Palm leaf canopies form ‘oasys’ outdoor refuge within Abu Dhabi urban fabric

Situated in the heart of Abu Dhabi, MASK architects‘ founders Öznur Pınar Çer and Danilo Petta have designed the ‘oasys +’, an artificial breathing palm modular structure system.

The modular multifunctional complex is designed to promote a sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle, and encourage residents to integrate the use of outdoor spaces more effectively into their daily routines. The project has been selected as one of ten winners for the ‘cool Abu Dhabi challenge’, a global design competition with more than 1,570 participants from 67 countries.

‘Oasys’ by MASK Architects stands as a barrier from heat, UV rays, noise and wind, protecting visitors from all sorts of harmful elements. Inspired by the appearance of palm leaves, the modular complex includes groupings of ‘palm structures’ that can be adapted to a series of spaces of all scales and environments. The palm canopies are underlined with nozzles that spray mist into the air to create a cool atmosphere, and the roofs feature solar panels, to harvest solar energy. Meanwhile, the leave and branch formations of the structure help protect against wind and sound.

Any outdoor function might easily be adapted to the ‘oasys’ modular system, that can be altered to form a network of hubs and centre points that may serve as islands for rest, relaxation, and socialising for the community. Furthermore, the system could also house temporary pop-up stands, cafes, sitting areas, exhibitions sites, nature retreats etc. In this way, the project also promotes keeping in touch with the local cultural heritage and landscape of historical and modern design.

One main advantage of this specific modular design is that the foundation base houses all functional technical data (water and and electric supplier pipes and the steel structure), which can be distributed and built up on selected land to provide a network of foundations for future requirements. Each ‘oasys’ system has a steel structure as a main body, which is connected to the concrete foundation at basement level.

Between the main steel structure and the finished cladding material, the design features a double layered surface to create a gap. Within this gap, there are lighting beams that illuminate the palm structures. The exterior cladding material is made from a 30% glossed-transparency material that, combined with the double-layered gap, makes the whole structure appear deeper.

Project info:

Name: Oasys

Architecture firm: MASK Architects

Lead architects: Öznur Pınar Çer, Danilo Petta