Capital Gate
Encyclopedia
Capital Gate is a mixed use skyscraper
in Abu Dhabi
adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
designed with a striking lean. At 160 m (524.9 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and features a dramatic 18-degree incline to the west. The owner and developer of Capital Gate is Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
. 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.
. Investigation and evaluation, which was made by a Guinness appointed awards committee, started in January 2010, when the exterior was completed.
The gravitational pressure caused by the 18-degree incline is countered by the world's first "pre-cambered core"; a technique that utilizes 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel with the core deliberately built slightly off-center. It has straightened as the building has risen, compressing the concrete and giving it strength, and moving into (vertical) position as the weight of the floors has been added. Capital Gate is also anchored to the earth by 490 piles which are drilled over 30m deep.
” to absorb and channel the forces created by wind and seismic pressure as well as the gradient of Capital Gate. Each and every element of the grid is unique in geometry. 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 record inclination through an engineering breakthrough that allows floor plates to be stacked vertically up to the 12th story and staggered over each other by between 300mm to 1400mm, which allows for the tower's dramatic lean.
Capital Gate was designed by international architectural firm RMJM and is due for completion in 2011. Upon completion, Capital Gate will house the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel as well as approximately 20,000sqm of premium office space. Each room is different as is each pane of façade glass and every interior angle.
Its double-glazed façade achieves greater energy efficiency with waste air being pre-cooled between the inner and outer façades, before being expelled, and the glass façade is of low emissivity and is the first time it has been used in the UAE. It keeps the building’s interior cool and eliminates glare while maintaining transparency.
The distinctive stainless steel "splash" that descends from the 19th floor is a design element and a shading device that eliminates over 30 percent of the sun’s heat before it reaches the building. The splash also twists around the building toward the south to shield the tower as much as possible from direct sunlight. A cantilevered tea lounge overhangs the tower’s exterior, 80m above the ground, with an internal diagrid
used to create a tapered, 60m-high atrium. The tower’s foundation is a dense mesh of reinforced steel above 490 piles, drilled 20–30 meters underground.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Abu Dhabi. It was opened by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates on February 18, 2007...
designed with a striking lean. At 160 m (524.9 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and features a dramatic 18-degree incline to the west. The owner and developer of Capital Gate is Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company owns and operates the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the largest exhibition venue in the Middle East. It is part an international venue development and business management company overseeing the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ExCeL London, the...
. The tower (also known as the leaning tower
Leaning tower
This is a list of leaning towers. A leaning tower is a tower which, either intentionally, due to errors in design, construction or to subsequent external influence, does not stand perpendicular to the ground...
of Abu Dhabi) is the focal point of the Capital Center/ Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre master development.
World records
In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the “World’s furthest leaning man-made tower.” The new record shows that the Capital Gate tower has been built to lean 18 degrees westwards; more than four times that of the world-famous Leaning Tower of PisaLeaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
. Investigation and evaluation, which was made by a Guinness appointed awards committee, started in January 2010, when the exterior was completed.
The gravitational pressure caused by the 18-degree incline is countered by the world's first "pre-cambered core"; a technique that utilizes 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel with the core deliberately built slightly off-center. It has straightened as the building has risen, compressing the concrete and giving it strength, and moving into (vertical) position as the weight of the floors has been added. Capital Gate is also anchored to the earth by 490 piles which are drilled over 30m deep.
Architecture and design
The building has an extraordinary exoskeleton or “diagridDiagrid
Diagrid is a design for constructing large buildings with steel that creates triangular structures with diagonal support beams. It requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower in New York City, designed by Sir Norman Foster, reportedly uses 21 percent less steel...
” to absorb and channel the forces created by wind and seismic pressure as well as the gradient of Capital Gate. Each and every element of the grid is unique in geometry. 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
30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Building , is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004...
(Gherkin), New York's Hearst Tower
Hearst Tower (New York City)
The Brilliant Hearst Tower is located at 300 West 57th Street, 959 8th Avenue, near Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York...
and Beijing's National Stadium
Beijing National Stadium
Beijing National Stadium, also known officially as the National Stadium, or colloquially as the Bird's Nest , is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.-History:...
.
The Capital Gate project was able to achieve its record inclination through an engineering breakthrough that allows floor plates to be stacked vertically up to the 12th story and staggered over each other by between 300mm to 1400mm, which allows for the tower's dramatic lean.
Capital Gate was designed by international architectural firm RMJM and is due for completion in 2011. Upon completion, Capital Gate will house the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel as well as approximately 20,000sqm of premium office space. Each room is different as is each pane of façade glass and every interior angle.
Its double-glazed façade achieves greater energy efficiency with waste air being pre-cooled between the inner and outer façades, before being expelled, and the glass façade is of low emissivity and is the first time it has been used in the UAE. It keeps the building’s interior cool and eliminates glare while maintaining transparency.
The distinctive stainless steel "splash" that descends from the 19th floor is a design element and a shading device that eliminates over 30 percent of the sun’s heat before it reaches the building. The splash also twists around the building toward the south to shield the tower as much as possible from direct sunlight. A cantilevered tea lounge overhangs the tower’s exterior, 80m above the ground, with an internal diagrid
Diagrid
Diagrid is a design for constructing large buildings with steel that creates triangular structures with diagonal support beams. It requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower in New York City, designed by Sir Norman Foster, reportedly uses 21 percent less steel...
used to create a tapered, 60m-high atrium. The tower’s foundation is a dense mesh of reinforced steel above 490 piles, drilled 20–30 meters underground.
Project time line
- September 2007- Enabling works commence
- November 2007 - Pile driving starts
- April 2008 - Core wall construction starts
- February 2009 - Façade commences
- May 2009 - Reaches 100m in height
- June 2009 – Incline starts to take shape
- October 2009 - Attains final height of 160m
- December 2009 - Completion of exterior core structure
- January 2010 - First phase of splash completed
- February 2010 - Interior fit-out commences
- March 2010 – Commencement of link bridge to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
- April 2010 – Commencement of atrium roof
- 2011 – Expected completion of construction
- Opening date – To be decided