LOCATION:
Al Ain, Abu Dhabi
ARCHITECTS:
Pattern Design
ARCHITECT OF
RECORD: Mark Habre
and Associate
LEAD CONSULTANT
AND MASTER
PLANNER:
Broadway Malyan
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER:
Thornton Tomasetti
BUILDING SERVICES:
Hoare Lea
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Dennis Gilbert
Pattern is a London-based
architectural practice
focussed on innovative rulebased parametric design.
Mathematics and beauty are
both key areas of research
for Pattern. The practice is
interested in projects that
enhance user experience by
addressing well-being and
visual harmony. Pattern
is committed to creating
designs that achieve a
balance between technology
and the natural world.
The practiceʼs design
methodology is based on
rigorous analysis. This
informs Patternʼs contextual
approach addressing local
culture, climate and customs.
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and the spectators during a match, whilst
allowing enough sunlight on the natural grass
pitch during the day to allow it to flourish. The
apparent levitating form of the roof allows all
spectators an unobstructed view of the action
and intensifies the atmosphere within the bowl
during the match.
A key area of investigation was audience
segmentation. The unique slope-cut lower
tier addresses this at HBZ and results in more
high value seats. As a typology, HBZ Stadium
is very much a sports venue in a community.
Pedestrian access is encouraged and there
is no sea of car parking around the stadium.
The architecture also supports non-match day
opportunities and a building that is a vibrant
destination year-round. “HBZ Stadium is our
first built project. It embodies our design
principles of natural order, mathematics and
visual harmony. We are very, very proud of it
and what we have achieved as a practice going
into our fourth year,” concludes Architect Dipesh
Patel, Founder of Pattern. AD