Architect says Masdar green city review imminent

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A long-awaited revised master plan for Masdar City is nearly complete, according to the architect that designed the Abu Dhabi mega-project.

Foster + Partners said today that its own review of its plans for the carbon-neutral city is "nearing completion", and will form part of a wider overhaul which will "refine the overall master plan design with the benefit of lessons learnt so far."

A revised master plan for the project has been expected since the end of 2009, but Foster +Partners' announcement comes at the end of a difficult month for the Masdar. In July the Masdar Institute suffered two high profile resignations, and the Masdar's chief executive was forced to counter persistent rumours that the project would be scaled back in the wake of the financial crisis

But the architect firm, founded by renowned British architect Norman Foster, is upbeat, claiming that the review has been an opportunity to reflect on "lessons learned" over the past three years. They also confirm that further mixed-use phases of Masdar City are now being prepared for imminent start on site.

"We are excited to be able to review the project at this important moment – with the benefit of many lessons learned over the past three years," said Lord Foster, in a statement.

"Masdar has far reaching significance as a test-bed and an integrated urban research project of unprecedented scale and ambition."