The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi Capital Gate. Video: the famous leaning tower in Abu Dhabi. Colorful fish market

The building has a height of 160 meters, consists of 35 floors and is considered the tallest in the city. But the skyscraper is not famous for this. Its feature is in a graceful slope, having an angle of 18 degrees to the west! The angle of inclination of the building is 4 times greater than that of the well-known leaning tower of pisa. By the way, it was for this feature that three years ago the Guinness Book of Records awarded the title "The most leaning artificial tower in the world."

To make this tilt possible, the building's central core tilts in the opposite direction to the main structure, and straightens out as it grows upwards. The building is built on a concrete foundation that is seven feet deep. The base is also strengthened by a dense loop of reinforced steel. This exoskeleton is based on a structure consisting of 490 pipes that go underground to a depth of 30 meters. All this, as experts say, allows the construction of a skyscraper to counteract gravitational factors, winds and seismic pressure.

Another one design feature The Gate of the Capital is also in the form of a pipe. The fact is that the tower gradually expands as it grows upwards. The design is rather strange, but thanks to it, each hotel room unique in its form. Visitors admire with bated breath magnificent views cities through huge panoramic windows starting at the very floor.

The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi is a futuristic skyscraper in the capital of the United United Arab Emirates. You can also meet the name Capital Gate - the Gate of the Capital. This is a unique skyscraper adjacent to the National Exhibition Center. The owner of the building is the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company.

Capital Gate is 160 meters high. This is one of the most tall buildings in the capital of the Emirates. In June 2010, Capital Gate entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest leaning skyscraper. The skyscraper is tilted to the west. The tilt angle is 18 degrees. For comparison, the angle of inclination in the Leaning Tower of Pisa is 4 degrees. Capital Gate is 4.5 times ahead of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

To make such a slope required a special engineering approach. Until the 12th floor in Capital Gate, floors were made strictly one above the other. Above the 12th floor, the ceiling began to be laid with gaps of 0.3 - 1.4 meters. Thus, the structure became strong and stable.

In total, Capital Gate has 35 floors. The area inside the building is 53.1 thousand square meters. m. Inside the building there are offices, service premises and a five-star hotel "Hayat in the Capital Center". It took 4 years (2007-2011) and 2.2 billion US dollars to build such a structure.

During the construction of Capital Gate, environmental developments were used. The glass used to cover the building blocks the sun's rays. Thanks to this technology, there is a reduction in the cost of electricity consumption, to be precise, for air conditioning. At the foot of the skyscraper south side, there is an undulating structure. It performs the function of protection against heating, reduces the flow of solar heat by 30%.

Capital Gate is the first on Arabian Peninsula skyscraper built using diagonal grid technology. The diagonal grid absorbs and redirects air currents, reduces atmospheric pressure on the building and, in the event of seismic activity, the skyscraper becomes more stable.

The steel mesh, at Capital Gate, is placed on top of 490 piles. Piles are driven to a depth of 30 meters underground. Attached to the grid are 728 custom-made diamond-shaped glass panels. The skyscraper contains more than 12,500 glasses, significantly reducing the cost of lighting in the premises.

A stunning building is being built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.

Construction of the Capital Gate has already begun and is expected to be completed in 2010. The beauty tower will rise in the very center of Abu Dhabi. The building will precede the entrance to the city center and will serve as a stylized "Gate of the Capital". In addition to the exhibition center and stands, the complex will include 23 towers, including modern branded hotels, commercial and residential complexes, as well as mixed-use buildings.

It is planned to place offices in the Gates of the Capital, which will occupy 20,000 sq. square meters and a magnificent 5-star hotel. The design and construction of the Crooked Tower is carried out by the owner of Capital Gate company ADNEC ( Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company). The developers called their creation "an innovative architectural icon that defies the laws of gravity." And this definition is given quite rightly.

Capital Gate Concept

The main message that the building carries is the preservation of the traditions of the past and the desire to open new horizons. It's hard to imagine that the futuristic design of the Crooked Tower can in any way be called classic. However, the creators of the Capital Gate concept believe that the building will become a kind of link between the past and the future. This, in particular, is eloquently evidenced by the integration of the tower with the National Exhibition Center. The skyscraper is being built in close proximity to the "tribunes" of Abu Dhabi, which are used by the ruling dynasty of the UAE for parades and celebrations. Together, these structures will form a single complete system, clearly testifying to the dynamic development of the state.

Of course, there are other, more utilitarian prerequisites for the construction of the Capital Gate. The developers do not hide the fact that skyscrapers are needed, first of all, to meet the needs of a growing city in large buildings. It's not that Abu Dhabi has a shortage of building sites. It's just that these towers are iconic buildings in the city, striking landmarks in architecture and obvious indicators of a prosperous economy. Unusual buildings are excellent baits to attract crowds of tourists. And this means that the “neopizanskaya” tower, in collaboration with other magnificent buildings, will be able to provide a solid inflow of cash into the country. And yet, the presence of the exhibition center nearby dictates the need to organize a hotel in close proximity to the complex. So, Capital Gate is a useful building from all points of view.

General information about the tower

The developers claim that the height of the tower will be 160 meters. In this case, the structure will be inclined to the west by 18 degrees. In total, the building is planned to have 35 floors, with the first 17 levels occupied by office space. Starting from the 18th floor, the magnificent Hyatt Capital Center Hotel with 189 rooms will be located.

The total building area will be more than 53,000 sq. m., serviced area - over 20,000 sq. m., and the area of ​​the hotel is about 25.000 sq.m.

The approximate cost of the tower is 2.2. billion dollars. Quite an impressive amount for a 35-storey building of a modest height by the standards of modern skyscrapers.

Construction of the Gate of the Capital

Work on the construction site began in September 2007, and the facility is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2010. Most likely, the deadlines will be met, since the photo reports indicate that construction has entered the final phase. Already in December 2009, the external structure was completely completed, and in February, finishing work began.

Before proceeding with the construction of the steel frame of the tower, the foundation was strengthened. To do this, 490 powerful piles were driven to a depth of about 30 meters, and 6,000 cubic meters of heavy-grade concrete were poured into the site. The structure of the structure is a steel skeleton made up of 8500 plates of a diagonal design, which the authors called "diagrid". This design is asymmetric and is aimed at resisting the external load of the building: gravitational forces, wind, tremors during possible earthquakes, etc. Regarding the design of the Curved Tower, RMJM Asia President David Pringle said that the Capital Gate would be the only building in the world so far to use a curved rod as its core structure.

13,200 tons of structural steel and over 10,000 tons of reinforcement went into the construction of the building! The builders of the Gates of the Capital, however, managed much less material than previously required to give stability to a structure of this design. It was possible to lighten the skeleton of the tower thanks to the development of the same diagonal diagrid mesh structure. By the way, similar steel shells have already been used in the construction of the Hearst tower in New York, the CCTV tower in Beijing and some other high-rise buildings, i.e. the mesh skeleton is only partly unique. However, the total weight of the Capital Gateway is much less than that of the same CCTV tower in Beijing or Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. True, the height of the “competitors” of Capital Gate is incomparably greater (the developers of the project in Abu Dhabi, boasting of their achievements, seem to have forgotten about these facts).

On top of a strong mesh made of reinforcing steel, 728 huge glass panels are mounted. These panels have an unusual shape of faceted diamonds. Each such "diamond", located on the facade of the building, has a weight of 5 tons, and consists of a commonwealth of 18 glass elements. All diamond-shaped plates will be set at a special angle; for this, the most complex calculations have already been carried out using modern computer technologies. In total, the tower will include more than 12,500 glasses, which will significantly save the cost of artificial lighting of the premises.

Tower design

When designing the Gates of the Capital, great attention was paid to the development of an exclusive design. The impressive exterior is just a shell of a truly royal content. No room inside the tower will be repeated. Since there is no symmetry in the layout at all, then it will not be in the interior design either.

One of the highlights of the tower is undoubtedly the observation floor on the 18th level, which will offer stunning views of the surroundings: the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the Persian Gulf, the mangroves, Abu Dhabi City Center and other attractions.

The Hyatt Capital Center will boast a unique conical atrium formed by a steel diagrid structure between the 19th and 35th floors. The height of the atrium is really impressive - 60 meters is quite a lot for a skyscraper "growth" of 135 meters.

Environmental innovation

Ecological innovations are increasingly being used in the construction of modern buildings. caring for environment- this is only one of the explanations for the popularity of "green" houses. Another justification for the need to introduce energy-saving technologies is to save resources and reduce the cost of maintaining the facility. The Gates of the Capital will also use the latest environmental developments. For example, the massive glazing of the facade mentioned above will reduce electricity costs. Panel glass is a completely unique material that has not yet been used in the UAE. A special glass production technology allows you to delay the flow of heat into the building and blocks direct sunlight. At the same time, the transparency of the facade is completely preserved.

It is planned to install an interesting air conditioning system in the high-rise building, based on the movement of cooled exhaust air flows between the internal and external facades.

The external undulating decor of the leaning tower is also a functional element. The steel canopy eliminates more than 30% of solar heat, thereby reducing the need for air conditioning. The canopy is arranged around the building on the south side for the greatest protection of the “Capital Gates” from the action of the scorching sun.

tower structure

Capital Gate is rightfully one of the most technically complex projects in the world. Of course, the main highlight of the tower is its slope, which is equal to 18 degrees. With such an offset from the vertical axis, the developers managed to achieve high stability and security in order to place an entire hotel and a lot of office space in the depths of the Gates of the Capital.

The second amazing feature of a skyscraper is the variability of the geometry of the building. Viewing the building from different points of view cannot but give pleasure - the futuristic structure of glass and steel is constantly changing its shape, creating the illusion of plasticity and mobility of the high-rise.

Hyatt Capital Center Hotel

The five-star Hyatt Capital Center will be the first representative of the well-known hotel chain in Abu Dhabi. The property will be managed by Hyatt Hotels Corporation. This corporation owns 735 high class hotels in 44 countries around the world. Hyatt Capital Center - not only luxury rooms and an impressive conical atrium, but also a complex of related services. So, on the 19th floor, a wonderful swimming pool and a fitness center will be equipped, several expensive restaurants and bars will be located in the bowels of the hotel. Hyatt Capital Center will provide guests with direct access to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, which regularly hosts major exhibitions, presentations and corporate events. Additionally, the hotel organizes two meeting rooms and two VIP rooms for private meetings.

Epilogue

The grandiose idea to build a “neopizansky” tower almost became a reality. Surpassing all world achievements seems to have become an obsession with the UAE. Whether this is good or bad is not for us to judge. But it's definitely interesting to watch. Is not it?

IN last years Asia has become the center of high-rise construction, and in Europe and the United States, they rely not so much on the height of buildings, but on their manufacturability and efficiency - all the more surprising is the Al-Bahar towers in Abu Dhabi. Two 29-story skyscrapers, using the motifs of traditional architecture, refute the very term "real estate". After all, their facades are moving.

To protect interior spaces From the 50-degree heat, the engineers came up with the idea to place a blanket of golden honeycombs on top of the facade, which open and close depending on the light. The degree of opening of honeycomb shells is determined by the computer: from fully open in the morning to fully closed at noon.

An interesting geometric pattern of the protective facade envelops the towers from all sides except the northern one, giving them a unique appearance while protecting against excessive overheating. A similar solution was inspired by the mashrabiya - traditional Arab openwork lattices designed to shade rooms. The protective screen will allow maintaining a moderate temperature in offices without the use of air conditioners, which, given the extremely hot climate of the country, will make it possible to save a huge amount of electricity.

As conceived by the design team, the movable structural elements open and fold throughout the day, depending on the position of the sun, thus halving the amount of heat penetrating into the room. The system is powered by renewable energy from photovoltaic panels. The fact is that each tower has a sloping roof, directed to the south, which is equipped with solar cells that produce about five percent of the total energy consumed by the building.

Architects from Aedas Architects noted that they primarily worked to keep the temperature inside the complex cool during the summer months, without the use of huge amounts of air conditioning. In Abu Dhabi, this approach to architecture is of particular importance, especially given the promises of the city authorities to develop an economy that will be completely independent of oil and other fuels. In general, the facade of the complex is a modern, program-controlled interpretation of the outer cladding of the mashrabiya. This building technology was considered effective and was used to protect houses in hot climates throughout the Middle East as early as the twelfth century.

Such a facade performs not only a protective function, but also an aesthetic one. Due to the mashrabiya technology, solar heat penetrates 50 percent less, unobstructed ventilation of the premises is ensured, and the need for artificial lighting is also reduced. To enhance the overall comfort of employees working at ADIC, the architects used lightly tinted glass to enhance the protective effect.
Al Bahar Tower is a good example of a combination modern technologies and ancient Arab traditions of building and architecture, which for centuries allowed local residents survive even in the most extreme weather conditions.

"Skin" consists of 2000 umbrella modules that close and open depending on the position of the sun. Umbrellas are controlled automatically from single center, which can be compared to the brain of the system. Central management ensures the coherence of work and the interaction of all elements.

According to Aedas, this approach is more effective than dark tinted windows, which inevitably restrict the flow of light at any time of the day, while "umbrellas" open only when they are needed. Their well-coordinated work can save energy spent not only on cooling, but also on lighting.

From an aesthetic point of view, the system can be considered as a time-varying architectural decoration, since in varying degrees openness "umbrellas" add up various geometric patterns, a real mosaic of hexagonal elements.

The twin towers in Abu Dhabi will contain about 70,000 square meters of office space. Currently, their construction is nearing completion.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, one of the richest cities of the world and also one of the hottest. In March, here the temperature can already rise to 43 degrees, and in summer it can stay around 50.

80% of oil is produced in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, that's why this city and the capital: everything is simple here - whoever has more oil, he rules!

Most of the city is located on the peninsula, based on the layout of the Manhattan peninsula.

The Arabs have already announced the construction within 5 years of the world's first "hyperloop" - an ultra-high-speed train with a speed of 1,200 km / h, which will connect Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi. In the meantime, Hyperloop is being designed (an agreement has already been signed between the Hyperloop One designer and RTA), you can get to the capital by a familiar bus.

The most convenient way to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is to take the metro to the Ibn Batutta station, which got its name in honor of the great traveler and merchant Ibn Batutta. Immediately from the metro station you can see the bus station, where you can, having an account on the NOL card, immediately get on the bus under the landing. You pay with a card for travel - 25 dirhams / 400 rubles. and take up space. Go to Abu Dhabi intercity buses Volvos that look great on the outside, but are already a little beat up on the inside, but with leather seats. Route number E101. The letter E means Emirates - "inter-Emirati". There are several routes from different bus stations from Dubai, looking ahead, I’ll say that we jumped back on the bus finishing the boarding, as the driver hurried us up, without even looking at the number, if I’m not mistaken, the number was E01 and he brought us through all of Dubai to Bur -Dubai is a neighboring area from our hotel, but the weather didn’t do it for us, since we also crossed Dubai Creek underground in the metro.

2. The interiors of all "inter-Emirati" RTA buses of the "Volvo" brand are equipped with monitors on which there is a live broadcast of the road, which allows passengers of the entire cabin to see what the driver sees and 1 women's row behind him. The idea is good, but the execution is lame. Low-resolution cameras, which is why the "movie" "Desert Storm" comes out, on the other bus we watched the "movie" all the way: "Reflects of lanterns on the roof", because the camera collapsed and filmed only the roof of the bus XD

3. The path to Abu Dhabi also passes through the desert, enclosed by a fence. The sand is strictly guarded! XD

4. Remember, I promised you to show super graphics with camels - here it is! Class! Modern street art only in this format and yes! WORLD RECORD!!! No. 8 - Round skyscraper in Abu Dhabi
Aldar HQ is the world's first round skyscraper with a height of 110 meters and 23 floors, built in the image of a seashell in just 7 months. The building is the headquarters of the company "Aldar Properties" In total, 3 round skyscrapers have already been built in the world - China does not sleep, but this is a completely different story.

5. Dynamic skyscrapers, Al Bahar, which can be covered with plates from the sun and change the appearance of their facade. I wanted to take a closer look and shoot, but the city is already very sprawling and we did not have time.

6. The central bus station is a rather old building, but pay attention to its architecture: consoles, extensions, consoles - everything is here to create a shadow and prevent direct sunlight into the windows. Let's go for a walk!

7. Abu Dhabi police car. Very reminiscent of New York, where Ford is also the basis of the park. They even made a bumper. The color schemes are different from Dubai, which uses green instead of red.

8. Wow! I think I see Singapore and Marina Bay! Well, the Chinese are not the only plagiarists in this world.

9. But the standard of school buses in the Emirates is the same, both in terms of color schemes and the model range. In total, I counted 5 or 6 models of operating buses of different capacities. In the cities you can’t see them very much, but the roads are teeming with them.

10. In terms of architecture, we divided the city into Asian skyscrapers and European ones. These 2 styles of buildings are very different. Instead of paint, small hemispherical delinators are used as road markings in Abu Dhabi. Not only do they never wear out, but they also teach drivers to keep the row! (There are strict rules and the Great Order in the Emirates!) In the event of a collision with such a marking, a very unpleasant vibration appears, causing a desire to return to the lane!

11. Sometimes Arabs have a craving for beauty and decide to build a high-rise in the style of a French palace!

12. Bicycling in Abu Dhabi, like in Dubai, is the transport of rogues. The Arabs are trying to be in the global trend, but they do it for show. The 50m bike path you see is everything! It is no longer in the next block, but if you walk another kilometer, you can still find somewhere the same piece as a patch. Of course, no one rides on them and pedestrians walk.

Abu Dhabi is a city of perfect purity! The fine for a cigarette butt thrown past the urn is 500 dirhams / 8,000 rubles. It's time for us to establish the same fines, the treasury will famously replenish, there will be funds for landscaping. You can't see police officers in pride, but people in civilian clothes and cameras watch over the implementation of the rules.

13. Again I see a strange facade advertising, this time the Internet. An Arab with a false nose in the desert... Do you have any association with the Internet? Maybe I don't understand something...

14. The city is well landscaped. Only date palms there are 40 million, which, by the way, grow on land brought from Belarus. The first glass skyscraper on the horizon "Saraya" with excellent views of the Persian Gulf. It houses luxury residences. Tower R01 has a total of 74 residences on 46 floors, while R02 has 48 on 40

16. Flight of architectural thought! I see a building with an eye and a high-rise World Trade Center.

And here you can already see European architecture.
17. Embankment of the Persian Gulf. I liked the idea with these canopies, creating a chic shade. Unlike here, there is a free public beach with clean white sand.

More interesting fact: in the Emirates it is very strict with alcohol, it is not freely available throughout the country, it exists mainly for foreigners in hotel bars. If a resident of Abu Dhabi wishes to drink something strong, he must be wealthy and apply to the police for a license. If the amount of expenses for alcohol exceeds 10% of income, the license to drink alcohol is revoked! Oh how! No drunkenness!

18. An island of dubious ergonomics... There are practically no pedestrians in Abu Dhabi, everyone drives cars and taxis. But if there are a little more people on the island besides that couple with a stroller, then the rest will have to jump on such hillocks, I tried it, it’s a dubious pleasure ...

19. Emirates Palace-Palace of the Emirates in Abu Dhabi, is considered the second 7 * hotel in the world. Here, exceptional Arab luxury and royal welcome. Each room comes with a butler. Only the number of chandeliers in the hotel is 1002, and gold leaf is everywhere here, it is served even in desserts in an edible form! At the request of the residents, a transfer can be provided: a limousine, a helicopter or an airplane. The building is far enough away, maybe that's why it doesn't look very impressive, BUT!

20. Only the monumentality of the entrance group to this hotel should already impress!

21. The very heart of the business city. Far skyscraper -ADNOS- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Golden -Bab Al Qasr Hotel 5 * and between them 5 towers of Etihad Towers, which appear in the movie "Fast and the Furious 7" Have you watched? Probably the most epic moment in the film, when the car flies from one tower to another.


Didn't look? Forgotten? There is an opportunity to remember-an excerpt from the film! In addition to Etihad Towers, in the excerpt, you can see the Emirates Palace from the bay, which cannot be seen without being a resident of the hotel.

22. Near the entrance group presidential palace. The residence of the President of the Emirates itself is behind a high fence in the depths of the gardens on the right side, so there is no way to see it from the ground.

Abu Dhabi is a very sprawling city, a significant minus for guests would be the fact that all the sights are scattered at different ends, public transport, which is represented only by buses, is just right for this. They still won’t build a metro, and buses are a special topic! Even upon arrival, I noticed that they were empty. "How so?" I was surprised, because the city is huge! Yes, I heard that everyone here takes a taxi, because Abu Dhabi is one of the richest cities in the world and the bus is here for beauty.

Next, we had to go to another world record - the most falling tower in the world and the White Mosque. We easily got to the stop where the timetable hung, and there was even a suitable route. There are no stopping pavilions here as such, buses rarely run 2-3 times per hour, the stop is simply marked with a sign. Soon the bus came and that's when it started. I'm used to the fact that in Europe and here you can buy a ticket from the driver, but here you can only pay for transport cards, and buy transport card you can, here attention, the population of the city is 621,000, the area is 972 sq / km - only in 1 place - the central bus station! And if suddenly you didn’t know about it and drowned from it like we were 13 km away .. well ... Taxi!

It turns out that there are buses in the city, but you can’t use them! Admire, but do not touch xD And since this is the only view public transport, in fact, a city of almost 1000 sq / m does not have accessible public transport ... Some kind of tin, I have never seen a more stupid one ...

I had to go looking for a taxi.

24. Nation Towers with a helipad 435 meters high were built by 2013. The height of the towers is 65 and 52 floors. Here is a 5 * hotel, apartments, offices.

25. Here, a taxi is like in other emirates of the Toyota Camry, but in a solid, presentable color. The driver came to the mosque to pray, so we went to look for another one.


It was important for us to find out how much a taxi ride to the other end of one of the richest cities in the world would cost. Half an hour later, we found a bored "Afro-Emirati", the cost of the trip was announced in the region of 25-30 dirhams / 400-480 rubles. by price bus ticket to Dubai, but for an expensive city, this is not such a large amount. The taxi driver was busy and we went to catch, but we did not go as far as he called us, the client who came up was not against the fact that he would capture us. We threw it into the yacht club in the next block and set off to the mosque to the sounds of the African tumba-yumba ...

We already knew perfectly well how the sunset suddenly comes here, we hurried to shoot white mosque before sunset, so Capital Gate drove down the road.

WORLD RECORD!!! №9-skyscraper Capital Gate
The 160 meter skyscraper Capital Gate is the most falling building in the world - its angle of inclination is 18 degrees! For comparison, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has a tilt angle of only 4 degrees. The skyscraper was completed in 2011. The secret of stability is in the counterweight foundation, the main slab of which is located under the National Exhibition Center on the opposite side of the slope. The piles were driven into the rock to a depth of 30 meters. The skyscraper houses offices and the hotel Hayatt Capital Gate 5 *

Among the main attractions in Abu Dhabi, one of the first places is occupied by the themed Ferrari Park, but all in a day without a car you just can’t go around.

What else interesting will appear in Abu Dhabi besides the metro and Hyperloop in the coming years is Saadiyat Island, which is a major development project. The most interesting part is the cultural cluster, which will house National Museum Zayed, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Louvre. Ordinary French are against the fact that masterpieces leave the Louvre in Paris, but can you resist money? So the Louvre in Abu Dhabi to be!