The third BALI award for interior landscaping at the BurJuman Centre puts Planters on the international map of Interior Landscaping Excellence.
Planters, the interior landscaping company based in Dubai, has been awarded its third British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) award for their landscaping project at the BurJuman Centre.
The award for the best international project, cements Planters' position in the Middle East, as the premier interior landscaping company. This award follows two others received in 2002, for the UAE Armed Officers Club and in 2003, for the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai.
“We are very pleased to have won a BALI award for the third time,” commented Mr. Jonathan Pardoe, General Manager of Planters. The award is in recognition of our continued efforts to be the best interior landscaping company in the Middle East.”
The BurJuman project was one of the most ambitious interior landscaping projects undertaken in the UAE. Glowing under the glass atrium on the top floor are seven 100-year-old olive trees originating from the Mediterranean basin. The trees have created an internal olive grove amongst the cafes and designer shops providing visitors with the ultimate shopping experience.
“These are 100-year old trees of the species Olea europaea which originally came from Sicily. They have a very distinct feature, its trunk looks rugged and weather beaten – grey, gnarled, bumpy and contorted. We imported them from the Netherlands where they were specially acclimatized for indoor Dubai conditions. A lot of calculations of light, humidity and other environmental aspects have been done to ensure their survival in this alien environment, said Mr. Pardoe.
“We made several trips along with the design consultants to the Netherlands to individually select each tree,” he added.
In addition to the Olive trees, over 1000 indoor plants have been used to create a luscious green environment in the shopping mall. Just a short distance away from the Olive trees is a small walkway lined by 7.5 metre tall exotic palm tress and surrounded by fountains. The exotic palm trees belong to the Veitchia Merrillii species that originate from the Philippines, also known as the Christmas Palm. It is characterized by its clusters of bright red, drupe-like fruits but inconspicuous white – yellow flowers.
“These three awards are in recognition of our efforts to be the best interior landscape company in the UAE. We are continually trying to improve the level of service we can offer to our customers by training our staff, monitoring our quality and providing our clients with value for money and peace of mind,” concluded Mr. Pardoe.
The award ceremony will be held in London, U.K., at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park on 18th November 2005.
