A permanent tribute to the UAE’s Founding Father, the Memorial is dedicated to the life, legacy and values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The breadth of WAHO’s appointment included full landscape architectural design and supervision services.
Pivotal to the landscape architecture of the Memorial space was ensuring the central monument of Sheikh Zayed remained the key focal point from every vantage point. In keeping with the Sheikh’s vision, the 3.3 hectare site of Founders’ Memorial is a tribute to his legacy. Reflecting his commitment to the preservation of local flora and fauna, the landscape offers two specialist gardens. The Heritage and Sanctuary gardens along with the additional softscape include many plants and trees indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula.
The space features an elevated walkway that encircles the site, offering captivating views of the Memorial itself and beyond,to the Abu Dhabi skyline. The path is punctuated with visionary quotes by Sheikh Zayed, offering a space for quiet contemplation of his wisdom. In the Heritage garden, planting includes local plants that are renowned for their traditional uses. The water feature in the Sanctuary garden is inspired by the ancient falaj irrigation system that was used across the Arabian Peninsula and further developed by Sheikh Zayed.
