The Design Yearbook 2008

Project JeddahCentralDistrict Location Jeddah,KingdomofSaudiArabia Client UrbanDevelopmentCompany 0405 Foreword WhydoclientscometoArup?Theydon’tcomejustbecausewecanhelpthemdesignanewbuilding,plananewcity,orredevelopaninfrastructure.Theycomebecauseofthewayinwhichwedoit.Theycomebecausewebringelegantsimplicitytocomplexissues.Theycomebecauseofouruniqueapproach,ourfocusonsolutions –innovative,sustainablesolutionsthathelpthemkeepaheadinaworldoftransformation. Ourvisionofwhatconstitutesdesignevolveswith,andaugments,therapidlychangingneedsandissuesofpeopleacrosstheworld.Wedeliverprecedent-settingsolutionsfortoday,thatmakeallourtomorrowsmorepossibleandexciting.Creativity,innovationandtechnicalexcellence,are,inourviewinherenttothedesignprocess.Thisbookisanillustrationofhowweapproachthosethings.Itisatestamenttoourclients’aspirations. Westrivetobuildaworkingenvironmentwhereourdifferentvaluesandperspectivesareactivelyharnessedtocreatethebestsolutionsforourequallydiverseclientbase.Wesharetheseideas,and ourskills,aroundtheglobe.Thesesolutionsareabstractedanddevelopedbyprofessionalsalloverthefirm’sworldwideoffices.Innovationispushedintonewareasoftheindustry,newareasofthebuiltenvironment,newproductsandnewapplicationsindifferentplaces.Inallthis,clientscomefirst,wherevertheymaybe. Thisbookgivesyouaninsightintotheworkwehavebeendoingthisyear.Withmorethan10,000Arupprojectsgoingonatanyonetime,theprojectsyoucanreadaboutherearejustasmallselection.Resolvingclients’challengesisArup’smission.Welikenothingbetterthanmakingpossiblewhatothersthinkimpossible.ThisbookdemonstratesArup’scommitment,whichwesharewithourclientseverywhere:toshapeabetterworld ReconnectingJeddahwiththesea AsthecommercialcapitaloftheKingdomofSaudiArabiaandgatewaytotheholiestcitiesinIslam,Jeddahhasuniquedevelopmentneeds.Itspopulationgrowthhasleftitsinfrastructurestruggling,includingtheseweragesystem,whosefailurehascausedsomeofJeddah’slagoonstostagnate,inhibitingdevelopmentalongthewaterfront.Arup’sstrategicmasterplanforthecentraldistricttransformsthewaterfrontareaandprovidesgoodpublictransportinfrastructureandwell-ventilatedthoroughfares.TheeffectwillbetoenhanceJeddah’sappealtocommercialdevelopersandthereforeitslandvalues.Theplannedhigherdensitydevelopmentallowspublicspacetoincreasebyathird.Theresultwillbeacitythatlosesnoneofitshistoricsignificanceorcharm,butgainsthebestofmoderndesign. Jeddahdefiescategorisation.ThecityknowntomillionsasthestartingpointforHajj–theannualpilgrimageintheMuslimcalendartotheholycityofMecca–isabustlingcommercialcentre,athriving Saudiholidayresort,andthethirdlargestindustrialcityintheKingdom.MorethanathousandyearsofreceivingpilgrimsboundforMeccaandIslam’ssecondholiestcity,Medina,hasrubbedoffonJeddah:itistheKingdom’smostcosmopolitanandethnically-diversecity. Jeddah’scityscapehasbeendrivenbyfunction,influencedbyfashionandfinancedbyoilrevenue.Earlydevelopmentinthe1930sencircledthehistoricalcentre,andthenorth-southinfrastructureisalegacyoftheoldairportroad.Theseeminglylimitlessavailabilityofpetrolisreflectedinthecity’surbanroadgrid,whosesheerscalemakescaruseinevitable.Withnorailormasstransitinfrastructure–pilgrimsarebussedtotheholysites–itistrulyacarowner’stown. Arupwaschargedwithcreatingamasterplanforthestrategicdevelopmentofa‘protectedzone’offivesquarekilometresbetweentheancientcentreandthewaterfront.Witha35%increaseintheareaofopenpublicspaceandthepotentialdevelopmentforupto20Mm2ofmixed-usedevelopment,theplanimprovesthequalityoflifeforJeddah’scitizens,andfinancestheregenerationofthehistoricoldcitycentre’sheritage. 0607 Recoveringthewaterfront Thedevelopmentof12kmofcoastlinefordevelopmentincreasespublicopenspaceby35%. Cleaningup Therejuvenationofthecity’scoastalareaisvitalforthemasterplan’ssuccess.Amere300mmdifferencebetweenhighandlowtidemeansthatJeddah’sinnerharbourswillneverbecleansednaturallybytidalmovementalone.Rejectingtheideaofenergy-hungrywaterpumping,themasterplanteamrecommendedthattwodeadcoralreefsbebuiltupintoawaterstoragebasin.DevelopedbyDutchfirmAvecodeBondt,thebasinisakeyelementofthedevelopmentstrategy.Theone-kilometre-square,15m-deepbasin,capturescleanseawaterathightide.Asthetideebbs,thewaterlevelwithinthebasinfalls,andgravityforcesseawaterdownthepipelinesintotheinnerharbour,pushingstagnantwaterbackouttosea.Over10years,theharbourswillgraduallybecleansedbythetides,creatingamoreattractive–andmorevaluable–shoreline. Akeyelementofanysustainabledevelopmentisamoveawayfromprivatevehicles,towardspublictransport.Herethechallengesareconsiderable.Whilesocialandenvironmentalaspectsofsustainabilityarebroadlyacceptedbythepublic,theenergysideofsustainabilityis,forhistoricalreasons,lessso.Thoughthereisstrongsupportfortheconceptofpublictransport,therearealsoculturalbarrierstoovercome. PublictransportusersinJeddahtendtobetourists,pilgrimsorlowpaidworkers.Makingpublictransportanalternativetotheprivatecarisessentialtorealisingtheinitialaimthat10%ofalljourneysinthecityshouldbemadebypublictransport. Arup’ssixkeyideasforJeddah 1Recoverthewaterfront •