A $4.2 billion Nakheel project stalls in Dubai, Hakes Associates celebrates its first job in Russia, a Danish architect wins the C.F.Hansen Medal, and more...
DUBAI
Troubled Dubai developer Emaar Properties has said it will not ask the government for a slice of the $10 billion emergency fund, aimed at helping clients and other companies in the emirate repay their debts. More than half of Dubai's construction projects are on hold and consultants and contractors say that payments are late with some fearing they will not be paid at all. Emaar told local media it has not held discussions with the government regarding access to the $10 billion bail-out money as it believes "it can handle it." The Dubai government said that property companies would be the main beneficiaries of the bail-out money announced in February.
LONDON
HKR Architects have submitted proposals for Prendergast-Vale College in Lewisham. The school will provide 50 part-time nursery, 210 primary and 600 secondary places as part of the government's Building Schools for the Future program. Designed to fit on a compact site over four-storeys, the school's learning spaces are arranged by “stage, not age” with specialist facilities available to younger pupils. The main school hall and sports hall are located on the first floor, while a central atrium is intended to create a “calm, non-institutional character”.
DUBAI
Dubai developer Nakheel’s $4.2 billion shopping centre building programme has stalled, seeing it shelve plans to build malls across UAE, including at the prestigious Palm Jumeirah project. The freeze will last for at least 12 months, the company has confirmed. This comes after reports that properties on the Palm Jumeirah estate fell in value by 50 per cent. Four-bedroom garden homes on one of the fronds are selling for $2.1 million (6.5 million dirhams), reduced from a high of $5.4 million (14 million dirhams) last July, reports BD Online.
RUSSIA
London firm Hakes Associates is celebrating its first job in Russia having won the competition to design a $156 million bridge in Moscow that will link the main part of the city with a new town being built on its western outskirts. The design is a one-kilometre long cable-stayed bridge that has a 175-mere tall mast. Hakes won the competition in partnership with structural engineer Price & Myers, and aims to also link with Arup which has an office in the Russian capital. Arup had originally bid for the job in partnership with Knight.
DENMARK
Kim Herforth Nielsen, founder of 3XN architects, has won the C.F.Hansen Medal. The award will be presented by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts on 30 March as to “acknowledge a person who has made outstanding achievements in the field of architecture”. Nielsen said his goal has always been to create architecture which “creates behavior and ultimately contributes positively to the world — both architecturally and environmentally”.
