Dubai Skyscraper : Images + Information

Tiara United Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2006-09 ADPI The Tiara United Towers Project includes two similar Towers of 45 stories each, together with various services, and two associated parking garages. These towers are currently designed to a height of 193 meters. image realized by ADPI The East Tower houses a 5-star hotel with 332 rooms spread over 35 floors. The West Tower is for office occupation. The towers are separated at ground level and levels 1 and 2 to allow vehicle access, and are joined at Levels 3 thru 5 (the Skybridge) to provide hotel services (restaurants, food market), and the conference center. The façades of the towers are inspired by the concept of stained glass, and use the curtain wall glazing to create large colored frescoes on the scale of land art. The frescoes are generated with 4 families of colors deployed in a subtle gradation from red and yellow earth tones at the tower bases to the green of vegetation and finally to blue sky tones at the top. The façades are structured by metallic branches whose tree-like silhouette contrasts with the hard landscape that is predominant in the city. The branches are in effect a sculptural representation of the structural wind bracing, composed of randomly perforated 3-dimensional natural-color aluminum panels applied to the curtain wall to clad the diagonal structural members. They impart an image of strength and solidity to the towers like that of a centenarian tree. At night, the glazed panels are illuminated from within, creating a dramatic pattern within the city skyline.