gallery and a range of public services. Rogers's skyscrapers will join other magnificent projects on Al Maryah Island, which is currently one of the largest construction sites in the world. Al Maryah Island, located in the northeast of the city, covers an area of 114 hectares. Since 2007, massive construction has been underway to transform the sandy island into a new urban center. The completion of the first of Rogers's towers is scheduled for 2016, and the entire complex is expected to be completed by 2020, when Abu Dhabi will host Expo 2020. The total cost of the Maryah Plaza project amounts to £478 million (16.5 billion crowns).