A communal plaza and stepped terraces encourage residents to spend time together outdoors at Pixel, a cluster of seven staggered housing blocks in Abu Dhabi by Dutch studio MVRDV.
Located in Makers District on the capital city's Al Reem Island, the development comprises 525 apartments alongside various public amenities organised around a public courtyard.
It was designed by MVRDV to challenge typical housing developments in the United Arab Emirates, which the studio said often prioritise luxury over community.
MVRDV has completed the Pixel housing in Abu Dhabi
"With Pixel, we challenged the residential typologies that have become the norm in the UAE", said MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs.
"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, to invite visitors for a meal in the restaurant in the plaza," added van Rijs. "It encourages a way of life that is not only enjoyable but environmentally and socially more sustainable than the alternatives."
It comprises seven high-rise blocks around a plaza
Pixel is the first project to be completed in Makers District, which developer Imkan has created on Al Reem Island to become "the new heart of Abu Dhabi", MVRDV said.
According to the studio, the design aims to reflect the area's "innovative, cosmopolitan spirit of Makers Distric...