Msheireb Downtown project to be showcased at Cityscape expo

QNA/DohaMsheireb Properties will showcase its pioneering regeneration of Doha’s historical commercial centre through its QR20bn Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD) project at Cityscape Global 2013. Billed as the world’s first sustainable regeneration of a major downtown area, Msheireb Downtown Doha aims to recapture Qatar’s heritage and traditional architectural techniques that have been largely overlooked amidst rapid economic development across the Gulf. Msheireb Downtown Doha also represents a blueprint for the way urban centres can be redeveloped and conserved by combining traditional building principles with modern sustainable technologies and know-how. Engineer Abdulla al-Mehshadi, Msheireb Properties chief executive officer, said: “We hope Msheireb Downtown Doha will inspire countries around the world to sustainably regenerate urban areas as a viable alternative to the energy-intensive development of Greenfield sites. It is also a tangible representation of how a city can preserve its architectural heritage and create a distinctive identity away from steel and glass skyscrapers that are so prevalent around the world,” said Engineer Abdullah Hassan al-Mehshadi, CEO, Msheireb Properties. The Qatari developer will also be showcasing unique retail opportunities of over 90,000 square meters. Designed to meet the ever increasing demand within a rapidly growing metropolis, Msheireb Downtown Doha features a multitude of unmatched retail offerings such as a leading department store, supermarket, cinema, children’s edutainment zone, large fashion flagships, casual and fine dining restaurants and cultural offerings all within a downtown environment. The project will also host the region’s largest shaded open-air square, Al Baraha - a family destination with restaurants and cafes featuring events and large scale shows. Msheireb Properties will host a stand at Cityscape which is designed to reflect Qatar’s approach to architecture and will offer visitors glimpses into Doha’s past through displays of artefacts, images, interactive displays and other elements such as a traditional Qatari Majlis (living room). An interactive scale model of Msheireb Downtown Doha will be on display at the Msheireb Properties stand at Cityscape. When complete, the 31-hectare mixed use development will comprise more than 100 buildings, with dedicated areas for commercial, residential, retail, cultural offerings and entertainment. The project also involves the restoration of four heritage houses which will be converted to cultural museums. Parking and service corridors have been incorporated across several underground levels to encourage pedestrianisation. All buildings in the development will target an average Gold rating under the LEED certification system meaning MDD will have the highest concentration of LEED certified buildings in the world. “I am confident that when completed visitors to Msheireb Downtown Doha will experience something very special in a modern downtown area that still retains its historical identity and also features unique architectural and sustainable solutions, many of which are inspired by the methods employed by our forefathers”. “The new centre of Doha will be a shining example of how architecture can be a driver of social and environmental change anywhere in the world. We believe that the project is also testament to Qatar’s position as the leader in the field of sustainable, culturally sensitive urban development,” al-Mehshadi said. Construction on MDD began in 2010 and work is currently underway on all phases. In May 2013, Msheireb Properties announced the award of Phase 3 to a consortium comprising Obayashi Corporation and HBK Contracting.  Phase 2 was also awarded back in November 2012, to Arabtec and while Phases 1A, 1B, 1C are under construction with construction progressing as per schedule. Cityscape Global Exhibition will bring together 25,000 regional and international industry stakeholders, including investors, developers, architects, designers, governmental authorities, key decision makers and senior executives involved in the design and construction of both public and private real estate developments. Held in Dubai from tomorrow (October 8) to Oct 10, Cityscape Global is the Middle East’s largest international real estate event and will be 50% larger this year, featuring three additional exhibition halls, reflecting the renewed investor confidence in the region’s property market.