Miami, FL
Designs revealed for Miami-inspired city in the Middle East
A masterplan has been unveiled for a coastal neighborhood in Bahrain which is partly inspired by the U.S. city of Miami.
Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach will span just over two miles of length along Bahrain’s coastline. According to an official release, the mixed-use district will draw inspiration from Miami’s low-rise Art Deco buildings combined with traditional local design.
The walkable locale will feature new homes, hotels, and retail options in addition to public green spaces and “state-of-the-art” amenities.
The city is designed around three main streets, which will be lined with native trees and are intended to encourage walking and cycling across the district.
In this rendering, a vehicle drives down a street reminiscent of those in Miami. Miami’s low-rise Art Deco buildings were part of the inspiration behind the waterfront neighborhood.
Foster + Partners
The site will be flanked by two large hotels, with smaller, boutique hotels positioned at 500-meter intervals throughout, and residential communities nestled in between.
Neighborhoods will incorporate shaded green courtyards and alleyways that the city’s designers say are inspired by Bahrain’s traditional design principles to create cool outdoor spaces.
An overview of Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach. It could span just over two miles along Bahrain’s coastline.
Foster + Partners
At the heart of the development will lie a public surf park, featuring wave-generation technology to simulate the experience of a natural ocean environment on land.
The beach links to a network of piers stretching into the sea, forming protective coves to safeguard the shoreline, and a green park will serve to separate the beachfront from the main road.
A second overhead of the beachfront development. The beach links to a network of piers stretching into the sea, forming protective coves to safeguard the shoreline.
Foster + Partners
“We are creating a green and walkable community on the beach, which offers a range of crafted experiences for residents and visitors,” said Gerard Evenden, head of Studio ar Foster + Partners, the firm behind the designs.
“The permeable development features tree-lined streets, shaded courtyards, and a spectacular public park that directly connects with the waterfront. Needless to say, the west-facing district will also offer some of the best sunset views in Bahrain,” Evenden added.
Newsweek has contacted Foster + Partners for comment via email form.
In this rendering, the neighborhood’s streets are lit as the sun sits low in the sky. The city is designed around three main streets, which will be lined with native trees and are intended to encourage walking and cycling across the district
Foster + Partners
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island nation in the Persian Gulf, situated between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
With a population of around 1.5 million, its economy primarily relies on oil, financial services, and tourism.
In neighboring Saudi Arabia, the first project for the country’s Neom megacity recently opened.
Known as Sindalah, the opening of the “luxury island destination” represented a significant milestone for the project, which has become the world’s biggest construction site as part of an effort by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the nation’s economy.
However, a recent report from human rights organization ALQST warned that companies working with the biggest construction projects in Saudi Arabia, which includes several American firms, run the risk of “political and reputational risks” as the projects face allegations of dangerous conditions and abuse of migrant workers.
The report came amid allegations that thousands of migrant construction workers have died or gone missing since 2017.
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