CREEK QUAY

THE ISLAND MASTERPLAN

The Dubai Creek has influenced the city for centuries, being a way for transporting goods and persons,
a resource for fishing, a refuge for migrant birds. By following these narratives, the proposal aims to
create an innovative design for the public realm in Creek Quay, as well as to provide exciting new
programmes.
The promenade on the waterfront, for example, would recall all the different goods that have been
exported from Dubai to East Africa, India and China. In the square next to the Riverside Cultural
Centre, visitors can discover more about the ancient practice of the pearl hunting in Dubai, play the
semi-flooded plaza or relax in the outdoor swimming pool.
Three wide boulevards cross the waterfront, permitting accesses to the centre of the Island. In the
road to the mosque, some elements of the project are inspired by Islamic symbolism and they provide
shades, as well as evocative views. Not far, a boulevard supports a connection between the floating
swimming pool on the retail areas of the centre. This portion of the public realm is inspired by the
mangrove tree, which was one of the main species of the nearly extinct wetland habitat in the Dubai
Creek.
The design is futuristic and exciting, trying to provide new tourist attractions without loosing the
narratives of the Dubai Creek.

LEGEND
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Mangrove Swimming Pool and Boulevard

Narrative Waterfront
Mosque Boulevard
Swimming Pool
Oyster Plaza
The Dhow
The Orchard

1
2

3
4

7
6

0m

25 m

50 m

100 m

Narrative Waterfront
Retail terrace
relaxing - walking

Retail outdoor space

relaxing - walking

Pedestrian path
walking - biking - seating

Pedestrian path
walking - biking - seating
Flooding path
walking - fishing

0m

5m

10 m

Precious stones

Almond tree
Citrus tree
Fig tree
Pomegranate tree

Almond tree
Citrus tree
Fig tree
Pomegranate tree

Wetland
grass

Soft light

Exported goods
from the Dubai Creek
Jewellery, gold, gems

Fruits

Natural pearls

Low tide

High tide

2.0 m
1.5 m
1.0 m
0.5 m
0m

01:00

07:00

13:00

20:00

Mangrove Boulevard

Mosque Boulevard

Structure with
climbing plants

An ancient mangrove swamp, dated at 7000

BC, used to cover Dubai. This habitat can be
found nowadays in the Ras Al Khor Reserve,
at the end of the Dubai Creek.

Structure with
climbing plants

The star and crescent symbol

only became associated with
Islam in the mid-20th century.

Oyster Plaza

Pearl cave
learning - entertaining

Water play

Benches

Pearl pot

Dubai was known for its pearl exports until the

1930s; the pearl trade was damaged irreparably by the Great Depression in the 1930s and
the innovation of cultured pearls.

Benches

Pearl pot

Wide mouthed basket or

net were used to hold the
oysters in pearl hunting.