NIMEA - New imprintIng Mina entErtainment Area

Università Politecnica delle Marche

Project idea

The project NIMEA addresses the necessity of reconverting dismissed industrial areas into new urban centralities, offering many innovative functions.

Project description

The site is in the North-Est area of Abu Dhabi, specifically in Mina Zayed, a large storage area of little receptive and tourist interest.
The area's transformation takes place without distorting the pre-existence and the current industrial context through minimal removals and new design elements.
The new concept of the spaces is combined uniformly with the added functions and technical features, which allow NIMEA to offer solutions suitable for a large number of visitors.

Starting with the redevelopment of the central road that divides the two strands of warehouses, a large pedestrian area is created between the project's new main fronts.
The innovative elements host F&B functions and, with their particular and differentiated shapes, stand out on the central boulevard and create movement. Every point of view is different and innovative.
The entire area's paving follows the lines marked by the new elements to create intersection spaces dedicated to green areas and bodies of water. These guarantee users the presence of shaded transit or rest areas.
Part of the additions is also the sizeable telescope-shaped element, which joins four sheds. It houses the new Auditorium, that, as for the Gallery, and the spaces dedicated to Co-Working and Labs has a versatile space, suitable for a wide range of functions.
Part of the retail zone is dedicated to outdoor sports (soccer, skateboarding, climbing). This area faces the waterfront.
In addition, the connection to the road network infrastructure is guaranteed by drop-off spaces and car parks located in strategic nodes throughout the area.

Technical information

Pre-existing structures are reused, partially removed or completely replaced by new volumes.
The new buildings guarantee structural rigidity to the pre-existing frames where removing part of them or their supporting elements could cause deficiencies in the structure.