Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

1 8 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I a $200 million art installation. This includes The Shed, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, a monolithic performing arts venue famed for its ‘moving roof’, and the Snark Park exhibition space, expected to hold around three shows a year. But the centrepiece is undoubtedly The Vessel, a dramatic sculpture conceived by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, comprising a vast 16-building complex that cost over $150 million to build. On the cultural front, New York’s MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2019 with a major renovation and expansion. The two-phase project increased gallery space by 30 per cent and includes new street-level galleries, a customised studio space for media, performance and film, and a sixth-floor lounge with an outdoor terrace. The entire first floor will continue to be open to the public, free of charge, including the new galleries. The second phase of Hudson Yards set to begin in 2020 includes several residential towers, office blocks and a school. For those from out of town, the Equinox Hotel will, once completed, become a hive of healthy decadence thanks to its holistic approach to fitness, and Crowne Plaza HY36 – the InterContinental Hotel’s latest offering which opened in 2018 – serves as the perfect urban oasis. Designed by Stonehill Taylor architects the hotel boasts a modern industrial façade with cascading light features that are visible both indoors and by passers-by. Crowne Plaza HY36