Flight of fancy

One of the charms of life in this country is the ever-changing nature of the urban landscape. Development takes place at a dizzying pace with familiar sites and neighbourhoods often undergoing almost overnight transformations. Indeed, only last week The National reported on the "sudden" demise of the large concrete cannon that once proudly sat on Al Ittihad Square.

It is all the more surprising when progress stalls, as it has on The Wing project on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Intended as a striking city centre addendum to the citywide Formula One party, the building has sat unused for five years. Residents who once worried about the disruption the glass-walled building would bring when it opened, wonder now if it will always be unoccupied.

The Wing must not remain clipped, but whatever it eventually becomes – public space, private club, retail outlet – should only be after consultation with the community it overlooks.