Mina Zayed: Reflections on Past Futures

Gridded, vast, and distinctly utilitarian in scale and texture, Mina Zayed’s urban plan reflects the role it played as the principle trading gateway for Abu Dhabi. The area was instrumental in the Capital’s growth, and the development of its culture, both material and anthropological.

Beyond its infrastructural significance, the area is cemented in the memory of the capital’s inhabitants as a hub of communal spaces— a co-op, a large toy store, a popular arcade, a wedding hall, a fish market, an agricultural market, and a vibrant and colorful fruits and vegetables market, spaces that continue to flourish to this day.