Abu Dhabi Buildings...wow!

The “Circle Building” - Aldar HQ; Abu Dhabi

Have Money, Will Build: One rather glorious off-shoot of a rich Arab oil Emirate, and its need to build a modern new city fast, is that you can end up with a collection of exceptional modern architecture. You might also have a few tasteless bits in there too, but there’s the potential...

In Abu Dhabi, they’ve amassed an impressive collection. My favourites are the Sheikh Zayed Bridge by Zaha Hadid, (built 1997 - 2010) and Etihad Towers by Australian architects DBI Design.

Hadid's Sheikh Zayed Bridge, at 842 meter long, is said to be the most intricate bridge ever constructed. Its curved design arches evoke undulating sand dunes of the desert. "The bridge features - besides its striking architecture - a dynamic lighting design that is based on subtle colours that flow across the bridge's spine, symbolising the connecting nature of the bridge and the energy that the capital city Abu Dhabi radiates. The bridge is the third traffic route connecting the mainland to the island of Abu Dhabi and the new main gateway over the Maqtah channel. The bridge was designed by architect Zaha Hadid as the grandeur landmark for the UAE's capital city." (source)

Sheikh Zayed Bridge

Driving across Zaha Hadid's bridge.

Aerial view. (source)

Etihad Towers.

The Etihad Towers website waxes lyrical about these five delicate skyscrapers, clustered together, reaching 74 storeys:

With five stunning towers that sparkle iridescently in the never-ending sunshine – Etihad Towers is a reflection of  everything that Abu Dhabi is and will be… modern, sophisticated and luxurious.. 

After several years of planning and design, 2006 was a special year for His Highness Sheikh Suroor Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan and his Projects Department, for this was when construction work got underway. His Highness can be proud of succeeding in creating a very inspirational, prestigious and desirable landmark in the UAE. The scope, magnitude and uniqueness is breathtaking. 

The Australian architects DBI Design have created a sculptural feat that is a true landmark of the City. Changing the Abu Dhabi skyline forever the towers offer the most amazing vantage points – with sweeping panoramic views over the vibrant city and Arabian Sea.

Foyer of the Jumierah Hotel, Etihad Towers

One of the slim and beautiful Etihad Towers houses the Jumierah Hotel where I stayed in Abu Dhabi - great choice. The interior, slathered with the marble that the Gulf States seems to love so much (I guess it's cool and luxurious, so why not?), is actually quite impressive. The lobby soars, the exotic slabs of coloured marble entice, the glass curtain windows look out over the sea and city - and you can visit the bar on the 74 floor of Tower Three for afternoon tea.

Side view of the Circle Building, Aldar HQ. 

But let’s also mention the “Circle Building” - Aldar HQ. The 23-storey circular building at the capital’s Al Raha Beach has been named in a list of 16 eye-catching structures compiled by a jury of experts. Designed by MZ Architects, which has offices in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon, the 110-metre tall building, which opened in 2010, was the first upright circular building in the Middle East.

This is not the first time the building has won international recognition – it was named Best Futuristic Design at the 2008 Building Exchange Conference in Spain. (source)

Pineapple Building: Abu Dhabi’s Al Bahr Towers

"Abu Dhabi’s striking Al Bahr Towers, their design inspiring comparisons with exotic pineapples and honeycombs, have been named among the world’s best towers in a highly regarded award for high-rise architecture. The twin 29-storey super-green Abu Dhabi Investment Council headquarters came second in the Emporis skyscraper awards for projects completed last year.
The buildings are known for their distinctive covering of 2,000 umbrella-like elements that can be opened and closed to keep the sun off the glass building as it moves across the sky but also let in daylight. The German-based skyscraper data company Emporis praised the Aedis-designed office towers for providing “a dynamic, translucent facade that runs off power generated by photovoltaic panels and which reacts to sunlight.” The towers have already featured on the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s “Innovative 20” list of buildings that “challenge the typology of tall buildings in the 21st century”. The latest award comes after Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Towers was awarded third place in the competition last year." (source)

Yas Viceroy Hotel over an F1 racetrack (image source)

Then there’s the Yas Viceroy Hotel with the F1 race track going right through it...

Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Hotel is located within the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. It is the first new hotel in the world to be built over an F1 race circuit. The Hotel, designed by Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, principals of New York based Asymptote Architecture, consists of two twelve story hotel towers, one set within the race circuit and another placed in the Marina itself, linked together by a monocoquesteel and glass bridge and Grid Shell structure that both cross above and over the Yas Marina Circuit F1 race track.
Asymptote created and conceived of the building as an architectural landmark embodying key influences and local and global inspirations ranging from the aesthetics and forms associated with speed and spectacle to the artistry and geometries that form the basis of ancient Islamic art and craft traditions.
Of architectural and engineering significance is the main feature of the hotelʼs design: a 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear glass and steel covering known as the Grid Shell: it features an LED lighting system incorporating video feeds that are transmitted over the 5,389 pivoting diamond-shaped colour changing LED panes. This Grid-Shell component is a key aspect of the overall architectural design and significance of the project by producing an atmospheric-like veil visible from miles away. (source: Wiki) . A interesting footnote: the "Grid-Shell Building Information Modeling Consultants" were none other than Gehry Technologies.

View of the F1 racetrack on the approach to the Yas Viecroy Hotel.

Capital Gate, the ‘Leaning Building’

Wiki has the info: "Capital Gate is a skyscraper in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre designed with a striking lean. At 160 m (520 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and features an 18-degree incline to the west... The tower (also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi) is the focal point of the Capital Center/Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre master development....In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the "World’s furthest leaning man-made tower."...
The building has a diagrid especially designed to absorb and channel the forces created by wind and seismic pressure, as well as the gradient of Capital Gate. Capital Gate is thought to be the Middle East's first building to use a diagrid; others around the world include London's 30 St Mary Axe (Gherkin), New York's Hearst Tower and Beijing's National Stadium.
The Capital Gate project was able to achieve its inclination through an engineering program that allows floor plates to be stacked vertically up to the 12th storey, and staggered over each other by between 300mm to 1400mm, which allows for the tower's lean.
Capital Gate was designed by architectural firm RMJM and was due for completed in 2011. Capital Gate houses the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel and office space."

Abu Dhabi
Try this blog for info on some interesting buildings of Au Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi skyline from the Etihad Towers.

Mosque Visit

In Abu Dhabi there's one major tourist attraction - and local attraction, too. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. My guide (an Indian) just knew I'd be impressed - "40,000 worshippers! Third-largest in the world! Biggest carpet in the world!" I thought I remembered being given similar statistics when I visited the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman. But modern mosque stats are like that - big, bigger, biggest. It turned out that, wherever it falls in the rankings, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi is a very beautiful thing.

The building of the mosque was initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His final resting place is located in the grounds of the mosque. It was constructed between 1996 and 2007, and Wiki claims that it's the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the eighth largest in the world.

I looked up the design and building details. To me, there seemed a very strong Persian and even Mughal influence. The entire place is draped in spectacular marble. Here's what Wiki told me:

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's design and construction 'unites the world', using artisans and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, China, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece and United Arab Emirates. More than 3,000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque.  

Natural materials were chosen for much of its design and construction due to their long-lasting qualities, including marble stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. It was built by the Italian company Impregilo. 

The design of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque has been inspired by Persian, Mughal and Moorish mosque architecture, particularly the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco being direct influences. The dome layout and floorplan of the mosque was inspired by the Badshahi Mosque and the architecture was inspired by Persian, Mughal and Moorish design. Its archways are quintessentially Moorish and its minarets classically Arab. The design of the mosque can be best described as a fusion of Arab, Persian, Mughal and Moorish architecture.

The marble used includes Sivec from Prilep, Macedonia on the external cladding. 115,119 m2 (1,239,130 sq ft) of cladding has been used on the mosque, including the minarets. Lasa from Laas, South Tyrol, Italy was used in the internal elevations. Makrana from Makrana, India was used in the annexes and offices; Aquabiana and Biano from Italy in the East White and Ming Green from China.
Wow.

The stats (all from Wiki): The mosque is large enough to accommodate over 40,000 worshipers. The main prayer hall can accommodate over 7,000 worshipers. There are two smaller prayer halls, with a 1,500-capacity each, one of which is the female prayer hall. There are four minarets on the four corners of the courtyard which rise about 107 m (351 ft) in height. The courtyard, with its floral design, measures about 17,000 m2(180,000 sq ft),and is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world.

The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are clad with marble and inlaid with mother of pearl, one of the few places where you will see this craftsmanship.

The carpet in the main prayer hall is considered to be the world's largest carpet made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 m2 (60,570 sq ft), and was made by around 1,200-1,300 carpet knotters. The weight of the carpet is 35 tons and is predominantly made from wool (originating from New Zealand and Iran). There are 2,268,000,000 knots within the carpet and it took approximately two years to complete.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has seven imported chandeliers from Germany that incorporate millions of Swarovski crystals. The largest chandelier is the second largest known chandelier inside a mosque, the third largest in the world and has a 10 m (33 ft) diameter and a 15 m (49 ft) height.

The 99 names (qualities or attributes) of God (Allah) are featured on the Qibla wall in traditional Kufic calligraphy, designed by the prominent UAE calligrapher, Mohammed Mandi Al Tamimi.

The Mosque's official website waxes lyrical, as well it might:

As a testament to the vision of its founder, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque sits majestically at the entrance to Abu Dhabi City Island, distinctly visible from the three main bridges connecting the island to the main land, the Maqta, Mussafah and the Sheikh Zayed Bridge. The strategic geographical location of the Mosque is a symbolic expression of the emotional connection the Mosque has in the hearts of all UAE citizens particularly because the burial place of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, first President of the UAE, is located beside the mosque.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is well recognised by its pure colour, as it is clad with SIVEC marble from Macedonia.  Every artistic design element was carefully considered and fits into the overall vision of the Mosque.

But one last thing - I expect you might be wondering how a visiting Western woman gets on in a mosque (assuming they're allowed in at all, and as you can see from my pictures, I was.) There are clothing rules: male visitors should avoid wearing shorts and singlets. Female visitors to the mosque are required to wear either a full length abaya (which can be supplied at the reception area) or a head scarf. In addition, tight and revealing clothing is not allowed. Luckily, my guide had a spare abaya for just this very circumstance, and here's me full rigged out (though not wearing it properly - oops! - that bit of neck shouldn't be showing. I spent most of the visit very hot, and constantly tugging at the headscarf to try to cover all hair and skin. I was only giving an admonitory finger-wag by a guard once.

Museo del Novecento

Umberto Boccioni's "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913" -- striding into Futurism (source)

The Museo del Novecento in Milan provides a stunning counterpoint for the more venerable works of art in the city - the religious art in the Brera, Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" - it's rather brash to expect twentieth century art to compete for attention. But the Movecento has been doing this since December 2011. Housed in a Mussolini-era building, Palazzo dell’Arengario, on Piazza Duomo, opposite the famous Galleria (which it's architecture mimics) and with the recently-cleaned facade of the glorious Duomo right next door, you'd wonder how this museum of twentieth-century Italian art could compete. It does, by being completely true to its mission. In here, all is modern and all (just about) is Italian. Here's their mission statement:

Museo del Novecento (Museum of the Twentieth Century), located in the Palazzo dell'Arengario, is a public venue dedicated to Milan's collection of Twentieth-Century Art....
To encourage the development of multiple perspectives and critical capabilities through the dissemination of knowledge about twentieth-century art. To conserve, study and promote public heritage and the artistic culture of the twentieth century through research and educational activities. To encourage, through work on various levels, an intercultural approach and involve a public that ranges from specialists to children and passing visitors. (source)

This passing visitor was duly impressed. After a small vestibule with a few non-Italian treasures (Picasso, Modigliani) to introduce the twentieth century, we're then led through several layers of gallery by the rather good audio guide, with explanations about the artists (often from Milan) and their significance. Various phases and fads in modern art are exemplified (and explained) as you make your way up the building - and into the building behind, the Palazzo Reale, where the gallery continues. Futurism, the Novecento, Spatialism, Arte Povera...learn all about it. Meet some artists you know and some you may not have heard of before -- Boccioni, Carrà, Soffici, de Chirico, Sironi, Martini, Morandi, Fontana, Manzoni, Kounellis -- who played their part in these Italian movements.

Lucio Fontana's installation at the top of the spiral ramp.

Speaking of the building, it has been rather spectacularly altered to house this museum: although the exterior remains untouched, inside a large spiral ramp has been installed, in blue and white, visible from the Piazza through the windows of the building, and itself giving wide views of the Duomo and Galleria below. On the top floor, the windows are floor-to-ceiling, and the space is used to display neon-light installations by Lucio Fontana. Here's the website description of the building:

Palazzo dell’Arengario (source)

The transformation of the Palazzo dell’Arengario into the Museo del Novecento, directed by Italo Rota and Fabio Fornasari, had the fundamental objective of creating a simple and linear museum system within a historical building. Another aim was to optimise the use of available space and evoke a powerful and appealing image of the building and the new museum, thereby transforming it into one of Milan’s leading cultural centres. Within the vertical space of the tower, there is a system for ascending the structure by means of a spiral ramp leading from the underground level to the panoramic terrace facing Piazza Duomo. The monumental staircase, the terrace and the splendid covered balcony is now part of an itinerary that offers both Milanese and tourists a unique view of Piazza Duomo. The Arengario is connected directly to the second floor of the Palazzo Reale by means of a suspended walkway. This discrete and minimalistic structure is not simply a bridge between two buildings, but also a means of discovering the fascinating historical stratification of the buildings in the area between Via Rastrelli and Piazza Diaz.

Come on up...

...and take a stroll through some of the works on display (images from the Museo's website):

Tower Tours

Your brave correspondent at Willis Tower "Skydeck Ledge", Chicago.
Trusting Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

There's recently been a lively discussion, shall we say, over the title of "tallest building in America", or "tallest building in the Western Hemisphere." That last description circumvents consideration of Taipei 101, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpar, or anything the Middle East can come up with: Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the tallest building in the world since 2010 and stands at 2,722 ft to the tip of its spire.

The Guardian outlines the issues. Fox News announces the "winner". One World Trade Center, with its 408 ft steel spire, measures 1,776ft. It's a symbolic reference to the year of the US Declaration of Independence. The contention is over whether its steel attachment is an antenna or a spire. If the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat had decided that it's an antenna, One World Trade Center would be reduced to a mere 1,368ft building – smaller than the 1,451ft Willis Tower in Chicago. However, to the chagrin of Chicagoans, the Council decided that the attachment was a spire - an integral part of the building. The spikes on top of the Willis Tower, which, if 'counted', would make it even higher still, are officially 'antennas.' Although the Willis Tower folk are remaining dignified through this dispute - Willis's top floor, at 1,354ft, will always be higher than the One World Trade Center’s 1,268 ft - Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel was heard to mutter, of the One World Trade Center spire: "If it looks like an antenna, and acts like an antenna, then it's probably an antenna."

Or, as the recently updated Wiki entry puts it:
Upon completion, One World Trade Center in New York City surpassed Willis Tower through its structural and pinnacle heights, but not by roof, observation deck elevation or highest occupied floor.

View East from the 103rd floor of Willis Tower.

Willis Tower, Chicago (source)

Willis Tower  began life as Sears Tower, and is still often referred to by that former name, such is the iconic stature of the building. The name change to 'Willis' dates from 2009; the building was completed in 1973. Here's Wiki on the tower.

The Sears Tower observation deck, called the Skydeck, opened in 1974. It's located on the 103rd floor of the tower, and is 1,353 feet (412 m) high. Tourists who venture up can experience how the building sways on a windy day, and can see far over the plains of Illinois and across Lake Michigan to Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin (on a clear day). The Skydeck competes with the John Hancock Center's observation floor across town, which is 323 feet (98 m) lower [John Hancock is 100-storeys and 1,127-foot (344 m) tall]

In 2009 Willis Tower's owners installed retractable glass balconies, extending out approximately four feet over Wacker Drive from the 103rd floor. They call this "The Skydeck". The all-glass boxes allow visitors to look through the floor to the street 1,353 feet (412 m) below. The boxes can, we're assured, bear five short tons of weight (about 4.5 metric tons). As you can see from the pic above, I trusted them on this....


However, I did want the FULL story before I ventured out over Chicago from 103 floors up, and here's what the brochure told me:

Original Sears Tower architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) designed The Ledge so that the fully enclosed glass boxes retract into the building, allowing easy access for cleaning and maintenance.
Experts in international structural glass design, Halcrow Yolles, fully designed and detailed all the glass and steel components. Beginning with the architect's original concept, the engineers took the design one step further by eliminating all perimeter structural steel at the sides and along the floor of the glass enclosures and creating a near-invisible support system.
MTH Industries, the Chicago-based 120-year-old glass and architectural metal contractor that installed the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, installed The Ledge’s 1,500 pound glass panels. Each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. The low-iron, clear glass is fully tempered for durability.

Looking north over Chicago from Willis Tower. The John Hanock Building is the black one in the centre.

The Skydeck.

One World Trade Center in New York City, the new "tallest building in America", has just opened for business. It will, I believe, have an observation deck for visitors but this is not yet operational. You can, however, rent an office there. New Yorkers, and all Americans, have been watching the building of the new tower with anticipation, and celebrated its completion this month. Here's a video of the workers installing the spire that enable the "Freedom Tower" to eclipse Willis:

One World Trade Center - "Freedom Tower", NYC
(source)

One World Trade Center facts:  1,787' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 floors. The observation deck will be on the 100th to 102nd floors, once it opens.

Meanwhile, there are other options in New York City if you'd like to get a bird's eye view from a tall tower. The Empire State Building, completed in 1931 and standing 1,454' (443 m) high, has been welcoming visitors to its outdoor viewing platforms for many years. The observatory there is on the 86th floor. The Rockefeller Center is also well-known for its viewing platform called "The Top of The Rock", which is on top of the tallest building in the complex, the 1933 Art Deco skyscraper officially named the GE Building - 70 floors, 850' (259 m).

During construction, photographer Charles Clyde Ebbets took the famous photograph "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" on the 69th floor.

"Lunch atop a Skyscraper" 1930

On solid, er building, this time, On Top of The Rock. 70th floor.

Central Park in winter, from the 70th floor, Top of The Rock.

NYC from The Top of The Rock. The Empire State Building is centre left;
the new Freedom Tower is to its right, in the distance. You can even see lady Liberty from here.

The Rock at night.

The Rock is home to NBC, and the
famous 'Rainbow Room.'

Just so you're clear on the current state of play in "World's Tallest":

The new World Trade Center in NYC is now the fourth tallest building worldwide, behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, at 2,717 feet tall, Shanghai’s Shanghai Tower, at 2,074 feet tall, and the Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, which stands at 1,972 feet.

But it's all in how you measure these things, as Chicago has found out this month. Don't fret if you can't clim to be absolutely THE tallest - there's plenty more records you could list. Taipei 101 (101 stories above ground and 5 below), for example, is able to make these claims:

Upon its completion in 2004 Taipei 101 claimed the official records for:
Ground to highest architectural structure (spire): 508 m (1,667 ft). Previously held by the Petronas Towers 451.9 m (1,483 ft).
Ground to roof: 449.2 m (1,474 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 442 m (1,450 ft).
Ground to highest occupied floor: 438 m (1,437 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 412.4 m (1,353 ft).
Fastest ascending elevator speed: designed to be 1,010 meters per minute, which is 16.83 m/s (55.22 ft/s) (60.6 kilometres per hour (37.7 mph)).
Largest countdown clock: Displayed on New Year's Eve.
Tallest sundial. 

They're both, er, TALL.