Wahat Al Karama Memorial

Wahat Al Karama Memorial is not just a monument and pavilion of honour in Abu Dhabi, it’s a testament to the creative collaboration between artists and architects. The expressive union shared by Brisbane-based architecture firm bureau^proberts and design consultancy Urban Art Projects (UAP), has culminated in their project being shortlisted at this year’s World Architecture Festival in the ‘Civic and Community - Completed Building’ category.

bureau^proberts director Liam Proberts said his team joined the project to help realise the vision of the memorial for British artist Idris Khan. “Idris Khan is one of Britain’s most important interdisciplinary artists. It was extraordinary to be able to work alongside him on a project of such magnitude,” Liam commented.

“The conceptual direction of the project was conceived by Idris to create a park for reflection on loss and remembrance; a spiritual place that conveyed unity and support. This would be embodied in the monument, however as our relationship with the project deepened, the idea of the pavilion emerged.” The monument comprises 31 aluminum-clad leaning tablets, the largest soaring 23 metres in height. The tablets appear to gently rest on each other symbolising the united strength of the seven nations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each features a series of Arabic poems and quotes, enticing the viewer to read, reflect and touch the artwork, creating a personal relationship with the Memorial.

The Pavilion of Honour is a semi-buried circular structure, at its centre is seven standing glass panels by the artist, and 2,800 aluminium plates inscribed with the names of the UAE’s heroes. The two parts are connected via a water feature. Each space provides a unique environment for citizens to pay respect to those who have
served their country.

“As a practice, we have a long history of working with artists to elevate civic spaces through meaningful urban infrastructure projects,” Liam reflected. “This type of partnership gives us – as architects - the opportunity to step outside the confines of standard processes and be much more gestural.”

Commissioned by the Crowne Prince Court Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the memorial is located on a 46,000-square-metre area between the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Armed Forces General Headquarters.

bureau proberts