Island of Happiness in Abu Dhabi: utopia or reality

Abstract

The article is dedicated to problems of emergence of the Saadiyat Culture District cluster in urban globalization. The author investigates conditions of appearance, the background and significance of the cultural cluster in the urban context. Particular attention is paid to the creation of cultural space as significant images serving as a lever of economic recovery and advertising manipulation. The author examines the instruments contributing to the emergence of competitive cultural space, reception and transformation of modern Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat’s example. Analysis of the global architecture elements allows us to answer the question whether they can increase the city’s economic development potential. Refs 17. Figs 8.