The winning scheme for the international design competition for the new Parliament building complex melds familiar Arabic design language with contemporary form and the latest technological advances, creating meaning, maximum functionality, and environmental sustainability. The design is anchored by a striking 100-meter-diameter dome, a soaring “flower-of-the-desert” which will create a shaded micro-environment while casting Islamic patterns of dappled light onto the white marble Assembly Hall structure. The flanking Parliamentary buildings that house the majority of offices as well as museums and libraries, abstract the colors and textures of desert sand; their exterior expression is indebted to local historic buildings.

The site of the new Parliament conveys its significance as a public institution. It is located on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, one of the grand processional boulevards in the country’s capital, where large-scale civic events and celebrations take place. Extensive gardens and walkways create a cooling oasis for the local population and visitors. Facing the Arabian Gulf, the body of water shared by six of the seven Emirates, the new complex will establish a governmental face at the seafront. Its dome will be visible for miles across the water and will glow dramatically at night.