Abu Dhabi’s Latest Socially-Driven Housing is Made of Concrete Pixels

The 85,000-square-metre mixed-use development Pixel, designed by Dutch architecture and urban design studio MVRDV, has now been completed in Abu Dhabi.

Designed to challenge typical housing developments in the UAE, which the studio said often prioritise luxury over community,, this complex marks the first finished project in Makers District, a new development on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island. Makers District is said to be the new heart of Abu Dhabi, a creative counterpart to the city’s cultural hub on the nearby Saadiyat Island.

Envisaged as an oyster, a nod to Abu Dhabi’s heritage, the design features a robust outer shell encasing a delicate social pearl within. The design is an assemblage of seven staggered housing blocks, with the tallest reaching 92 metres. These pixelated tower clusters converge to create a communal plaza and stepped terraces, encouraging residents to spend time together outdoors. 

Built from concrete panels, the exterior façades are solid, uniform and static. These outer concrete panels are adorned with a graphic pattern designed by Rotterdam-based graphic designer and artist Nicole Martens, inspired by the textures of oyster shells.

Once in between the towery assortment, the façades reveal a more pixelated aesthetic. Facing the plaza, they animate the project with the towers’ bases crumbling into ‘pixels’ that spill out into the plaza, creating terraces and bay windows. This extension of the living spaces into the public realm encourages residents to enjoy the outdoors during the cooler months of the year, and help in the creation of  a more inclusive atmosphere.

Glimpsed between the towers, the shading screens of the central plaza are embellished with tiles in 14 different pastel hues, resembling the pearl within a shell. This subtle yet vibrant use of materials persists, with each tower embracing a distinct colour profile, granting it a unique identity and enhancing wayfinding starting from the underground car park and all through the complex.

“With Pixel, we challenged the residential typologies that have become the norm in the UAE,” Jacob van Rijs, Founding Partner of MVRDV, tells SceneHome. “Instead of nondescript, isolated towers made palatable by a veneer of luxury finishes on the interior, Pixel makes it possible for residents to spend some time outdoors, become friends with their neighbours, and invite visitors for a meal in the restaurant in the plaza. It encourages a way of life that is not only enjoyable but environmentally and socially more sustainable than the alternatives.” 

Through the thoughtful integration of Pixel’s 525 apartments - ranging from studios to spacious three-bedroom homes - the project enhances social unity and celebrates diverse interactions among people from various backgrounds, including expats, Abu Dhabi locals, large families, individuals, and people of all ages.

Lower-level apartments are made as desirable as those on higher floors, thanks to their access to the vibrant pedestrian plaza below. The plaza’s hardscape design echoes the overarching pixelated theme, featuring small tiles in varying shades of black and grey that resemble a pixelated monochrome screen.

To enhance the outdoor environment, MVRDV has arranged the Pixel towers to maximise shade and encourage breeze throughout the plaza while ensuring there are links to the beach and neighbouring waterfront developments. Other techniques are employed to cool the microclimate within the plaza, such as incorporating water features and greenery to make the space feel more comfortable and livable. 

In the future, green roofs are planned for the tops of the towers to further enhance cooling from above to the interior, contributing to the overall environmental benefits of the complex.

Photography Credit: MVRDV