In Abu Dhabi, a desert-overlaid park designed by Heatherwick will be created

Abu Dhabi - British designer Thomas Heatherwick wants to build an underground park in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. He believes that Abu Dhabi is mistakenly trying to adapt its architecture and environment to a Western style; instead, it should learn to appreciate the desert character of its own landscape.
    Heatherwick is known for, among other things, the installation of the Olympic flame at the London Summer Olympics and the design of new London buses. Now, according to CNN, he intends to create the Al-Fayah park over an area of more than 120,000 m².
    "Some of the local parks are based on a romantic idea of parks in Europe. They look as if someone went to Paris, got excited about a place, rolled it up, and placed it here in the desert," Heatherwick said regarding the situation in one of the richest places in the world.
    In the UAE, they reportedly cannot get rid of the approach that the local desert must be covered with luxury buildings or plantations instead of people appreciating the uniqueness of their own landscape.
    The park that the Brit proposes is designed to resemble a barren hill raised twenty meters above the terrain on the outside. Its surface will consist of canvas shelters that will be on poles and will resemble cracked dry land from above. Below, however, there will be pleasant gardens with date palms and local vegetables, streams, ponds, cafes, and a public library.
    Heatherwick stated that in Abu Dhabi, due to the climate, it is almost impossible to go out into the streets like in London. When someone there feels the need to be among people, they deal with it by going to a shopping mall. Al-Fayah aims to provide a welcomed alternative.
    Desert sand will be used in the construction of the park's concrete structures. The consumption of desalinated water, which will be used for irrigating plants, will be mitigated by canopies that will provide shade instead.