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ALDAR HQ
ALDAR HQ
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Other Projects by MZ Architects
ALDAR HQ
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The HQ
Driving along the desert road and
with the anticipation of reaching Abu Dhabi a shining element captures one eye
from a distance. As one moves closer to the object, it becomes obvious that the
extensive blurring of scale generally experienced in the desert landscape is
once again apparent but this time through an iconic man made creation: the HQ.
THE IDEA
In
the wake of the construction boom of Abu Dhabi and in an effort to put the area
on the map, MZ Architects were commissioned the design of the Aldar HQ, a
building that will change and expand the Abu Dhabi skyline forever. This architectural
icon was to shine at the center of Al Raha Beach Development, also a project by
Aldar and a newly envisioned microcosm that would bring new life and activity
to the Abu Dhabi waterfront. The HQ was to rise from the sea and become a
landmark for area, the city as well as the group behind its creation.
For
the architect Marwan Zgheib, the power of the monument and the icon lies in its
simplicity. His enthusiasm for the project led him to a clear objective: create
a simple, daring and powerfully present object that was able to compete with
the iconic architecture of the UAE and create a sense of place and identity for
the area.
Inspired
by the clam shell which has deep meaning for Abu Dhabi with its seafaring
heritage, as well as the symbolism of the geometric round shape, the architect
imagined two giant circular curved walls of glass mirroring an open clam shell.
An
extremely pure geometrical but daring design was born: a round skyscraper with
a curved glass skin.
THE ARCHITECTURE
The
circular skyscraper flaunts its form across the open waters and land, like a
pearl resting on the sand shores. The architecture is understood from a
distance and is equally impressive from both close range and afar. Its timeless
geometry, symbol of perfection and infinity, holds a rich presence and brings
with it new challenges of stability and structure.
Developing
the concept, the ideas of simplicity, purity and learning from nature, were
coupled with the reliance on one of the oldest rules of architecture: that of
proportion. In fact to help MZ Architects bring their concept to life, the
issue of stability proved to be a crucial one for the circular building. The
architects took the challenge and elevated it by looking back at the idea of
the cosmic body of the man in the circle and by inscribing the pentagram into
the circular façade, they were able to locate the two points of stability; the
two points where the building will meet the earth.
The
complexities of simplicity indeed proved to be many, and the design of the HQ
could only be a holistic one, merging architecture and structure. It became an
object of both fields, showcasing the expansion and blurring of their
respective limits in order to form a combined product.
Like
many of nature’s creations, the building comes together by allowing each one of
its elements to play a crucial role in its being and construction.
THE SKIN
Just
like a seashell, HQ’s morphology merged the idea of shape, sculpture and
pattern into one unified and expressive whole. The curved glass skin became one
of its most complex components to be executed in record time.
The
HQ structure having a 25m cantilevered design in every longitudinal direction,
concrete couldn’t be considered as construction material. A concrete structure
would have required unwanted internal supports and entailed time-consuming and
costly on-site construction work. Therefore, the team developed a complex
external diamond-shaped steel structure, called a diagrid, which achieved the
striking shape of the building. The first of its kind in the UAE, the diagrid
allowed the creation of structural efficiency and stability appropriate to the
circular building. The system not only helped minimize the impact of the steel
frame on the façade but also served as an architectural element that blurred
all sense of scale and inflated the structure, moving away from the typical
horizontal stratification of the facades. This diagrid system eliminates the
need for internal columns to support the building which would compromise the
aesthetic appeal as well as the views from within. This improved the building's
efficiency, providing layout flexibility for tenants.
THE FAÇADE GEOMETRY
The
main facades were defined using a toroidal geometry cut by a cylinder to create
the perfect circle in elevation. By using this form, each horizontal section
through the façade is described by a circle of varying radii at different
heights all with their centres along the same vertical axis. All panels on one
floor are then exactly the same size with the same angle change at each joint
due to the equal chord lengths along the circular line in plan. The rate of
change of size of panels increases as one moves further away from the equator
of the building with the top and bottom of the building being an exact mirror
image of the other. To further increase the repeatability of panels the joint
sizes were sized so that the same panel could be utilized over a number of
theoretically geometrically different floors without being able to visibly see
the change in joint width. This exercise allowed the initial architectural
vision to be created with approximately ten panel sizes instead of the original
10,000 sizes that would have been theoretically needed before the geometry
refinement.
THE ZIPPER
Unlike the
conventional four sided buildings, the project challenges the approach to
construction by questioning the typical roof structure. This three faceted
building relies on its zipper-like element, a continuous glass and structural
band that stitches the two main facets together, creating a slim continuous
surface that is both vertical and horizontal, side and face, window and roof.
This lateral element, the structural ‘backbone’ of the project, brilliantly
creates the fusion between façade and roof and allows for the monolithic shape
of the object.
THE PROCESS
With
a fast track construction schedule of 30 months that was meant to meet the
opening of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, architects, engineers and the
many experts on board worked with a collaborative effort and helped smartly run
the intricate overlap of design and construction with its new challenges and
complexities.This contractual joint venture
arrangement was key to the successful design and construction of the project.
An
innovative method of Analysis and Drafting was adopted during the construction
of the Aldar HQ building. Engineering and model data were used at the earliest
stages of the project to take full advantage of early procurement and optimized
use of material. The structural analysis of the podium and tower superstructure
was undertaken using the 3D finite element analysis program, Strand 7. The
advanced 3D models developed by Arup were shared between the Engineers, the
Architects, the Steelwork Contractor, the Façade Contractor and the MEP
consultant, who were each able to import the model into their own 3D modeling
software. Within 3 months of the design team’s appointment, piling work had
started on the site. Foundation works began just 1 month after the design was
sketched, before a full set of plans was developed by the engineers. The
concrete cores were completed within a year. Within 14 months of the project
start, the steelwork was already erected up to the fourth floor. Concrete
elements, such as stairs, columns and even the bathrooms, were pre-cast.
From
a non-existing site to the rise of a 110 meter high circular skyscraper on a
manmade land of recycled marine sand in the Persian Gulf, the HQ celebrates the
rise of the new Al Raha Beach and Abu Dhabi’s growth. Its curved glass facades,
does not only reflect the project’s surrounding and the vibrant new city in
which it was born but also allows one to face his own reflection and image in
the much larger universe. It is a space that captivates its visitors during the
day and exposes their activities at night along with the reflections of the
sleepless environment neighboring it. A
small shiny dot rising from the water becomes a giant mirror of the world and
an extension of Abu Dhabi. Its presence is molded by its surrounding and its
being shifts with the cycle of the sun that continuously animates its skin.
The simple, expressive and glowing presence of the HQ makes it hard to
miss and its structural complexity elevates it to the new levels of
construction achievements in the region.
The Aldar HQ has won the “Best Futuristic Design” Award at the 2008 Building
Exchange conference (Valencia, Spain) as well as the “Best Architecture”
Award at the2009 CNBC Arabian Property Awards, and has been featured in
special reports on National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel.
Driving along the desert road and
with the anticipation of reaching Abu Dhabi a shining element captures one eye
from a distance. As one moves closer to the object, it becomes obvious that the
extensive blurring of scale generally experienced in the desert landscape is
once again apparent but this time through an iconic man made creation: the HQ.
THE IDEA
In
the wake of the construction boom of Abu Dhabi and in an effort to put the area
on the map, MZ Architects were commissioned the design of the Aldar HQ, a
building that will change and expand the Abu Dhabi skyline forever. This architectural
icon was to shine at the center of Al Raha Beach Development, also a project by
Aldar and a newly envisioned microcosm that would bring new life and activity
to the Abu Dhabi waterfront. The HQ was to rise from the sea and become a
landmark for area, the city as well as the group behind its creation.
For
the architect Marwan Zgheib, the power of the monument and the icon lies in its
simplicity. His enthusiasm for the project led him to a clear objective: create
a simple, daring and powerfully present object that was able to compete with
the iconic architecture of the UAE and create a sense of place and identity for
the area.
Inspired
by the clam shell which has deep meaning for Abu Dhabi with its seafaring
heritage, as well as the symbolism of the geometric round shape, the architect
imagined two giant circular curved walls of glass mirroring an open clam shell.
An
extremely pure geometrical but daring design was born: a round skyscraper with
a curved glass skin.
THE ARCHITECTURE
The
circular skyscraper flaunts its form across the open waters and land, like a
pearl resting on the sand shores. The architecture is understood from a
distance and is equally impressive from both close range and afar. Its timeless
geometry, symbol of perfection and infinity, holds a rich presence and brings
with it new challenges of stability and structure.
Developing
the concept, the ideas of simplicity, purity and learning from nature, were
coupled with the reliance on one of the oldest rules of architecture: that of
proportion. In fact to help MZ Architects bring their concept to life, the
issue of stability proved to be a crucial one for the circular building. The
architects took the challenge and elevated it by looking back at the idea of
the cosmic body of the man in the circle and by inscribing the pentagram into
the circular façade, they were able to locate the two points of stability; the
two points where the building will meet the earth.
The
complexities of simplicity indeed proved to be many, and the design of the HQ
could only be a holistic one, merging architecture and structure. It became an
object of both fields, showcasing the expansion and blurring of their
respective limits in order to form a combined product.
Like
many of nature’s creations, the building comes together by allowing each one of
its elements to play a crucial role in its being and construction.
THE SKIN
Just
like a seashell, HQ’s morphology merged the idea of shape, sculpture and
pattern into one unified and expressive whole. The curved glass skin became one
of its most complex components to be executed in record time.
The
HQ structure having a 25m cantilevered design in every longitudinal direction,
concrete couldn’t be considered as construction material. A concrete structure
would have required unwanted internal supports and entailed time-consuming and
costly on-site construction work. Therefore, the team developed a complex
external diamond-shaped steel structure, called a diagrid, which achieved the
striking shape of the building. The first of its kind in the UAE, the diagrid
allowed the creation of structural efficiency and stability appropriate to the
circular building. The system not only helped minimize the impact of the steel
frame on the façade but also served as an architectural element that blurred
all sense of scale and inflated the structure, moving away from the typical
horizontal stratification of the facades. This diagrid system eliminates the
need for internal columns to support the building which would compromise the
aesthetic appeal as well as the views from within. This improved the building's
efficiency, providing layout flexibility for tenants.
THE FAÇADE GEOMETRY
The
main facades were defined using a toroidal geometry cut by a cylinder to create
the perfect circle in elevation. By using this form, each horizontal section
through the façade is described by a circle of varying radii at different
heights all with their centres along the same vertical axis. All panels on one
floor are then exactly the same size with the same angle change at each joint
due to the equal chord lengths along the circular line in plan. The rate of
change of size of panels increases as one moves further away from the equator
of the building with the top and bottom of the building being an exact mirror
image of the other. To further increase the repeatability of panels the joint
sizes were sized so that the same panel could be utilized over a number of
theoretically geometrically different floors without being able to visibly see
the change in joint width. This exercise allowed the initial architectural
vision to be created with approximately ten panel sizes instead of the original
10,000 sizes that would have been theoretically needed before the geometry
refinement.
THE ZIPPER
Unlike the
conventional four sided buildings, the project challenges the approach to
construction by questioning the typical roof structure. This three faceted
building relies on its zipper-like element, a continuous glass and structural
band that stitches the two main facets together, creating a slim continuous
surface that is both vertical and horizontal, side and face, window and roof.
This lateral element, the structural ‘backbone’ of the project, brilliantly
creates the fusion between façade and roof and allows for the monolithic shape
of the object.
THE PROCESS
With
a fast track construction schedule of 30 months that was meant to meet the
opening of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, architects, engineers and the
many experts on board worked with a collaborative effort and helped smartly run
the intricate overlap of design and construction with its new challenges and
complexities.This contractual joint venture
arrangement was key to the successful design and construction of the project.
An
innovative method of Analysis and Drafting was adopted during the construction
of the Aldar HQ building. Engineering and model data were used at the earliest
stages of the project to take full advantage of early procurement and optimized
use of material. The structural analysis of the podium and tower superstructure
was undertaken using the 3D finite element analysis program, Strand 7. The
advanced 3D models developed by Arup were shared between the Engineers, the
Architects, the Steelwork Contractor, the Façade Contractor and the MEP
consultant, who were each able to import the model into their own 3D modeling
software. Within 3 months of the design team’s appointment, piling work had
started on the site. Foundation works began just 1 month after the design was
sketched, before a full set of plans was developed by the engineers. The
concrete cores were completed within a year. Within 14 months of the project
start, the steelwork was already erected up to the fourth floor. Concrete
elements, such as stairs, columns and even the bathrooms, were pre-cast.
From
a non-existing site to the rise of a 110 meter high circular skyscraper on a
manmade land of recycled marine sand in the Persian Gulf, the HQ celebrates the
rise of the new Al Raha Beach and Abu Dhabi’s growth. Its curved glass facades,
does not only reflect the project’s surrounding and the vibrant new city in
which it was born but also allows one to face his own reflection and image in
the much larger universe. It is a space that captivates its visitors during the
day and exposes their activities at night along with the reflections of the
sleepless environment neighboring it. A
small shiny dot rising from the water becomes a giant mirror of the world and
an extension of Abu Dhabi. Its presence is molded by its surrounding and its
being shifts with the cycle of the sun that continuously animates its skin.
The simple, expressive and glowing presence of the HQ makes it hard to
miss and its structural complexity elevates it to the new levels of
construction achievements in the region.
The Aldar HQ has won the “Best Futuristic Design” Award at the 2008 Building
Exchange conference (Valencia, Spain) as well as the “Best Architecture”
Award at the2009 CNBC Arabian Property Awards, and has been featured in
special reports on National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel.
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