East Dareen Beach Neighborhood Park

Jubail, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Jubail, Saudi Arabia is the second largest industrial city in the world. Anything made of petroleum-based materials is produced here, think Styrofoam. The resulting urbanism of this industry is grim and inhospitable for any sort of productive urban lifestyle, offering little or no quality of public realm amenities and open space for existing and future residents. Yet, Jubail remains a growing city. Two key environmental elements bring promise to the future development of Jubail: the exquisite sandy dune beaches of the Arabian Gulf and Human Waste (TSE: Treated Sewage Effluent). It is with these two staples that the water story and public realm improvement effort begins.

As a means to mitigate the deleterious effects of the industrial zone and in addition to improvements already being made to processing hardware, the Royal Commission put in motion a plan to rethink the role of the public realm and open space network via the treatment, reuse and redistribution of human waste. The goal for these improvements aims to enhance open public space and create a park system to establish a more livable city. Until now, treated TSE water had been simply ponded in the desert, creating large swaths of bogs unfit for human access, but interestingly, provides habitat for migratory birds which in turn has attracted bird watchers.

As Executive Landscape Architect and in conjunction with CBT Architects and FAEC Engineers, Landworks Studio began teasing out an efficient loop story, one that would define the sequencing of open space development based upon the projected availability of TSE water. The final strategy developed by the team delineates an advanced system of urban scaled collection, treatment and distribution of TSE water that can evolve over time. As the city grows, so will the availability of the TSE water for the strategic purpose of irrigating public parks, improving street conditions, fostering pedestrian beach access, reestablishing a robust and ecologically diverse shoreline and providing more general public amenities from the establishment of an adaptable, public and ecologically sensitive urban infrastructure.

Concept Schemes

Advanced Concept Schemes

East Dareen Beach Neighborhood Park

East Dareen Beach Neighborhood Park was the first project in a series of new open spaces in Jubail. One of the challenges for the park was being able to provide citizens with a range of recreational and educational opportunities that engages with the spectacular ecological richness of the Arabian Gulf. The design of the Park is meant to serve not only the needs of a rapidly growing city, but also draw in visitors from the greater region. The park is composed of three distinct layers: a linear neighborhood park, a central sculpture park and an ecological island known as the Corniche.

At the start of the project, the site was defined as an undifferentiated plateau of filled dredge materials framed by an abrupt edge along the easterly shoreline with a steep drop-off to deep water due to ongoing dredging operations. Both the act of dredging and depositing of the dredge materials onto the site caused an enormous ecological disruption to the entire peninsula. Thus, the central design strategy for the new park became one of ecological restoration.

As an expansion of the existing urban fabric and as a waterfront restoration project, we explored several organizational strategies geared towards the establishment of conditions and micro-climates which would bring together cultural activities and ecological systems. Ultimately, we determined that the concept of laying responded to both the growing city and to notions of coastal resiliency and sea level rise.

Neighborhood Promenade

The urban layer, directly adjacent to a newly constructed housing development, is the 15-hectare Neighborhood Park. Configurations of pergolas, playgrounds and places of worship are repeated within dense plantings of deciduous trees and other landforms that offer relief from the sun while a large expanse of lawn and splash fountains provide playful opportunities for families.

Sculpture Park

The central layer is composed of a sequence of large landforms designed to add topographical complexity to the site while doubling as a disguise for the treated wastewater tanks which will be used for irrigation. The mounds terminate in the waterfront promenade that allows visitors direct access, via terraces and ramps, to the fluctuating tides of the Gulf. Plantings and pergolas offer respite from the sun while the mounds and benches provide seating for evening gatherings and events.

Ecological Corniche

The water-side layer is a 24-hectare island dune landscape that will be planted with native grasses, salt-tolerant shrubs and mangroves. Beaches, nature trails, picnic and camping sites will offer a quiet escape from the city free from vehicular roads, attracting human visitors as well as migratory birds and wildlife. An interactive waterway separating the Ecological Corniche from the park proper has been created for family enjoyment, offering a safer, more protected waterfront for swimming and other waterfront activities.

Concept Sketches

Waterfront

Waterfront amenities include kayak launches and pedestrian bridge connections.

Planting Plans

Construction

Conclusion

As a more recent project in the trajectory of Landworks Studio, the notion of comprehensive synthesis finds its way into the urban scale where urban infrastructures, and restorative and generative ecological systems are tactically deployed in order to enhance the public realm, foster community and establish healthier ecological systems. From the layer strategy, active culture and active ecologies artfully come together to create a more resilient and dynamic destination. People win, birds win, and water quality is improved.  

CLIENT: Royal Commission for Jubail
ARCHITECT: CBT Architects
ENGINEERING: FAEC
STATUS: Under Construction