Capital Gate makes it to the top
Abu Dhabi's iconic tower reaches final height of 160 metres

Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi's iconic leaning tower, has topped out its central core and reached its final height of 160 metres, marking one of the most significant milestones in its construction.

Capital Gate leans an incredible 18 degrees (14 degrees more than the famous leaning tower of Pisa). It is being developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and has been designed by Edinburgh-based architects RMJM. The tower forms the focal point of the Capital Centre development, an AED8 billion business and residential micro city being constructed around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

"Capital Gate is an excellent example of what can be achieved when vision, creativity, design and engineering combine effectively with a partnership approach among team members. I am pleased at the steady progress being made on Capital Gate and would like to commend everyone involved in bringing this amazing and complex project to life. We look forward to working with RMJM, and Al Habtoor, the contractors of Capital Gate, to ensure the development is delivered to the people of Abu Dhabi over the course of the next year," said Simon Horgan, Group CEO of ADNEC.

RMJM's Associate Director, Tony Archibold, said: "Topping out the core is a major milestone to achieve. We still have challenges to face, but with the meticulous planning and recording that we have implemented throughout the construction, the pathway to successful completion is very much in sight."

Elaborating on the complexity involved in the completion of the core, Archibold explained that the core slants in opposite direction to the lean of the building, straightening as it grows. "This has never been attempted anywhere in the world before," he said.

Capital Gate will house Abu Dhabi's first Hyatt hotel - Hyatt at Capital Centre, a presidential style luxury 5 star hotel which will provide 189 hotel rooms for visitors and exhibitors at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, as well as international business and leisure travellers. It will also be the location for the most exclusive office space in the capital.

Level 18 of Capital Gate will feature a cantilevered tea lounge, which projects out over the eastern portion of the facade, and on top of which is an open sun terrace and pool with a sweeping view of Abu Dhabi and the Gulf.

Due to its unique shape, Capital Gate is being constructed on top of a concrete raft with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The tower comprises of a complex steel diagrid, which sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 30m underground to accommodate gravitational, wind and seismic pressures. The angles and dimensions of the building have been measured and designed meticulously to ensure that each individually shaped diagrid accurately defines the shape of this magnificent structure.

Capital Gate Abu Dhabi images / information from RMJM Architects

14 Jan 2009
Advanced Diagrid Technology Gives Shape to Capital Gate

An advanced building technique is being used to shape one of the world’s most iconic buildings, Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi. The diagrid technology has been used on only a few high-profile international buildings, including the Hearst Tower in New York City, the Swiss Re building ("the Gherkin") in London and the CCTV headquarters tower in Beijing. The system requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame, reducing costs and benefiting the environment. The diagrid is formed by creating triangular structures with diagonal support beams.



Capital Gate, which has applied to the Guinness World Records for the “world’s most inclined building” is being built by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and has been designed by global architects RMJM. The structural steel diagrid has now reached level eight of the 35 storey, 160 metre tower, with the core at level 11. The diagrid will now begin to curve westward as the tower’s unique leaning posture becomes visible.

Simon Horgan, ADNEC Group CEO said, “Capital Gate will be an international icon for the emirate of Abu Dhabi and for ADNEC. When Abu Dhabi undertakes a project it does so with one aim – to be the best; the incredible technical achievement and aesthetic splendour of Capital Gate ensures it will be regarded around the world as one of the most magnificent buildings ever constructed.”

“Globally, diagrid structures have been emerging as a new design trend for tall buildings with their powerful structural rationale and aesthetic potential,” said Gordon Affleck, Design Principal for RMJM Middle East.

“And ADNEC’s Capital Gate iconic tower will be the first building in Abu Dhabi to use this technique.”

The total weight of Capital Gate’s steel is estimated to be around 21,500 tons which compares favourably to the 110,000 tons used to build Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, the 50,000 tons estimated for the CCTV tower in Beijing and the 36,910 tons of steel used in Malaysia’s Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Capital Gate’s ‘diagrid’ is subdivided into 722 elements and approximately 8,500 structural steel beams for the entire building. Each ‘diagrid’ element weighs approximately 15 tons and sports a painted finish.

The building’s decorative ‘splash’ is designed to mimic a wave. Besides providing an innovative sun shade for the Capital Gate tower itself, the splash also provides a new and creative treatment for the roof of the existing Grandstand canopy in the adjoining Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre Grandstand. The splash is a completely independent structure made of structural steel “I-beams” fixed to the main building structure.

Capital Gate, is being constructed on top of a 2 metre deep concrete base filled with an incredibly dense mesh of reinforced steel. This base sits above an intensive distribution of 490 piles which have been drilled 30 metres underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.

Capital Gate will accommodate the 5-star ‘Hyatt at Capital Centre’ hotel and will provide the most exclusive office space in Abu Dhabi.

The iconic tower forms a major part of the Capital Centre development, an AED 8 billion (US$2.2 billion) business and residential micro city being constructed around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Capital Gate : World’s most inclined tower



27 Oct 2008

Capital Gate tower Abu Dhabi images / information from RMJM Architects

Palm Island Dubai

Capital Gate : Further Information on the tower