United

Arab

Emirates

design

concept:

Illuminating

Abu

Dhabi’s

journey

through

light

and

storytelling

Inspired by the drama and poetry of light that enriches life in Abu Dhabi, this design concept choreographs the experiences that connect passengers to a place with a name that literally translates to “Father of the Gazelle.”

The concept creates a distinctive brand for the airport by using light to enhance wayfinding and passenger flow and most importantly as the symbolic thread for tying together an eternal and captivating story of life, land and change in Abu Dhabi. For both terminals, the tale begins with the celebration of arrival on the Great Boulevard. Here, procession and royal pageantry are referenced with alternating palm trees and sculptural natural gas lanterns set to a formal rhythm.