Yet another famous Abu Dhabi landmark has come down this time it is the Clock Tower facing the Corniche.

One of the oldest and most recognisable structures downtown, the Clock Tower fell as a result of the redevelopment project.

Its demolition is part of the ongoing Dh800-million improvement project. Planners said people should not feel disappointed because a new and more graceful clock tower will be built soon.

The replacement will be more than twice the height 70 metres of the original Clock Tower, and will form the centrepiece of a fashionable area with restaurants, shops and recreation centres as well as museums, fountains and parks.

The old Clock Tower's demolition over two days was a shock to many resident, especially because it was the first landmark visitors saw as they entered the city centre from the main Airport Road.

It is the second oldest concrete landmark in the city to have been demolished. The first was the Twin Onion Tanks on Electra Street, which was torn down in the mid 1990s.

The Volcano Fountain, also a prominent landmark of Abu Dhabi, was levelled last month. Also known as the Shallal, or waterfall in Arabic, it will be replaced with a similar but larger structure.

In May, the famous GCC Roundabout near the InterContinental Hotel also gave way to the redevelopment. It has been demolished and replaced with a tunnel, linking Abu Dhabi International Airport with the soon-to-open Emirates Palace Hotel.

The roundabout was a cylindrical fountain, decorated with images of falcons and the flags of the six GCC states on six towers. It was built as a symbol of GCC unity before the first GCC meeting in 1991.

The next landmark scheduled for demolition is the Old Souq between Hamdan Street and Khalifa Street. It is likely to be demolished after Ramadan.

A new market will be built to reflect a traditional Islamic souq.

Abu Dhabi Municipality and Town Planning Department has already awarded the project to the Arab Engineering Bureau. The project is scheduled to be completed within 18 months and all original tenants will be allowed to move to the new market.

The shortage of parking spaces will be solved by an underground parking lot, while the market will also contain other facilities, such as mosques, restaurants, entertainment centres.