Anti-icon
Typical iconic towers are emblems of power in either
vertical phallic form or biped in nature, stemming from two bases like an arch -usually
meeting triumphantly in the middle.Tower X is an anti-icon. Devoid of flourishes, its two
vectors never meet, but brush by one another enroute to the sky. Like a pair of
graceful wings they frame a subtle gateway to Dubai from Za’abeel Park.FormTypical towers are linear extruded static diagrams of
exiting requirements: 2 stairs, an elevator core and service shafts. The emergent form is one of stasis, a fossilized representation of the 20th
century.Vertical Elevators have limited the development of towers,
locking their forms upright.
Here with evolutionary technology inclined elevators or
inclinators allow one to transverse diagonally the realms of X and Y in addition
to Z.
The otherwise monolithic slab of a tower that would emerge
is split simply into slender diagonal tubes of polar opposites: one opaque for
services, the other transparent for public functions.
The more transparent public one showcases the UAE’s advanced modern
technologies including solar PVs and inclined scenic elevators while
the other represents Dubai’s rich cultural
heritage, containing within its service functions a fine-tuned
windcatcher naturally conditioning the inside air. Structure The solid tube is of high strength concrete construction
while the glazed tube is a diagonal braced frame. They both lean at 70° to the
vertical axis. Stability is achieved at the interstices of the two forms: one
supports the other, balancing energies through the horizontal diaphragm of the
post-tensioned concrete viewing platform.
SymbolIn this way the UAE is symbolized: the new and old merging in
perfect balance mutually supporting and enhancing one another. Where they meet
is akin to the current condition: a nation optimistically looking towards the future.
View Original