Iconic tower will lean 4 times as far as Leaning Tower of Pisa
As construction of Capital Gate continues in the UAE capital city, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), which is developing the iconic building, and RMJM, project architects, have submitted a joint application to the Guinness Book of Records to recognise 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 4 degrees. Because of its unique posture, the tower is being constructed on top of an incredibly dense mesh of reinforced steel. The dense mesh 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.
Simon Horgan CEO of ADNEC Group said, "Capital Gate will be a building that the world will talk about, not because it has surpassed another building as the world's tallest, but because of its aesthetic splendour and technical achievement."
"Capital Gate will be one of a kind," added David Pringle, CEO, RMJM Asia and the Middle East. "Its graceful, asymmetric diagonal structure, known as a 'diagrid', supports the tilting external load of the building and we believe that this is the first building in the world to use a pre-cambered core."
Besides being believed to be the 'world's most inclined' 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 5-star 'Hyatt at Capital Centre' hotel and will provide the most exclusive office space in Abu Dhabi. The tower forms a major part of the Capital Centre development, an AED8 billion (US$2.2 billion) business and residential micro city being constructed around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
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About Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC)
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is a strategic international venue development and management company. ADNEC's venue portfolio includes one of the most modern exhibition centre's in the world - the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and the UK capital's largest exhibition and conference venue, ExCeL London.
ADNEC is creating unique business districts to serve Abu Dhabi's rapid expansion and emergence on the global stage.
Development projects surrounding the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre include Capital Centre (a mixed-use development of 23 residential, commercial and mixed-use towers adjacent to the exhibition centre), Capital Gate (an iconic 35 storey gravity defying feature tower, featuring the 5-star hotel - 'Hyatt at Capital Centre') and a 2.4km Marina zone.
In addition, ADNEC is expanding within the region, with The Al Ain Convention Centre, a residential and business micro city around a state-of-the-art convention centre.
For more information visit www.adnec.ae; www.alaincc.ae; www.capitalcentre.ae; www.capitalgate.ae; www.excel-london.co.uk;
About RMJM
RMJM is a UK-based, international firm of architects, employing 1,300 people across its network of 15 offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States. RMJM's expertise and design-led approach is successfully demonstrated in on-going projects in more than 20 countries spanning a wide range of key sectors, from corporate headquarters and waterfront residential developments to major public buildings, university campuses and large-scale regeneration programs. The company currently has US$20 billion worth of construction projects on its drawing boards, including some of the world's most high profile and ambitious projects.
For further information please contact:
Louise Osborne
Account Manager - Marketing and Public Relations
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Tel: + 971 2 406 3342
Fax: + 971 2 4446135
P.O.Box: 5546
Email: louise.osborne@adnec.ae
Website: www.adnec.ae
Orient Planet, PR & Marketing Communications
P.O. Box 23345, Dubai
UAE
Tel: 00 971 4 3988901
Fax: 00 971 4 3988941
Email: info@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com
© Press Release 2008
