OMA Devises Charitable Installation in Dubai

The Rotterdam-based firm has joined forces with Dutch landscaping studio Inside Outsideto create “Ethar – Honoring Originality,” a field of columns engraved with tales of Arabic thinkers that celebrates charity within the United Arab Emirates.

Located on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach, the installation comprises 1,680 triangle-shape recyclable aluminum columns that gradually increase in height toward the center, and resembles a magnetic field that guides visitors to a central rectangular plaza.

At night, stainless steel lighting fixtures illuminate the landscape of columns, lending definition to the central plaza and enhancing the installation’s gesture of movement.

Each individual column has its own sponsor, with the funds supporting charities focused on education within the United Arab Emirates