Khalifa Park
Inspiring the next generation with a public park
2019
Introduction
The new Khalifa Park aims to create a destination that extends the year in terms of potential time spent outdoors and an experiential park, where visitors can learn about Abu Dhabi, about sustainability and about the nation’s native flora and fauna. It is a park that will surprise on the first visit and slowly reveal itself over subsequent revisits, providing varied programming over its 29 hectares that always leaves more to explore and sparks a desire to return.
Technical details
Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) Abu Dhabi
An oasis in the desert
Like an oasis in the desert, the park is defined by constructed sand dunes which provide shade in the evening and blocks out the hustle and bustle of the city. In a network of circular spaces, various functions are broken down into different levels, between which a cascading river is flowing.
This river connects all the elements of focus: education, research and conservation interwoven with leisure and play. Visitors can come for a family picnic, visit the propagation center, attend a lecture at the amphitheatre in the twilight hours, or enjoy a leisurely stroll through the comfortably shaded pathways.
Photo: Lucian R
A vibrant and engaging public space
Khalifa Park is an example of how a park has the possibility to function not only as an urban escape that encourages play, exploration and discovery, but also as a destination for the expansion and preservation of knowledge in sustainable practices such as native planting and water management.
By centering these important initiatives in a vibrant and engaging public space, we can better encourage the education and interest in these topics for the next generation and inspire the continued care for the land on which they live.
Photo: Lucian R
Photo: Lucian R