Nikken Sekkei to showcase $12 billion worth of projects at Cityscape Dubai

Nikken Sekkei to showcase $12 billion worth of projects at Cityscape Dubai

Japanese architect to design projects in Dubai and Saudi Arabia; creative boundaries pushed with innovative, culturally aesthetic building developments

Leading Japanese architect Nikken Sekkei, will showcase projects from, amongst others, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Mongolia at this year’s Cityscape Global exhibition, taking place 21-23 September 2014 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

In recognition of Nikken’s award winning visionary design capabilities the firm is living up to its global reputation for challenging the world of architecture design by creating innovative, authentic and inspirational buildings and providing the very latest technology in sustainable living.

“Nikken Sekkei is one of the great idiosyncratic architecture firms of its time, our ability to incorporate distinguishing design features and unique cultural references in keeping with the local environment ensures our creativity stands out from anything the world has ever seen,” said Mr. Nakamura Mitsuo, Chairman of Nikken Sekkei.

The pipeline of projects, including developments in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Russia, Japan and China will further underscore the firms’ international standing with developers from around the world.  

Nikken’s Dubai inventory includes Dubai Festival City which will encompass an integrated waterfront community and the second phase of the Dubai Cultural Village another waterfront project in the Al Jadaf area of Dubai.

The jewel in the crown of the Nikken Sekkei designed Saudi developments, five of which will be showcased at Cityscape, is the mixed-use Riyadh Tower. At 338 metres tall and consisting of 73 levels it will house 201-key five-star hotel, private residences, penthouse units and at the very top a ‘Sky Palace’ apartment. Leisure facilities, retail outlets and office space complete the makeup of the project, which will be the tallest building in Riyadh.

The design has already been recognised by the International Property Awards in London winning the ‘Best Mixed-Use Architecture - Arabia’ category.

Nikken is also designing Expressbank’s new headquarters’ building in Baku, which will become one of the highest buildings in Azerbaijan. It is located next to the Heydar Aliyev Center and its unique features include the building’s flowing, curved design, in addition to the sky lounge observatory on the 40^th floor, which offers panoramic views across Baku city.

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Ulaanbaatar, capital city of Mongolia, will be transformed when designs created by Nikken are completed. The Mongol Tower and WOO City developments, both to be unveiled during the exhibition, will symbolise a modern day Mongolia and reflect the burgeoning economic prosperity.

Located in the downtown area of the city, the design of the tower has been created to give the impression of rising from the ground and melting into the sky because of the ratio of glass to concrete on the exterior; which increases gradually on higher floors. WOO City will mark Mongolia’s first world-class resort benefiting the country’s tourism industry and overall economy.

Three projects in Russia will also grace Nikken’s exhibition space; they include the 500,000 square metre, US$1 billion K City development in northern Krasnoyarsk. The development will accommodate 15,000 residents with a total of 6000 units ranging from five to 25 storey buildings and utilise a range of technologies to promote sustainability, ultimately creating a ‘Smart City’ concept.

Botanicheski Sad and Novyi Bereg developments, based in Moscow and Saint Petersburg respectively, complete the trio of Russian projects.

Completing Nikken’s line-up of creative designs for Cityscape are the Menara Astra in Jakarta, Indonesia and the Guangzhou Library, Guangzhou and South Bund Financial Center Shanghai in China.  

“Our ability to create designs that encompass cultural sensibilities sympathetic to the local environment while utilising the latest energy saving technologies has ensured a range of projects wins that showcase our extraordinary capabilities and underscore our reputation in architecture design and creativity on the world stage,” added Dubai-based, Dr. Fadi Jabri, Nikken Sekkei’s Regional Manager for CIS, MENA & India.

Nikken Sekkei is located in hall 2, stand number 2A30, at Cityscape Global.

Photo caption:  

Dubai Cultural Village.

About Nikken Sekkei:

One of the world’s largest architectural design firms and led by Chairman Mitsuo Nakamura, Nikken Sekkei employs over 2,500 professional staff in eight group companies offering comprehensive design, engineering, management, consulting and R&D services. The company’s portfolio consists of over 20,000 projects in 40 countries and have successfully achieved international recognition with a variety of industry awards. For more information, please log on to www.nikken.co.jp

Nikken Sekkei :Cityscape to welcome Japanese centurion to Dubai

Cityscape to welcome Japanese centurion to Dubai

The world’s top architect Nikken Sekkei to celebrate 110th anniversary with sustainable strategy that lasts over a century at real estate showcase in Dubai

The world’s top architectural practice and global leader in sustainable design, Nikken Sekkei, will be celebrating 110 years of excellence at Cityscape Global which takes place next week at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 4-7 October.

The Tokyo-headquartered company will present a selection of its latest sustainable designs from its extensive international portfolio as well as rolling out an updated corporate identity complete with a fresh logo and revamped English language website www.nikken.co.jp/en.

“During my career with Nikken Sekkei I have been fortunate to witness the evolution of sustainable design. It has been quite a journey so far, but it is always the future that holds such intrigue,” commented, Mitsuo Nakamura, Chairman of Nikken Sekkei.

“That is why we are showcasing a number of designs that use the very latest technology to improve and sustain building design, hopefully for another 110 years. In addition our corporate identity has also had a facelift to demonstrate the strength, reach and vision of the Nikken group,” added Nakamura.

The general public is now more environmentally aware than ever and carbon emissions are now firmly on the political agenda. In addition developers and building owners are also more commercially aware of the benefits of embracing sustainable design, in relation to maintenance, utility and management costs over the lifetime of the building.

In this respect, for the first time in the Middle East, Nikken Sekkei will be joined by a number of other group companies which complement core design services. They include interiors specialist Nikken Sekkei Space Design and Nikken Sekkei Research Institute, a think tank specialising in area energy management, integrated traffic planning and low-energy project consultation.

Since 1993, Nikken Sekkei has designed several important award winning buildings in the Middle East, such as the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, National Cultural Center in Cairo, and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), which recently became the first and only building in the Arab world to attain LEED certification for existing buildings.

“The DCCI project is an appropriate example of sustainable design. The building was originally designed by Nikken more than 15 years ago, three years prior to the inception of LEED standards. The fact that the building effectively accommodated DCCI’s sustainability programme which essentially entailed ‘greening an existing building’, highlights not only DCCI’s innovation, but also Nikken’s far reaching vision,” said Dr Fadi Jabri, General Manager of Nikken Sekkei’s office in the UAE.

Other groundbreaking designs on show at Cityscape will include The Sony building in Tokyo, which is the world’s first BIO SKIN design and the futuristic Tokyo Sky Tree broadcasting tower, which is proceeding and on schedule to open in Spring 2012. Once completed in late 2011, the structure is expected to be the world’s tallest antennae at 634 meters.

Finally Nikken is launching a new book, its third edition about sustainable architecture entitled, ‘Sustainable Architecture in Japan, The Continuing Challenge 1900-2010 and Beyond, to commemorate their achievements over the past 110 years and to look ahead to the year 2100.S Sustainable Architecture in Japan |”By utilizing
By utilising the latest technology that is not only accessible but cost-effective, we are creating practical but innovative designs aimed at maintaining optimum performance levels in energy consumption and water conservation, ideally suited to the Middle East’s arid climate,” said Dr. Jabri.

Since the economic downturn, thanks to meticulous planning and an efficient operation typical of major Japanese corporations, Nikken Sekkei’s 2,565 headcount is virtually unchanged, a major achievement in itself.

“Nikken Sekkei’s mantra is to be sustainable by design, directed by sustainable strategy and driven by sustainable business,” added Dr. Jabri.


Photo caption: Mitsuo Nakamura, Chairman of Nikken Sekkei.

About the Nikken Group

The Nikken Group, consisting of nine companies headed by Nikken Sekkei, offers comprehensive design, engineering, management, consulting and R&D services.

This year the group celebrates the 110th anniversary of Nikken Sekkei Ltd. Established in 1900, Nikken Sekkei has since grown into one of the world’s largest architectural design firms with over 2,565 professional staff. The company’s comprehensive portfolio consists of over 20,000 projects in 40 countries, covering a wide spectrum of sustainable public and private projects including: city design, high-density, mixed-use transit-oriented developments, super-high rise buildings, business parks, offices and facilities for commercial, cultural, educational and healthcare use.
Environmental responsibility and sustainability are the foundation of Nikken Sekkei’s design principles. It constantly strives to create innovative design solutions that maximise energy conservation, enhance environmental comfort, while minimising waste and environmental damage, throughout the lifetime of a building.
Arriving in the Middle East in 1993, Nikken Sekkei has designed several important award winning buildings such as the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, National Cultural Center in Cairo, and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which recently became the first and only building in the Arab world to attain LEED certification for existing buildings.

Nikken is headquartered in Tokyo, with branch offices in China, Korea, Vietnam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei to showcase sustainable strategy with latest regional & international projects at Dubai real estate showcase

World’s top architect backs Cityscape

Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei to showcase sustainable strategy with latest regional & international projects at Dubai real estate showcase

The world’s top architectural practice and global leader in sustainable design, Nikken Sekkei, will be presenting a series of selected ‘green’ designs from its extensive regional and international portfolio at Cityscape Dubai, which takes place next week at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 5 - 8 October 2009.

“The general public is more environmentally aware than ever before and carbon emissions are a contentious issue. Developers are now insisting on structural designs that comply with LEED standards and the use of environmentally friendly materials and coatings,” commented, Mr. Mitsuo Nakamura, Chairman of Nikken Sekkei.

“Building owners are now also more commercially aware of the benefits of embracing sustainable design, in relation to maintenance and management costs over the lifetime of the building. So once again, Cityscape Dubai will provide us with an appropriate platform to demonstrate our sustainable design excellence capable of delivering substantial energy savings,” added Nakamura.

In particular, Nikken Sekkei, which in previous years unveiled ‘ECO Towers’ and ‘Cool City’ two projects using market-tested and advanced solutions in energy saving, will be highlighting more unique and innovative ideas of what sustainable architecture will look like in 2020.

The technically advanced projects to be showcased this year include Mode-Gakuen Spiral Towers, Pola Museum of Art, Tokyo Midtow, Toho Gakuen School of Music Annex, Shibuya New Cultural District Development Project, Dongdaemun Development Project, Guangzhou New Library, Citic Plaza as well as local projects such as Burj Al Alam and Jumeira Gardens Techonopreneur City.

“By utilising the latest technology that is not only accessible but cost-effective, we are creating practical but innovative designs aimed at maintaining optimum performance levels in energy consumption and water conservation,” said Dr Fadi Jabri, General Manager of Nikken Sekkei’s office in the UAE.

“These designs can dramatically reduce carbon emissions, up to 60% in some cases and it is only through constantly pushing the barriers of design excellence that we have sustained our market-leading position, in a diverse range of sectors from industrial, commercial and public to healthcare, educational, sports and transportation,” he added.

Recognised as the world’s largest architectural and engineering practice, with in excess of 2,300 professional staff and annual fee income over US$400 million, Nikken Sekkei was the first Japanese architect to exhibit in the Middle East, when it debuted at Cityscape Dubai in 2006.

Since the economic downturn, thanks to meticulous planning and an efficient operation typical of major Japanese corporations, Nikken Sekkei’s headcount is virtually unchanged year-on-year, a major achievement in itself.

“In some ways Nikken Sekkei could be described as sustainable by design, directed by sustainable strategy and driven by sustainable business,” added Dr. Jabri.
Photo captions:

1. Mitsuo Nakamura, Chairman of Nikken Sekkei.
2. Burj Al Alam