ABU DHABI: The UAE will add another feather in its cap when Capital Gate enters Guinness Book of Records as the "world's most inclined tower".
According to builders, the iconic tower will lean four times as far as Leaning Tower of Pisa. As the construction of the tower progresses in Abu Dhabi, the developer of the building Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and project architects RMJM, have submitted a joint application to the Guinness Book of Records to recognize the tower as the "most inclined in the world".
Capital Gate leans westward an astonishing 18 degrees; by comparison the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans less than four degrees.
Because of its unique posture, the tower is being constructed on top of an incredibly dense mesh of reinforced steel. The mesh sits above an intensive distribution of 490 piles which have been drilled 30 meters into the ground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
Capital Gate also features 728 unique custom-made diamond-shaped glazing panels. Due to the structure's curving shape, each pane of glass is different and each will be fitted at a slightly different angle. Capital Gate will accommodate the five-star "Hyatt at Capital Centre" hotel and will provide the most exclusive office space in Abu Dhabi.
By K.T. Abdurabb
© Arab News 2008
