Canopy roof featuring Diab material shelters the entrance of Abu Dhabi´s premier shopping mall

Man-made Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE, a home to the ultimate retail experience Yas Mall. The mall offers over 450 stores, 4 international departments, multi-cuisine dining and a direct link to IKEA and the world’s largest indoor theme park – the Ferrari World. Hovering over the main entrance to the mall is a huge, yet almost feather-light canopy designed and manufactured by Affan Innovative Structures LCC with the use of Diab’s sandwich core material.

Shopping and entertainment all-in-one
Yas Island is situated roughly 10 minutes from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, making it an attractive and accessible destination for both residents and tourists. In addition to excessive shopping possibilities, the mall also features a 7,500 m2, 14-screen cinema unit, a 6,000 m2 family entertainment center and more than 10,000 parking spaces.

Yas Mall is being developed by Aldar Properties, the leading property development and management company in Abu Dhabi. Aldar’s management hopes the new mall with all its attractions will help draw people to Abu Dhabi and contribute to making it one of the most popular shopping destinations in the Middle East.

Spectacular in every aspect 

The mall is been constructed over four trading floors and have a huge central square as its focal point, with streets leading from the square directly to its four car parks, and to the department stores. Sheltering the main entrance is an enormous canopy made of composite material. It measures 240 m in length and 12 m in width and has been designed and manufactured by Affan, a Dubai-based company specializing in façades made of complex steel, glass and composite structures.

The canopy is a superb example of how composite solutions can accommodate the innovative designs of the future. Extremely lightweight, yet strong, it makes a great first impression and sets high expectations. 

Driving the use of composites

Affan’s founder, Dr. Amer Affan, emphasizes that composite constructions offer architects the unique opportunity to realize previously unimaginable structures. The canopy roof over Yas Mall is part of Affan’s strategy to introduce composites into the world of construction.

Affan has previously worked with Diab materials to create a roof over the entrance to the Sidra Medical and Research Center and many more projects.