Not to be left in the dust of Dubai, Abu Dhabi is constructing an amazing leaning hotel, now about 50 percent completed.
Capital Gate climbing in Abu Dhabi
A symbol of engineering prowess, the Capital Gate tower hotel is starting to take form in Abu Dhabi. Designed as the most inclined tower in the world, the 35 storey, gravity-defying feature tower will lean westward 18 degrees, 4 times as far as the Leaning Tower of Pisa which currently leans 3.97 degrees.
Designed by RMJM, the tower relies on a diagrid exoskeleton constructed on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base to hold the structure in place. 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground will hold the structure still accommodating the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
The halfway point is marked by the construction of a tea lounge and swimming pool suspended 263 feet above the ground on the 17th and 18th floors, above a gigantic internal atrium and halfway up the 35-story, 525-foot tall tower. Tony Archibold, RMJM Project Director, added: “Passing the half-way point in development is a great success and we are now entering a critical period in Capital Gate’s development. While we are facing some of our toughest architectural challenges, it is also the beginning of the most exciting stage as the structure takes shape.”
“When complete, Capital Gate will be a modern day icon for Abu Dhabi, recognizable throughout the world. Capital Gate is not about being the biggest or the tallest, it is about advanced technical ingenuity and aesthetic splendor,” said Simon Horgan, ADNEC Group CEO. “This is one of the most challenging buildings under construction in the world at the moment but due to the partnership between ADNEC, RMJM and all contractors on the project, ground breaking solutions are being designed on a daily basis.”
World Architecture News
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