Yes, you guys read that right. Abu Dhabi has its first air-conditioned outdoor walkway in Al Mamoura. It is a welcome refuge from the extreme summer heat of the desert.
I heard about this earlier this year, but since I am always driving when I pass by this spot, I never really experienced it until recently. One evening, I decided to take a walk specifically to go and check out this air-conditioned walkway.
They chose a great spot for this first in the city. There are several cafes and shops along this length, including Jones The Grocer and Starbucks, not to mention the many offices in the area. This air-conditioned walkway truly helps improve the pedestrian and customer experience here.
Looking at it from afar, it doesn't look like anything special, but I have to say that it has its own character already. As you get closer, you'll find little details that scream, this has been well thought of, including these small plants.
Along the sides of this shaded and air-conditioned walkway are these stylish noise-reducing walls. These somehow block off the noise from the nearby traffic, and hmmm, perhaps "keep" the cool air confined.
Inside the walls are stone benches where people can also choose to sit, rest, and cool down.
I love the white paint and the "holes" on the roof and walls that give the corridor its distinct, modern, clean look. At night, the lights on the floor and columns provide a warm accent to it. At daytime, just enough amount of sunlight penetrates the walls and roof.
Towards the end of this corridor, Jones the Grocer even kept their outdoor seating even this summer. How about that?!
I have to go back and take daytime photos. It would be equally impressive, I bet!
The air conditioning comes from the floor. Imagine walking on a hot 50°C day and finally reaching this spot in the city that has cold air flowing from the floor. What a relief it is!
I think I would even be tempted to stop and sit on one of these concrete benches for a while.
And wouldn't it be nice if this cool walkway extends to the parking lot?! I read that this is just a test area for the government to determine if this is a good initiative and could be replicated in other pedestrian-busy areas.
I read that this particular walkway operates in a conventional cooling system. Meaning it uses lots of energy to serve its purpose. However, the government is exploring other sustainable energy sources like solar power for the future installations, whenever they would build a new one. Which also leads me to wonder, do they keep the air conditioning on 24/7?
Right now, this short corridor provides respite to passersby, especially this summer time. I hope to see more like this in other parts of the city.
After walking the length of the walkway, I turned back and headed home. Still in awe of this modern urban design. I could not wait to share my experience with the kids. They were too intrigued when they saw the photos, asking me why I did not make them come with me. LOL.
I truly am excited to see more of these oases pop up in more parts of the city. Let's see!
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
