3
CR2 also has faith in the UAE market. Lawlor comments: “We see the UAE as a long-term prospect – things
don’t happen overnight. The key for us is building relationships – getting people to trust us and realise that we’re part of the whole economy. It takes time but things are starting to turn in the right direction for us. “We became a registered company in Abu Dhabi last year and our first project in Abu Dhabi – the Al Wahda Millennium Hotel – officially opens in September/October. We were responsible for the interior design of the public areas, including the restaurants, bars and reception area.” Hickey adds: “We came to the region over three years ago for a competition and we wanted to stay. The
first year-and-a-half was mainly spent in Dubai, but now we have shifted our attention to Abu Dhabi. “There are lots of opportunities in Abu Dhabi – we’re talking to Aldar and Mubadala. Such commissions
would propel us forward if we’re lucky enough to get them. Last year was a bad year for the world – the only place in the region that was doing anything was Saudi Arabia. Since January we’ve seen more activity – the market has started to wake up.” For Lewis, it’s crucial that the awakening market embraces quality design, whether that’s from starchitects
or lesser-known players. “I think that the future – certainly the next five years – is about design work which ensures value and return on investment. The market needs good architecture.”
level. “The name is out in the market and people know we’re here. TDIC and Mubadala are on the radar, but I’m sure a whole host of architects are queuing up to talk to them. But I’m hopeful that Ferrari World will give us a little bit of a head start. “Ferrari World is very much a one-off
project – it’s certainly not the type of bread and butter work that is the backbone of the business internationally. But it does, of course, bring us kudos in Abu Dhabi and it has helped to get our name out to the local community.”
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY?
After the worldwide economic woes of 2009, does the UAE still offer opportunities for architecture firms of all sizes? “The market is looking more positive,” states Lewis. “We’ve seen a little bit of movement in the last two or three months which we haven’t witnessed for the last two years. There are fewer requests for proposals and more solid enquiries which is great. These take up a lot of our time, which we can’t afford. “However, projects like Ferrari World are
certainly not going to be the future of the business. I think the next step for us is to deliver a major scheme that reflects our core specialism, i.e. retail, leisure and mixed-used master plans. The opportunities are there, but will there be another Ferrari World-type project during my career? I’d like to think so, but I’m not banking on it.”
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