A collaboration between international practice of architecture and urbanism, OMA, and landscape design and interior architecture, Inside Outside, ‘Ethar’ is an installation which is designed to honor generosity, knowledge and celebrate the unique culture of charitable giving in the United Arab Emirates with a physical installation that is part of the urban landscape of Dubai.
1,680 triangular shaped aluminum columns engraved with stories from Arabic scholars, scientists and thinkers, arrayed like a magnetic field and unified in a monumental landscape, pointing towards a rectangular public square in its heart, the installation will be located on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach. The ambition is to make these columns out of recycled aluminum, a building material that is 100 % recyclable.
Walking through ‘Ethar’, visitors will first encounter a field of small pillars at the boundary of the site; the columns grow taller moving further inwards resulting in a dramatic perspective effect, eventually opening up to the square placed in the centre. The density of columns creates a pleasant micro-climate further enhanced by shading devices through which the installation will become a playful social space.
At night, a spectacle of illumination will enhance the dynamics of the landscape with lights gradually shifting from wide to sharp and cold to warm. Rows of stainless-steel lighting fixtures mark the centre, and enhance the gesture of movement in the installation’s design.
Emphasising the importance of valuing talent and education, ‘Ethar – Honoring Generosity’ will be realized under the patronage of leading governmental charity organizations. Funds raised by the sponsoring of individual columns will be used to support charities with a focus on education in the UAE.
For further information, please click here.