Many cities are defined by their architecture and Abu Dhabi is no exception. A spate of new tower blocks thought to be the most creatively designed in the region has given the once quiet city’s skyline a definitely raffish look. Among the unique high rise apartments, office blocks and hotels is one of the newest additions to the skyline, the Capital Gate building which Guinness World Records have testified as the ‘world’s furthest leaning manmade tower’.
The 160 meter 35 storey steel and glass building has a silhouette like no other. Engineered to lean 18 degrees westwards, it out leans the famous tower of Pisa. According to the engineers the floor plates are stacked upright up to the 12th floor and thereafter they are staggered on top of each other by 300 mm to 1400 mm giving the tower its distinctive look. To give the buildings its incline engineers came up with solutions that included a pre cambered core built deliberately off centre to achieve the slant and for safety anchoring it to the ground with 490 piles drilled 20 to 30 meters underground. Capital Gate also has a diagonal grid that helps it to absorb wind and seismic pressure and maintain the incline.
Owned and developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, Capital Gate is the region’s largest and one of the world’s most modern exhibition venues and hosts important exhibitions and conferences that attracts over a million people a year. Additionally Capital Gate offers 15,000 square meters of ultra modern office space, houses a five star hotel and offers business related services that make it a convenient venue to host big events. The central location of the building enables easy access to many of Abu Dhabi’s attractions, shopping destinations and business and leisure areas. All these positive features have made Capital Gate the hub of business life in the city.
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