Gulf Building Awards 2008: Office/Commercial Project of Year

DLA Piper

DLA Piper is a global legal services organisation with over 3,700 lawyers across 67 offices and 28 countries. From its offices across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States, legal and business advisers provide a range of services to local, national, and global companies across a wide range of sectors, ranging from emerging businesses to some of the leading national and multinational companies. DLA Piper offers a wide range of services globally through 13 core service groups, including Commercial Contracts, Corporate Employment, Pensions and Benefits, Finance, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration, Litigation and Arbitration, Projects and Infrastructure, Real Estate, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Restructuring, Tax, Technology and Media.

Winner: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Abu Dhabi

The ADIA headquarters in Abu Dhabi is a truly intelligent building, responding to its surroundings, climate and users to ensure it is sustainable in operation and cheap to maintain. Designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Kohn Pedersen Fox and built by joint venture main contractor Arabtec Samsung Engineering and Construction, the tower is currently the tallest in Abu Dhabi. The building’s facade has a composite design that allows cool air to be distributed around the building and shades it from the sun. Each floor has two air-handling plant rooms so that the climate can be carefully controlled in distinct parts of the building. A state-of-the-art building management system controls the heating, cooling and lighting so energy usage can be kept to a minimum while the occupants are kept healthy and comfortable.

Runners up

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Abu Dhabi

The ADIA headquarters in Abu Dhabi is a truly intelligent building, responding to its surroundings, climate and users to ensure it is sustainable in operation and cheap to maintain. Designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Kohn Pedersen Fox and built by joint venture main contractor Arabtec Samsung Engineering and Construction, the tower is currently the tallest in Abu Dhabi. A state-of-the-art building management system controls the heating, cooling and lighting so energy useage can be kept to a minimum while the occupants are kept healthy and comfortable.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi

The second phase of this Dh5m project was completed on time this autumn, with the client's partnering programme, steered by project manager Mace, reaping ample rewards. Made up of Mace with main contractor Arabtec and architectural consultant RMJM, the project team oversaw the construction of a 27,000m2 exhibition space, with nine meeting rooms, seven exhibition halls and two conference rooms. 103,343m3 of concrete, 3,179 tonnes of structural steel and 2,812 piles went into the construction. The result has been one of the world's largest and best-equipped exhibition centres, which has cemented Abu Dhabi's reputation as a centre of global commerce.

Al Kazim Towers, Dubai

Al Kazim decided to bring a touch of the city that never sleeps to its twin towers in the Dubai Media City. The 53-storey towers were designed by local architect the National Engineering Bureau to resemble the Chrysler Building in New York - with help from state-of-the-art 3D modelling software. The modern art-deco style is sustained throughout the building, from the commercial office space up to its distinctive roof, expertly constructed by Al Shafar General Contracting Company with as much as 1,200 tonnes of steelwork. The 265m towers were completed earlier this year.

Bahrain Financial Harbour, Bahrain

This $3bn development cements Bahrain's reputation as one of the banking hubs of the Middle East, with particular expertise in Sharia-compliant banking. Located on the Manama Corniche, it is excellently-located for business travellers, just 10 minutes away from the international airport and a short drive from the Saudi Arabian border. It aims to create not only a commercial sector for the city, but a self-contained financial community where employees can work, live and enjoy themselves. The range and quality of the many properties means the Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Company has succeeded in its aim to create a Canary Wharf for the Middle East.

Emaar Square, Dubai

A self-enclosed commercial complex of six towers at the foot of the imposing Burj Dubai tower, the Burj Dubai Square has already gained a reputation as a location for international banks, not least because of its proximity to the Dubai International Financial Centre. The properties have hit the market at a time when demand for commercial space could not be higher, which has made it one of the most successful in the city. Emaar set the towers around a quiet courtyard with cafes, landscaped areas and water features. It has been designed so that cars are neither seen nor heard; so it is a place where users can sit and reflect in relative peace.