{Remember seeing renderings for this retail space by Foster & Partners way back when I was still

{Remember seeing renderings for this retail space by Foster & Partners way back when I was still in university. Not sure what prompted me to look for it again, but it’s always interesting to compare renderings versus as-built spaces.}Inspired by the traditional architecture of the Middle East, Central Market is a modern interpretation of the traditional bazaar, selling almost every conceivable product, from luxury goods to food and artisan crafts. Like the traditional souk, these different experiences are brought together in a sensory interior palette of dappled sunlight, warm woods, colours and running waterAn intimate sequence of streets, alleys, courtyards, balconies and colonnades dissolve barriers between inside and outside, with flexible sliding roofs and walls to enable control of internal environments. The retail areas are richly textured and patterned, with louvres and ornate detailing in wood, terracotta, ceramic tiles and stone; and employ a repeated octagonal motif, which is particularly well suited to the building’s monumental scale. -- source link

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