By Rafiq Vayani
ABU DHABI: Tabreed, the world’s leading district cooling company, has transformed one of its major UAE facilities into a masterpiece of street art. The company’s Al Maryah Island plant supplies an impressive roster of clients, such as Cleveland Clinic, Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Four Seasons, Galleria Mall and Abu Dhabi Global Market, with essential district cooling services.
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Tabreed’s executive management team suggested the plant would make an ideal ‘canvas’ for a new artwork, the likes of which Abu Dhabi has been building an enviable global reputation for in recent years, and the company’s Strategic Communications department quickly engaged with several local artists. Design proposals were sought, resulting in the renowned, self-taught Emirati artist, Saggaf Alhashmi, being chosen for his stunning ‘3D’concept featuring two of the UAE’s most famous residents: the Arabian Oryx and Arabian Sand Gazelle.
“The result is, I’m sure everyone will agree, extraordinary,” said Tabreed’s Chairman, Khaled Al Qubaisi. “We have transformed what was previously an unremarkable, utilitarian building into a thing of profound beauty, which will bring joy to residents and visitors for many years to come. Saggaf’s concept has been faithfully transferred to surfaces that are functional and designed to aid in the district cooling process, which was a Herculean challenge for everyone involved but the efforts have been well worth it.”
Describing his creative process, Alhashmi said he was inspired by the island itself: “Al Maryah is named after a famous oasis region in Abu Dhabi, Al Mariyah, which in turn is named after the species of Arabian deer which live there. It struck me that we could use the mural to bring the Al Mariyah deer to Al Maryah Island, celebrating the link between the life-giving oasis and the way that Tabreed uses air and water to cool the island today.”
Work was completed ahead of schedule on 20 April, carried out by six different artists using three boom cranes at a height of 35 metres above ground for access to the 7,140 louvred panels being painted. By the time the area had been cleaned, prepared and painted, a total 7.2 sq. km had been worked on. Fifty-two different colours were used to recreate Alhashmi’s vision, with more than 4,800 litres of paint applied over a period of 47 working days.
“Tabreed,” concluded Al Qubaisi, “has a well-deserved reputation for environmental protection through its sustainability-led energy efficiencies, preventing millions of tons of carbon emissions. Yet there is more to environmentalism than mitigating climate change and improving air quality – architecture and urban design is important to our quality of life, too. And, as Tabreed’s Chairman, I am proud to see the company setting itself apart from its competitors, embracing change, accepting challenges and overcoming them to retain its position as the world’s leader in district cooling.”
