Diar Consult was appointed by TDIC in February 2010 to prepare concept designs for Royal Bay Residences, a project comprising 57 luxury residential units on Sir Baniyas Island. This island, 170km southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi, is historically significant and home to the Arabian Wildlife Park which has more than 10,000 free-roaming animals. H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (the Father of the Nation) had a personal attachment to the island and used it as a retreat; hence the idea was to continue this tradition amongst the members of the ruling family. The brief was to develop a high-quality, luxurious and unique residential product specifically for the royal families of the UAE, comprising 40 island residences and 17 canal and beach residences in three different styles:
- Eclectic Arabian style
- Reinterpreted Nubian Oasis style
- Gulf Arabian Ranch Style
Diar Consult’s scope of services included architecture, interior design and landscape design.
The design of the individual palaces generally aimed to create a sense of individuality of lifestyles and the feel of a secluded private resort or holiday home and sanctuary amid the impressive natural assets of Sir Baniyas Island, without compromising issues of privacy, culture and traditional values.
Diar Consult’s designs focused on the connectivity between the internal and external spaces, maximizing the use of gardens, terraces, patios and pool decks through exotic transition spaces, such as pavilions, covered walkways and shading structures.