Aldar Headquarters Building, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The main building of the Aldar Properties Company is one of the most interesting buildings in the Abu Dhabi Skyline complex. The building has received number of awards for its unique and innovative design. It is one of the most unique buildings not only in the UAE capital, but throughout the Gulf. Aldar Headquarter Building is unique thanks to its external form - this is the first round shaped building in the Middle East. It is also the first round skyscraper in the world.

The opening of the building took place in 2010. It was designed by the architects of the «MZ & Partners» company. The creators tried to construct a simple by its shape, but also impressive building. After considering the various possible shapes for the building, the architects decided to choose the shape of the circular shells. This round shape, due to the absence of the beginning and end in it, was to personify the unity and stability.

The total area of the building is about 62,000 square meters. The building has 23 floors and its height is 110 meters. Usually in skyscrapers with that height you can fit about 40 floors, but because of the uniqueness of Aldar HQ shape it was decided to build lesser floors. The diameter of the building is 120.9 meters. In the lower and upper parts its width is 10 meters, and in the middle - 36.4. Rounded outer shape of the building was created thanks to the combination of numerous triangular elements.

The building has central core of gravity, which is built from reinforced concrete, and the spherical shape of the building is formed with the help of the peripheral columns.

The building was constructed taking into account the environmental standards - it received LEED’s Silver Certification. Along with energy-efficiency the building complies with the environmental standards, thanks to the materials used for its construction. Aldar Headquarters building is built from recyclable materials - glass, concrete and steel.

In addition to office spaces the building also includes restaurants and hotel rooms. The Aldar Headquarters is situated on an elevated location, which offers an enchanting view to the city and sea – another characteristic of the building that makes it a great place to work.

By Anna Pambukhchyan, www.building.am

Photos:dimscale.blogspot.com