Back in March, Zaha Hadid Architects emerged victorious in the competition to design the new Aljada Central Hub in Sharjah, UAE. Today, the firm announced that phase one of the $6.5 billion development is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2019. 

At a whopping 1.9 million square feet, the Central Hub's focal points are a large central plaza and public observation tower. The first phase of the Hub will include an outdoor cinema space for screenings and pop-ups, a food truck village, skate park, and family-friendly facilities. 

The second and third phases of the project are expected to be finished by 2020 and 2022, respectively. These two phases will include the construction of: a 65,000 sq.ft. waterplay area, an “extreme” sports center, an 11-screen cinema, an adventure golf course, and a 340,000 sq.ft. community park that will have “hundreds of species of trees and plants” and numerous outdoor sports facilities — just to name a few.

“The complex’s natural ecosystem, irrigated by recovered and recycled water, is designed to sustain a microclimate at ground level for gardens featuring plant species native to the region, while the Central Hub’s lighting requirements will be entirely provided by smart solar power,” ZHA describes.

All phases of the Central Hub are currently expected to be built in 2022, while the entire development is slated for a 2025 completion.