Danish architecture firm BIG has unveiled its masterplan for a major redevelopment of The Port of Aqaba in Jordan.
The Aqaba Container Terminal masterplan aims to transform Jordan’s only port into a hub for the local community and will involve the renovation of existing facilities, alongside the introduction of community training centres and public parks.
The project is being developed by BIG in collaboration with the port operating company APM Terminal for shipping giant Maersk.
According to BIG, its design will also focus on the provision of solar power, ensuring the masterplan aligns with APM Terminal’s “ambition to optimise and decarbonise the port”.
The first element of the masterplan is the refurbishment of the existing Aqaba Container Terminal.
This will involve updating and expanding the shipping yards with “state-of-the-art” technology that is hoped to improve capacity, efficiency and comfort for workers.
BIG also plans to introduce solar canopies that will provide clean electricity for the terminal, as well as its electric cranes, vehicles and charging stations.
Another key part of the masterplan is the Aqaba’s Logistics Village – an area that will be introduced to provide local businesses with trade opportunities at the port and to help boost the wider economy.
Here, there will also be centres for the training of logistics professionals.
BIG Partner, Giulia Frittoli, said: “Over the last decades, industries have driven economic growth, but also contributed to severe environmental impact.
“Aqaba Container Terminal is an example of how cleaner, quieter and safer infrastructure can create new forms of sustainable urban environments.
“As an urban planner and landscape architect the collaboration has been a unique chance to explore the hidden potential behind industrial sites and rethink infrastructure as a catalyst for urban, sustainable transformation.”
Images credit: BIG
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