ADQ Office, Etihad Airways Centre Abu Dhabi

Roar was appointed by ADQ Ventures – an offshoot of ADQ, a holding company which seeks to promote investments in start-ups and venture capital funds in Abu Dhabi – to imagine a new space for incubators and accelerators in response to the government’s drive to promote entrepreneurship in the region. Located in the Etihad Airways Centre in Abu Dhabi, the new ADQ Innovation Centre has been conceived as a place that fosters connections.

Roar has imagined a social hub which features a large floor-to-ceiling screen where information about all the companies from the ADQ Ventures programme is displayed allowing users to seek out meaningful connections. To facilitate open dialogue and interaction, a coffee bar has been incorporated where people can get together; this space also becomes a ‘town hall’ where larger events and meetings can be hosted. The business hub has been digitally thought-through: users enjoy full access control as well as the latest technology in each room to make virtual connectivity seamless.

One of the main elements of Roar’s scheme is a vast amphitheatre, which takes centre stage in the social hub, combined with a striking exposed ceiling and large digital screens in a bid to bring the ADQ community together. The overall layout was imagined as a series of ‘neighbourhoods’ allowing people to circulate smoothly, and giving them access to different ancillary zones.