Marsa Plaza

Situated in the centre of Al Mouj Quarter, on the western edge of Muscat, Marsa Plaza creates a new urban space at the edge of the Marina. Opening out into the water and defined by steps and shading canopies, the square creates a number of informal spaces for water features and people watching, seating terraces and an amphitheatre to host performances. 

Project Details +

Project Details

LOCATION: Muscat, Oman

DATE: 2014 - 2018

CLIENT: Al Mouj

STATUS: Completed

SIZE: 5,000m2

Credits +

Credits

ACME: Reiner Beelitz, Joao Bras, Friedrich Ludewig, Duarte Lobo Antunes, Molly Hibberd, Borja Madrazo Aguirre, Ioana Petkova, Lisa Wolf


CONSULTANTS

Landscape and Utilities: Parsons 

MEP: T20 Engineers

Steelwork and facades: Dubai Metal Structure Civil engineering: Muamir Design & Engineering Consultancy


Muscat is the ancient capital of Oman, tightly wedged between the beach and harbour on one side and the steep mountain range at its back. Constrained in its urban development, the city has started to expand outwards into the adjacent valleys and along the coast, with several new city quarters under construction. The Marsa Plaza is the largest of these new developments, seeking to define a new urban quarter for Muscat in the coastal strip towards the airport. The urban heart of the Marsa Plaza is formed by a large new Port and Marina as well as a new central avenue; serving as a civic space, an urban square is planned at their junction.

Creating unity and shading with a canopy

Adapting to the geometries of the landscape

Individual overlapping canopies with varying heights

The Plaza is designed as both a focused space, allowing visitors to meander down the amphitheatre towards the central water feature, and as an outwards-looking square, taking advantage of the views and the activity surrounding it. Two new restaurants provide animation at the edges of the space. The irregular lines of the amphitheater echo traditional Omani geometric floor patterns. A series of large scale overlapping canopies offer shade and accentuate a diagonal visual axis. The canopy design is inspired by the simple tectonics of traditional Omani architecture.

Canopy Matrix

Canopies

Wall Panels

Water features, the hard and soft landscaping and the stepped seating have been used to create a number of different characters and shade conditions within the square to allow different forms of occupation by children, large families, flâneurs and concert-goers.

The project is constructed from solid local stone - Desert Rose marble quarried in Oman. Steps in the square and joints are outlined in black granite to create the floor pattern, and locally-produced lightweight aluminium canopies and screens cover the outside seating areas.

Articles

Designboom 06.2020

AJ 06.2020

Entrerayas 07.2018

Hospitality News 04.2018

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