Less Dubai in Smart City: laguna fountain to be removed

The large laguna fountain envisaged as the “heart” of the original Smart City, is to be downscaled in a major makeover of the project, with new plans to transform it into a ‘public park’ and two restaurants.

The present 122m-diameter laguna is reminiscent of the much larger choreographed fountain system in the manmade Burj Khalifa Lake in downtown Dubai.

Holding 11,000 cubic metres of sea water, which is replaced every four days, the laguna was built as an open system through which the backwash is discharged to the sea.

As proposed: the new Smart City laguna area will be turned into open space

The original permit banned the use of freshwater and chemicals, to minimise the impact on water resources and the environment.

Plans submitted by the Smart City company for the makeover of the 15,074sq.m laguna area still foresee a freshwater jet fountain in the middle of the proposed park, but most of the area will be occupied by planters and tree pockets surrounded by stone seats.

A sculpture area is also envisaged on part of the site.

The new development includes two restaurants with outside table areas overlooking the park. A landscaping plan envisages 11 Aleppo pine trees and seven stone-pine trees in the area around the central fountain, as well as a large number of shrubs in other parts of the park.

The Environment and Resources Authority expressed no major concerns on these plans but requested the omission of agave and prickly pear trees.

Another application recently presented by the company also foresees the introduction of retail units beneath the existing belvedere staircase. Other plans are for an 11-storey hotel and residential units on the site of a temporary car park, directly overlooking Xgħajra.

The Design Advisory Committee, which advises the Planning Authority on design issues, has called for a visual assessment showing all the impact on both nearby and distant views before any decision is taken.

The assessment should take into account the massing approved on the other plots in Smart City.

Earlier this month, the Planning Authority approved plans for the construction of the Institute of Tourism Studies campus within Smart City.