http://www.jonwallisphotography.com/

jonwallisphotography, Abu Dhabi (2026)

06/04/2026

Everyday Icons - Abu Dhabi

I often get asked what my favourite building is that I’ve photographed as part of this project.

My answer is very rarely the same, but there are a few examples that spring to mind most times.

Here are my top ten, in the order they were photographed:

002 - Al Ibrahimi Tower
009 - Former Armed Forces Officers Club
013 - Al Omaira Building
020 - Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation
026 - Hamdan Street Post Office
033 - Khalifa Al Suwaidi Building
050 - Abu Dhabi Bus Terminal
079 - 25 Tawi Kiwakib Street
080 - Delma Motel
090 - 308 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street

I’d be interested to know what your favorites are, so let me know in the comments below.

📷 - Photos of all the buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://lnkd.in/dVv_utC8
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://lnkd.in/dMt-MXJA
> Buildings 0101 to 0150: https://lnkd.in/d3yEq2Q2

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dM-S-EH6

30/03/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0104 - Building No. 616 Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, Abu Dhabi

Similar to the last post, this building also had a recent upgrade with fresh paint. Despite its architectural design being a little simpler, it still has some nice elements - in particular the corner balconies with tightly curved corners.

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100
> Buildings 0101 to 0150: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0101-0150

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

23/03/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0103 - Building No. 606 Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, Abu Dhabi

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100
> Buildings 0101 to 0150: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0101-0150

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

16/03/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0102 - Building No. 603 Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, Abu Dhabi

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100
> Buildings 0101 to 0150: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0101-0150

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

09/03/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0101 - Building No. 739 Hazza Bin Zayed The First Street, Abu Dhabi

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100
> Buildings 0101 to 0150: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0101-0150

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

02/03/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0100 - Power Plant, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 t0 0100: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100

🗺️ - Map plotting the locations of all buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

09/02/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0099 - 929 Electra Street, Abu Dhabi

A nearby neighbor to post number 96, this particular building stands out mainly for its use of bold colour - in sharp contrast to its neighbors!

It’s a relatively simple yet elegant elevation design, utilizing relief and pattern. Combined with the bold use of colour, it makes for a unique building. At the same time, it has a very similar column design to the building featured previously in post number 96.

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 onwards: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100

🗺️ - My map plotting the locations of all the buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

02/02/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0098 - 924 Zayed The 1st Street, Abu Dhabi

Somewhat overshadowed by its ‘celebrity neighbor’, this building still merits its own entry on the list.

It’s a relatively simple design, seemingly symmetrical in both plan and elevation. But it has some nice details, specifically the expressed corner beams and the detailing around the balconies.

Architect and completion date unknown.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 onwards: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100

🗺️ - My map plotting the locations of all the buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

26/01/2026

Everyday Icons / Hiding In Plain Sight (Abu Dhabi)

No.0097 - Al Zahiya Bus Terminal, Tourist Club, Abu Dhabi

This is a building of many lives! Originally a bus station, this building was later converted to a city terminal for Abu Dhabi Airport, before being converted back to a bus station.

The building opened in 1985, a year before its sibling (Al Bateen Mall - Everyday Icons No. 0018). After starting out life as a main bus station it later became a feeder station to the significantly larger main terminus (adj. to Al Wahda Mall) in 1989.

All three structures were designed by Bulgarian architects Technoexportstroy - a state-owned design firm established in the 1960’s. The design for both this building and the Al Bateen Mall building is said to draw inspiration from the early work of architects such as Pier Luigi Nervi. Its parabolic form is particularly striking, emphasized more-so by the fact that it now stands surrounded by much bigger buildings in the heart of the City.

📷 - More photos of this and the other buildings in this series can be found here:

> Buildings 0001 to 0050: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0001-0050
> Buildings 0051 onwards: https://www.jonwallisphotography.com/no-0051-0100

🗺️ - My map plotting the locations of all the buildings documented so far can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wnc6yZf8Dr7rXHYGNtJyUqYFVVOlEBs&usp=sharing

22/01/2026

Manar Abu Dhabi 2025

Post 3 of 3

After missing last years inaugural Manar Abu Dhabi event, I made a promise to visit this year. Although I wasn’t able to visit all the locations (I only saw the two sites in Abu Dhabi), what I did see was great!

For those unaware, Manar (lighthouse in arabic) Abu Dhabi forms part of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative launched last year by the Department of Culture and Tourism. The focus of Manar Abu Dhabi is light. This years theme was ‘the Light Compass’, with 23 “site-specific light sculptures, projections, and immersive artworks” spread across four locations: Jubail Island, Al Qattara Oasis Trail, Al Jimi Oasis Trail, and Soul Al Mina.

One of my favourite artworks featured in these photographs: Alcove Ltd, by Encore Studio.

Amazing work by everyone involved!
Can’t wait for the next edition…

22/01/2026

Manar Abu Dhabi 2025

Post 2 of 3

After missing last years inaugural Manar Abu Dhabi event, I made a promise to visit this year. Although I wasn’t able to visit all the locations (I only saw the two sites in Abu Dhabi), what I did see was great!

For those unaware, Manar (lighthouse in arabic) Abu Dhabi forms part of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative launched last year by the Department of Culture and Tourism. The focus of Manar Abu Dhabi is light. This years theme was ‘the Light Compass’, with 23 “site-specific light sculptures, projections, and immersive artworks” spread across four locations: Jubail Island, Al Qattara Oasis Trail, Al Jimi Oasis Trail, and Soul Al Mina.

Some of my favourite artworks featured in these photographs:

Image 1: Compound Eye, by Kirsten Berg;
Image 2: Faces, by Iregular;
Images 3, 4, 5 and 6: Eden, by Pamela Poh;
Image 7: Whispers, by DRIFT.

Amazing work by everyone involved!
Can’t wait for the next edition…

io
drift

jonwallisphotography

06/04/2026

30/03/2026

23/03/2026

16/03/2026

09/03/2026

02/03/2026

09/02/2026

02/02/2026

26/01/2026

22/01/2026

22/01/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category