Callista is an Urban Highway Oasis, located on top of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Highway, Abu Dhabi. The project being part of the academia, aims to think of alternatives for rest stops that could benefit the people on their journeys. An urban oasis is a public space that aims to bring people together for different reasons. The project is proposed to rethink the purpose and function of highway service center, and convert in into a center of different activities.
Highways in the United Arab Emirates play a great role in connecting the cities and different places. There is a important cultural value of the desert landscape where people perform various activities. The temperature being very high during the day promotes these activities to be carried during the night time. After the sunset, people start to get together around the highway and create their own space, using their cars as a mark on their territory.
This project intends to promote new typology for service station, where visitors are encouraged to interact with the desert, ocean and the highway in different levels, out of the city zone.
The project Callista was inspired by a closed sea shell known as Callista chione. Tensile fabric is used in the project to enclose the building, and to reduce the intensity of the sunlight, yet keeping the interior lit. The building is held above the highway with the help of cables that are supported by three major arches. A garden with platforms in built on the interior of the building, along with retail and restaurants, to promote space for people to interac and socialize. Callista is the new and smart approach to the service stations along the highways.

2017

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Area: 3000 ㎡
Location: Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed highway, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Latitude: 24°31'1.03"N, 54°31'59.22"E