TP Bennett Bluehaus has finished the interior design for the new headquarters of the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, located in Abu Dhabi’s Al Bahr Towers. Spanning 18 floors and covering 122,000 square feet, the project stands as one of the most significant government workplace commissions completed in the United Arab Emirates recently. The design challenges typical reputations for government projects by aiming to be authoritative without feeling austere, while keeping the wellbeing of employees at the center of the layout.
The concept draws inspiration from a “timeless horizon,” a visual point where the land meets the sea and light across the Abu Dhabi setting. This theme influenced the spatial planning and material selection to reflect the natural environment of the coast and the mangroves. According to Michelle Eid, associate director at Bluehaus, the client’s engagement allowed the team to push the design further than usual. “From there, everything followed: the material palette, the way natural light moves through the building, the choice of finishes that reference the mangroves and the coast,” Eid explained.
Four core pillars guided the project: strength, reflection, future, and people. The team selected long-lasting materials like marble, gloss brass, and unfinished textural surfaces to convey a grounded quality. The circular floor plate presented planning challenges, yet it allowed natural light to penetrate every floor. This creates a consistent sense of brightness and openness throughout the building, regardless of the level or orientation.
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Beyond standard office space
The program extends well beyond typical workplace provisions. Dedicated amenity floors include a café, lounge, dining areas, a gym, wellness rooms, nursing rooms, and a library holding over 2,000 books. Executive floors feature a Majlis, formal boardrooms, and a dining lounge designed to host senior visitors and dignitaries. The ground floor lobby features a soaring double-height space with a sculptural reception desk in veined stone and a geometric coffered ceiling.
Collaborative zones on the upper levels feature bespoke arched booth seating in warm stone tones. The atrium stair acts as a striking visual element, featuring a vaulted ceiling clad in white panels with large-scale topographic artwork at its center. These details reflect the coastal terrain and the wider horizon concept.
Adil Amin, director of interior design at TP Bennett Bluehaus, noted that the brief required a specific balance. The design needed to feel authoritative yet welcoming, a balance that distinguishes this project from more rigid government workplaces. “Government projects have a reputation for being rigid or conservative, but what we have achieved here with Tawazun challenges that entirely,” Amin said.
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While the client focused on the aesthetic and functional outcomes, a broader shift in how government organizations approach their physical spaces is visible. By prioritizing employee comfort and collaboration over strict hierarchy, the design signals a potential change in how public sector facilities are planned in the region. The success of this facility may encourage other agencies to adopt similar approaches to workplace design.
The project was delivered on a compressed timeline, requiring a highly collaborative approach across the client, design, and contractor teams. Regular workshops and rapid approval cycles allowed the design to progress quickly without sacrificing detail or quality.