Europe’s largest building design practice, BDP, has announced that it will open an office on in Abu Dhabi on April 1, after agreeing to merge with local multidisciplinary design practice SYNA.

BDP was founded in 1961 and is ranked in the top 10 architects in the world and the largest architect in Western Europe with an annual turnover of approximately Dh600 million ($163 million) in the last financial year. It employs more than 1,200 architects, designers, engineers, urbanists, sustainability experts, lighting designers and acoustics specialists in 15 studios across the UK, France, Ireland and Netherlands.

The internationally acclaimed architect has designed distinguished schemes such as the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London. BDP was responsible for creating a new master plan for the Grand Slam tennis venue and designing the new 11,000-seat No 1 Court, a broadcast centre, the Millennium Building and a new Court 2.

However, BDP is best known for its focus on community projects, such as schools, universities, hospitals and city centre regeneration. Last year BDP was shortlisted for seven awards by the Royal Institute of British Architects including its work on the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton, the Bridge Academy school in London and the 42 acre master plan for Liverpool One - the retail-led scheme developed by Grosvenor that has successfully regenerated Liverpool city centre.

SYNA has more than 30 years of experience of designing viable and successful projects across the Gulf particularly in the hospitality sector, and has had offices in Abu Dhabi since 1993. SYNA’s project experience includes the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort in Dubai and Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, Abu Dhabi.

BDP has been growing its presence in the Middle East. It designed the ABC Shopping Mall in Beirut and was commissioned in 2007 by ODAC (Office for Development of Administrative Centres) to design 10 university complexes across Libya. However BDP chose to merge with SYNA because of their ability to deliver complex projects.

“We celebrate our 50th anniversary next year and during that time have established ourselves as the largest and one of the leading architect-led interdisciplinary practices in Europe, but now is the right time for BDP to become a true global player,” said David Cash, BDP’s international director and now the new chairman of the BDP Abu Dhabi studio.

The BDP Abu Dhabi practice will be run by Nadine Nackasha, who managed the original SYNA practice in Abu Dhabi and Gary Dicken, who has relocated to the emirate from the BDP Manchester Office. Gary has been working with BDP for the last 23 years.

“BDP will relocate a number of specialists from the UK to work alongside the former SYNA team to create a new exciting building design studio in Abu Dhabi,” said Nackasha.

BDP will be exhibiting during Cityscape Abu Dhabi to be held from April 18 to 21.-TradeArabia News Service