First look at Alserkal's big overhaul

Earlier this year, we reported that Dubai's gallery hub Alserkal Avenue was getting a major extension. The district is already home to 10 art galleries, a private museum and eight creative studios. The planned expansion would take that to 62 individual units - ramping up opportunities for incoming galleries and studio space for artists. There's even another privately-owned museum in the pipeline.

Earlier this year, we reported that Dubai's gallery hub Alserkal Avenue was getting a major extension. The district is already home to 10 art galleries, a private museum and eight creative studios. The planned expansion would take that to 62 individual units - ramping up opportunities for incoming galleries and studio space for artists. There's even another privately-owned museum in the pipeline.

This week, Alserkal Avenue sent us the first shots of how the future of the area might look. Everything in white is entirely new.

Philip Logan from

, a Dubai-based firm, has come up with the designs, with a more environmentally considered approach than that found in other warehouse complexes around industrial Al Quoz. Using 'butterfly' roofs, Logan's team have designed buildings that are able to better catch natural light without causing too much heating of the interior from sunlight.

We've also heard rumblings of solar panelling and an Avenue-wide recycling scheme. Score.

But the one thing that lets Alserkal Ave. down at the moment is the lack of anywhere to interrupt all that gallery-hopping with a sit and a smoothie.

was on a temporary coffee hiatus last time we headed down there, leaving visitors at a loose end for cafés and restaurants. Difficult zoning in the otherwise industrial Al Quoz has put the kibosh on previous attempts of a fully-fledged eatery in Alserkal, but the owners reckon that the refit will accommodate two restaurants and a coffeeshop when its completed

Excited? Damn right we are.

The existing area kicks back into life on September 10 when

here have a big muscle stretch after the summer and reopen with a raft of new shows.

In the meantime,

are a

of our

of exhibitions in Alserkal Avenue to keep you entertained over the hotter months.