WOD- Window of DubaiUrban ContextWith Dubai, questioning traditional Urbanism and Architecture, we have to ask how the emblem structure for a lift can reinvent its design and operational principles as well? In an environment, which creates new icons in a breathtaking speed, is there space for another stand-alone iconic structure based on the building services? We are interested to see, how a sightseeing tower can be highly contextual as well as creating an identity of its own. We introduce an urban window to the city, that creates a viewing frame for the visitor, who approaches the city from the airport. The ‘Window of Dubai’ WOD captures an ever changing picture of the city’s development.The project lies in the vision corridor between airport and new city and the desert and the old city of Dubai. The spatial experience of WOD covers all the extreme viewing conditions of the city throughout the process of travel.Lift ConceptWhen the Eiffel tower was created, it celebrated the circulation and the engineering of a building. It defined how we understand vertical travel today. We are interested in how we can liberate the lift from the traditional linear understanding, but to create a lift, which can follow the building in a non-linear way. We are looking into improving on an existing concept in order to make the lift experience amore intermediate and interactive one: The paternoster lift (or cyclic elevator) offers a nearly seamless transition between floors, as it is a constantly moving chained elevator. Compared to a linear lift, the cyclic elevator reduces waiting time through the chained cubicles and the potential to enter at any time into the lift. It forms a much more continuous connection between two points, which makes it ideal for public vertical circulation. As the circulation in a public structure does not rely on speed an efficiency but on interactivity and spatial experience, the travel itself can be non-linear. The safety issues, related to ascending the cubicle have to be overcome though. The principle of WOD is to stretch the lift shaft horizontally, in order to create a long entrance platform at the top and the base. Instead of getting into a vertically ascending/descending lift, the user enters into a horizontal movement of lifts. The change from the vertical travel to the horizontal slows down the speed of the lifts, to make the entrance more comfortable. It accelerates again, once the lift has left the platform.Building ConceptWOD consists of two building components: A topographical base, that connects the park with the building program. And a vertical ring, that is the structure for the lift as well as a window to the city.The base is a covered public space, which roof scape is fully accessible to leisure activities. The roof forms a mount, which evolves seamless out of the park. Under the roof, there lies the entrance to the event lift as well as all supporting facilities such as library and convention. The entrance is fully covered but open to the back as well as to the park. As a main distributor to all programs, it forms a plaza, which can be inhabited for covered outdoor activities (outdoor cafe etc.). Entering into the lift zone, the vertical travel is taking place inside an ornamented structural ring. This structural ring itself holds the lift transportation system. Base and ParkThe base serves as a two face mount within the park. On the outer side park leisure activities will take place, underneath it will serve convention, library, the entrance to WOD as well as a covered plaza to create a public space at the interchange between street and park. It also shades the inner functions of the mount and allows semi-outdoor programs underneath it. In order to make the mount part of the public program of the park, the access to all levels is as seamless as possible. The main waiting area to the lift is on the upper floor. This will be served by a ramp, which passes by the ring to the upper floor.Roof and CityThe exit level on the top is a large platform with a low ceiling, creating a window band to the city. At the edges of the platform, the visitor takes a ramp to the top floor. The top floor is a large greenhouse with a view to the city. It contains a roof top cafe, which roof can be accessed as a viewing arena. The visitor has a 360 Degree view over the city of Dubai on different levels, while sitting in a garden on 170 m above the ground. The ornamental structure has built-in led lights. The lighting can be used to create an illuminated dome at night. For both the exterior as well as for the interior.

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