Central Market, Abu Dhabi is a new multipurpose development comprising of a new souk, retail podium, residential, hospitality and commercial properties.

Sun dappled alleyways and sun drenched courtyards form part of Foster + Partners vision for the souk, at the centre of the courtyards are shafts descending into the basement car park levels, allowing further penetration of daylight into the lower levels.

As part of our design work we created a simplified three dimensional computational model of the souk interior allowing the penetration of direct sunlight within the space to be studied. Into the model were placed simple massing models of all the surrounding buildings so the effect that their shading would have on the souk’s interior could also be analysed.

The results obtained from the study allowed us to advise the architect how the surrounding developments would impact on the availability of direct sunlight within the souk’s alleys, courtyards and basement shafts, these results also helped to inform our development of the artificial lighting design suggesting methods in which the effect of sunlight could be simulated during the hours in which direct sunlight is not experienced.

Client: ALDAR
Project Manager: Atkins
Cost Consultant: EC Harris International
Architect, Interior Designer and Landscape Architect: Foster + Partners
Façade Consultant: Arup
MEP Engineer: BDSP Partnership