Helping develop the first Four Seasons in the UAE

The Four Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi is a five star establishment adjacent to Sowwah Square, and forms part of the iconic Sowwah Island Development. The hotel is the latest milestone in the development of the 54 Ha site situated in the heart of the city’s new central business district.

The building consists of a 34-storey tower with 10 levels of hotel guest rooms and a further 19 of serviced and private residential units. The base of the tower and podium accommodate banqueting and exhibition facilities, a swimming pool, health spa, restaurants and a retail arcade.

SESC worked as the commissioning management team on behalf of main contractor AFC. Our team worked across the entire property. A key requirement from the owner was to deliver a hotel that offers the highest standard of luxury and guest comfort while remaining cost effective, with a particular focus on optimise the building volume to make the best possible use of the space.

Sustainable design and construction methodologies were also a key imperative throughout the project following its registration with the UPC as a pilot Estidama scheme. SESC worked closely with all stakeholders on the project to ensure this pilot project was a success for all involved.

To ensure a quality environment for guests, lead designer Buro Happold designed a fully integrated MEP system that met strict criteria for noise and low visibility. With optimising lettable space also a key objective, their innovative solution to free up space by moving some of the plant down two floors resulted in around £40 million of new revenue earning accommodation and the design review and commissioning of this innovative solution full under the remit of SESC.