Real estate developer IMKAN has unveiled plans for its first mixed-use community project, to be located within the 18-hectare ‘Makers District’ urban living development in Abu Dhabi. The ‘Pixel’ community will consist of seven towers that boast residential apartments, co-working office space, as well as F&B and retail.

Pixel will feature a built-up area of 83,000sqm and comprise 480 residential units. The towers will be surrounded by pocket gardens and frame a centralised pedestrianised plaza. The 3,500sqm plaza will boast F&B, retail and offices, as well as a signature water feature.

The community will be located within walking distance of ‘The-Artery’, IMKAN’s hybrid parking garage, the cultural hub and the first unveiled building at Makers District.

“Pixel is a vibrant human scale destination, designed to offer its occupants a unique and soulful place to enrich their lives, collaborate in work and engage with their community. It is also a key milestone in IMKAN’s journey to establish Makers District as the new beating heart of Abu Dhabi and a place that reflects the best standards in building and design that will benefit end-users, and the wider community,” said Walid El Hindi, CEO of IMKAN.

IMKAN says it worked with several firms to develop the Pixel project. Rotterdam-based architecture and urbanism practice MVRDV was appointed to design the mixed-use community, as a result of its ‘collaborative, research-based design method, and a portfolio of award winning iconic projects worldwide’. The project’s 15,000sqm public space was designed by Copenhagen-based BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group).

Earlier in the year, IMKAN appointed Ramboll as the lead consultant for phase 1 of the Makers District. Construction is anticipated to start in Q1 of 2018 and is scheduled for completion in Q4 2020.

El Hindi added, “IMKAN is steadily accomplishing the divergent phases of our flagship Makers District development and we look forward to completing the full scheme as scheduled by 2020.”