Old Dubai Zoo site in Jumeirah to house homes and makeover begins with 710-m walk through memory

Dubai: For nearly 30 years, artist Solimar Miller has called Dubai home. She remembers visiting the old Dubai Zoo in Jumeirah shortly after she arrived in 1997. Back then, it was one of the city's few attractions, before the Burj Al Arab rose from its scaffold and before Jumeirah became the address it is today.

Now, the site that generations of Dubai residents hold dear is finally stepping into its future and the story begins not with a building, but with art.

The former zoo, which permanently closed on November 5, 2017 after operating for 50 years and the much-loved animals and birds were transferred to Dubai Safari Park, is being transformed into a low-rise residential community of 90 homes set around landscaped courtyards and green spaces, according to investment firm Shamal Holding.

While the neighbourhood takes shape over the next two years, anyone passing through Jumeirah will find the site's four sides wrapped in 710 metres of art — Miller's 12-piece series, Flora of Light, transforming what would otherwise be construction hoarding into an open-air public gallery.

"I'm very excited for the community to pass by, to walk around, and to see all 12 images enlarged. A lot of these people have memories, as do I," Miller said as she displayed the original artworks to Gulf News in an exclusive interview ahead of the official reveal.

Twelve artworks, one journey

Each artwork depicts the UAE's indigenous trees and native animals: from the Arabian leopard and hoopoe bird to the lote tree and ghaf. Created in gouache and coloured pencils, a medium Miller had not used for years, the pieces trace the sky across different times of day, blues at midday, purples and pinks before sunset, and the warmth of golden hour, giving the hoarding the feel of a single, continuous landscape.

"I felt like there was something special: the quality from using those mediums gave it a raw feeling," said Miller, a textile designer, artist, colourist and printmaker known for her large-scale custom carpet designs for luxury hotels and her commissioned textile work for international high-end home furnishing brands.

“This series pays tribute to the animals and natural heritage, while reminding us of the importance of conservation. By placing these artworks in a public space, I hope to inspire people to preserve green spaces and natural habitats and celebrate the environment we all share,” she said.

Roots and remembrance

Commissioned in June last year, Miller spent months in close consultation before a single stroke was painted. The focus was to honour the memory of the site and the natural world that existed there long before the zoo was ever built.

"Before Jumeirah was developed, these animals roamed freely. It was sand and dunes. When you're walking around the hoarding, you're travelling through time,” Miller said.

Her practice is rooted in ecological storytelling and a deep commitment to documenting indigenous species facing the threat of disappearing amid land loss, drought and climate change. This project, she says, carries a weight beyond art.

"I really wanted to honour not only the memory of the zoo, but the history and the memories left behind. I hope my artwork translates this feeling of remembrance, a sentimental journey of time passing."

Open to all

The installation, which supports Dubai's Public Art Strategy, is accessible to anyone passing through the neighbourhood. A park sits directly across from the site.

The collaboration was commissioned through Shamal’s Tamayoz programme, which places art and culture at the centre of placemaking.

“Public art is one of the most powerful ways to embed culture into the DNA of a place. Through Solimar Miller’s work, we invite the community to engage with the story of this site in a meaningful way. The former Dubai Zoo occupies a special place in Dubai's collective memory, and this collaboration is a way of honouring that legacy while looking ahead to the site's next chapter," said Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Executive Officer at Shamal.

The future community will combine privacy, open spaces and natural elements, creating an environment that feels both nostalgic and new, the developer said.