Austin Smith Lord, an award winning architectural and environmental designer, said its new unit Arts & Culture has joined hands with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) to build the cultural quarters in the UAE capital.

The development in the historic centre of Abu Dhabi will include expansive areas of open public spaces and gardens, broadening the use of communal and pedestrian areas in the city

The upcoming monument is Arts & Culture sector’s first major international project, said a statement from Austin-Smith:Lord.

This large scale civic project will create a unique mix of venues and spaces that will place the arts at the heart of Emirati culture, it added.

As per the new arrangement, the International projects will be lead by design director Nadim Khattar from the Abu Dhabi studio while Partner Chris Pritchett will head up UK projects from the Manchester office.

Khattar will be part of a panel discussion ‘Public and Civic Spaces in the Arab World’ on July 12 at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.

Moderated by Edwin Heathcote, Architecture and Design Critic of the Financial Times, the discussion is part of Shubbak, London’s first ever celebration of contemporary culture from across the Arab world.

Leading architectural academics and practitioners including Shahira H. Fahmy, Shahira H. Fahmy Architects; Murray Fraser, Professor of Architecture and Global Culture, UCL; Michel Mossessian, Mossessian & Partners and Turi Munthe, CEO, Demotix will also take part.

A multidisciplinary practice, Austin-Smith:Lord is recognised for its informed, contextual approach which has seen them deliver many successful buildings in the UK.

Its diverse portfolio of work has received over 150 awards and commendations for outstanding architectural and environmental design excellence in over six decades of continuous practice.

Award winning Arts & Culture buildings include; the John Rylands Library, the People’s History Museum, the Bluecoat and the Fact Centre.-TradeArabia News Service