Middle East’s biggest tennis academy set to open in 2019
The Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex will be located in Kuwait
Architecture group, CallisonRTKL (CRTKL) recently said that work at the Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex is progressing at a steady pace.
The 263,430 sqm tennis complex is expected to open later this year and will draw some 11 million visitors annually and set a new standard in the planning and design of sport-driven districts, a statement from the company said.
“We approached this exciting project with a clear understanding of its unique context and diverse program,” said Brendan O’Grady, vice president in CRTKL’s Dallas office. “As the designers of 360 Mall, which is connected to the complex via a pedestrian bridge, we know the value of creating a recognizable icon for Kuwait City. We expect this complex to set a new world standard for these types of multi-use districts.”
CRTKL, a major brand of design and consultancy firm Arcadis, said it had designed the complex to include the headquarters of the Kuwait Tennis Federation as well as eight open-air courts, a 5000-seat covered multi-purpose arena, a 1600-seat centre court, a fitness centre, a five-star hotel, retail and dining venues, and ancillary facilities.
A top official from Tamdeen group, the project developer, said that from the very start they had set a bold vision for the tennis complex, which was to put Kuwait on the map for world-class tennis through great design, quality mixed-use development and superior operations.
Mohammed Jassim Khalid Al Marzouq, chairman at Tamdeen Group said: “Through this tennis complex, we will provide a fertile sports environment for training Kuwaiti athletes to excel in international sports. Today we have reached advanced stages in building this creative sports monument, which will put Kuwait and its championships on the international sports map.”
“The design team is especially proud of a “living wall” that is “composed of more than 101 species of plants—one of the largest of its kind in such a setting,” explained O’Grady.
The statement from the company elaborated on this and said CRTKL’s design relied on curving, organic lines that stand contrast to the bolder edges of contemporary sport. Elements like water, trees and abundant landscape is added to create a calming effect that reinforces Tamdeen group’s commitment to creating vibrant, sustainable environments that enrich the community and celebrate Kuwait’s position in the world, it stated.
