PROJECT: ADIA Headquarters, Abu Dhabi
CLIENT: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
HEIGHT: 185m
FLOOR COUNT: 38
KEY POINTS:
* New tallest in Abu Dhabi
* The tower will be the first building in the city to feature an innovative double-glazed fa‡ade, curtained with automatic blinds and air-conditioning inside the two glass panels. According to the joint venture main contractor Arabtec-Samsung Engineering and Construction, this innovative approach was necessary once the investment authority decided on a complete glass-fronted tower. The automatic blinds and air-conditioning are controlled by the direction of the sun and the heat on the inside and outside of the windows. It keeps the glass cool while shielding the tower's interior.


This building is almost ready... maybe another month left

http://www.kpf.com/images/Projects/ADIA/307_3001z.jpg

http://www.kpf.com/images/Projects/ADIA/307_2014z.jpg

http://www.kpf.com/images/Projects/ADIA/307_4054z.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sahmad/P1010096aa.JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sahmad/P1010105aa.JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sahmad/P1010111aa.JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sahmad/P1010106aa.JPG

I have some shots from a few months ago when I was there will post then tomorrow
gald to see some therads with constrcution images out side DUBAI

Something at least remotely close to this should be built in Dubai Marina (hopefully starting a trend of better-quality architecture). This is my favourite of the UC towers in the UAE for many reasons (which are not found in almost all buildings in the Dubai Marina/JLT etc):

- An all-glass minimalistic facade (no stone cladding whatsoever). Result = facade doesnt look cheap.
- Amazing assymetrical, curvaceous, contemporary design.
- No balconies (because its strictly an office building).
- Its a steel building.
- Has a nice model :p.
- Has an nice entrance (look at the second pic posted by Krazy).

I'm not saying that the buildings UC in Dubai are all bad, actually none of them are its just that there's a lack of architectural innovation and they all look the same (in some way). For example, the introduction of podiums or bases in Dubai Marina was a breakthrough but now the problem is that almost all the buildings in "New Dubai" will have podiums, according to the renderings. The same goes with boxlike and symmetrical architecture and cheap facades which is an issue almost noone has dared address. Balconies too, have invaded DM and JLT. Also, up until recently, before the announcement of the al yassat and dalma towers in DMC all the buildings were either tall and slender or very short and fat.

What I'm saying is: It'd be more exciting to have a smaller fraction of buildings planned for Dubai but which are very high quality and are all groundbreaking in one way or the other than to have 81* cheap-looking, largely similar buildings (with a few exceptions of course, all of which are outside New Dubai). However, I am optimistic about the future becuase there will hopefully be more FDI flowing into Dubai which will have a lot of positive implications.

Anyways, sorry for my excessive ranting, i've been hesitant to start a thread about this for a long time but I didnt want to spoil the fun but then I thought its not wrong to share my thoughts. I could be very wrong here so I really want to here what you guys think about this, or should I start a new thread?

I have to agree with your point of view regarding all of dubai's new buildings, i think it would do us good if we had a variety of achitecture, i consider most of the buildings on SZR too thin and looks like toothpicks from afar, however with the new DIFC and downtown dubai, that will change because a lot of the new towers will have some density. I consider yassat and dalma towers amonst my facorites because they are different and have some density

I'll chime in here with another agreement. There are a couple of buildings on SZR (notably Emirates Towers and the Trade Center) that are nice, but for the most part, that part of town is just butt-ugly.

The creekside is ever so much nicer, just by virtue of having some variety.


The Dalma Towers project is one of my favourites among the up-and-coming as well.

In its current state, the SZR is very ugly, but there are some nice buildings going up there such as the Hexagon, the Park towers and Park Place. They're almost completely glass-facade (something i love to see in a skyscraper). IMO, its the "New Dubai" area which is going to lag behind in terms of elegance and quality. The cost at which the projects in New Dubai are being built is a good indication of how they'll compare with projects of similar physical dimensions in, say, the DIFC. A 30-storey building (Park tower) in the DIFC will eventually cost something like USD82m whereas a 36-storey building (Arshia Marina Tower) in Dubai Marina costs about USD33m. You get the point.

I think the Park towers look ugly... just something about their design that doesnt appeal to me

I think the renderings are bad but the reason i like them is because of their glassy facades.

True.... two renderings that I really like and am really excited about their construction are Park Place and The Hexagon..... amazing buildings! Wish we got more of those here in Abu Dhabi!

Yep agree with while there are a few rare gems around there are majortiy in the 40-50 area now that and better forgotten. Render is great. But there is hope for Dubai as so much is possible and there are some great gems.

Found my old images from a few months ( March or May i think) so look here if you want to see
Thanks again to BulldozerGirl for the use of her space

Four images here
http://www.ayuplanet.com/trances/Abu%20Dhabi/ADIA%20Headquarters%20tower/

Just one of them
http://www.ayuplanet.com/trances/Abu%20Dhabi/ADIA%20Headquarters%20tower/20040400-%20DSC06338.JPG

this is a stunning building, very American or Australian (energy efficiant ) and very Pelli-isk. Something like this would look good in Dubai instead of these crass gold and dark green reflective glass towers.

Images by Trances

http://www.ayuplanet.com/trances/Abu%20Dhabi/ADIA%20Headquarters%20tower/20040400-%20DSC06337.JPG

http://www.ayuplanet.com/trances/Abu%20Dhabi/ADIA%20Headquarters%20tower/20040400-%20DSC06339.JPG

http://www.ayuplanet.com/trances/Abu%20Dhabi/ADIA%20Headquarters%20tower/20040400-%20DSC06340.JPG

Dubai Boy is this completed?

No, it's not completed. Construction seems to go very slow here.

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/5426/adia1.jpg

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/8923/adia2.jpg
(22 oct 2004)

thanks for the up-date Mich

but you can see that at least one side is topped out!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4cf29b3127cceaa1a9fee19560000001610

LOOKING GOOD :cheers:

finally some height to the ad skyline

one of the best new generation UAE towers-very pelli ish?

love the design so modren would add a nice touch to AD's skyline :)
Cheers for AD

honestly i don't like it that much
the render looks was better :dunno:

My favortie tower under construction in the UAE after BD and Park Place!

Latest pictures by Dubai Boy

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4cc02b3127cce9d9642a1c18d00000016108JcOHDZy1s

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4cc02b3127cce9d9642aa40b600000016108JcOHDZy1s

Following images taken on May 18, 2005

As you can see, still under construction, still not much visible progress! This reminds me of the Bur Juman tower in Dubai!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/vtalibaba/P1010001.jpg

Another one looking up, sorry for the huge size

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/vtalibaba/P1010008.jpg

View from behind

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/vtalibaba/P1010009.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/vtalibaba/31fc23a2.jpg

thanks for these updates
first time i see this one completed

but i have to say i don't like this tower
it looks very old, doesn't it?

I really dont know why you dont like this tower Dennis, in my opinion it's one of the best looking towers under construction in the UAE right now! btw, it's still not completed, we'd be lucky to see it completed before next year. I passed by the construction site and there still seemed a lotta work to be done for the interiors and the entrance area. Also the top is not finished, as seen in the first picture.

this is what we call taste :D

i can see these facades in germany any day
this design has been used in the 70s or so´
maybe that's why i don't like it, sorry

I think that the building's design isn't "Abu Dhabi style" though!
The building is new, but it looks like some dusty ;)

This building is amazing! Its a very simple but effective design. I like how it looks so bulky on one side

Thanks for the update. I like the tower, the best in Abu Dhabi in my opinion. Strange that these two KPF designs in the UAE are going so slow.

I know, this one has been under construction for ages now. It's almost complete, just the little bit of top remaining. I would say ADIA should move into this tower by early next year.

In the first pic I posted.. the close up of the top.. do you guys see a crane on top of the tower? :eek:

Thanks 4 d updates... IMO, Best tower design yet in Abu Dhabi... Facade design is fantastic... I think this tower is one of those they call "GREEN BUILDINGS", besides Bur Juman Tower... KPF designs are really fantastic!!! Sad to say it's ages now and people still cant move in....

i think its something abt the structure... if uve noticed bur juman tower has a similar top and that one is taking ages as well... ppl like SA Boy would be able to explain better

Nice tower, but it took forever to finish.

TAKING forever u mean, it's still not done!

can u believe its STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION !!!!!

Taken on July 1 from Marina Mall

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/vtalibaba/5671c00d.jpg

worse than the marina terrace...

must be bur juman in dubai :D

it looks the same and it takes them ages to finish the same part of the tower :lol:

Work on the striking Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) Tower, which occupies a seafront location on Abu Dhabi Corniche, is nearing completion and is due for handover shortly.
http://www.gulfconstructiononline.com/source/xxvi/08/images/adia-DSCF3876.jpg


The twin-tower project, which rises to a height of 185 m, achieved structurally completion in April last year. Over the past year, work has been progressing on cladding the tower in one of the most advanced curtain-walling systems in the region and on finishing works that merit its stature as a hi-tech building.
The project, which provides a total floor area of 113,731 sq m, includes two slim-profiled high-rises – one 38 storeys high and the other 33 storeys with one basement level. This new headquarters building will offer 73,000 sq m of office space, arranged in two curved wings on each side of a 17-storey atrium. The atrium is a gathering place for meeting and exchanging ideas.
Billowing sails and shifting sand dunes have inspired the curving forms of the tower, which creates a new and dramatic profile on Abu Dhabi’s skyline.
Standing adjacent to the towers is a seven-storey car-park, which will also house a rooftop leisure centre.
CRSS is the construction manager of the development, which has also drawn upon international expertise of firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (International), the architect and Buro Happold, the consulting engineer.
The main contractor for the project is Arabtec-Samsung Engineering and Construction while Kharafi National is the MEP contractor.
Construction work on the project started in January 2001. The complex sits on a raft foundation and comprises a reinforced concrete frame with structural steel clad in double-glazing, curtained with automatic blinds and air-conditioning within the two glass panels. The curtain walling system from Schmidlin covers the entire facade of the two towers.
“The tower is unique and will stand out among the many high-rises on the Abu Dhabi corniche,” says an Adia official.
This challenging project with an investment outlay of some Dh500 million ($136.2 million) required a double Facade design in a complex structural geometry, to withstand extremely high wind pressures and climate.
According to Buro Happold, the design of the structure was subjected to a number of wind tests. Physical wind models were constructed to model the wind pressures on the tower.
Elaborating on these tests, a spokesman for the firm says: “The curved surfaces on the two wing tips of the models were fitted with distributed surface roughness to promote turbulent boundary layers in the body surface, thereby generating higher effective Reynolds number and reducing scale effects. In order to simulate the effects of the nearby built environment and topography, both models were set within a 1:300 scale block format replica of the surrounding city buildings and wider land/seascape. The wind testing was conducted on a turntable in BMT’s Environmental Wind Tunnel

must be bur juman in dubai :D

it looks the same and it takes them ages to finish the same part of the tower :lol:

lol! its the same architect KPF and their buildings take time are true masterpieces!

I dont think it looks half bad !! for you guys who dont know , its the one to the far left

make sure you scroll to the right thought :D

http://www.ayuplanet.com/dubaiboy/Copy%20(2)%20of%20AD%20panorama.jpg

nice.... thanks man

Are you sure Ahmed this one is complete? Have they taken off all the cranes? What about interiors... we need to know for sure to change on emporis. Thanks!

And yea.... we expect more pics from your new camera of this new tall!

no the interior isnt complete yet , well atleast not the top ten floors

so it 3/4 complete :D

Dubai Boy ,,, were u fishing in da pic lol? how many u catch? catfish?

Nope :) just a bunch of "Zalamotya" having fun ;)

Adia selects Alpha Data to provide voice recording system

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi-based IT solutions firm Alpha Data yesterday said it has been selected to provide voice recording system by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) at its new headquarters.

Alpha Data is the exclusive partner of ASC Voice Recording of Switzerland.

"One hundred per cent redundancy, unlimited scalability and advanced interoperability features have been the key factors that prompted our choice of ASC products" said Mohammad Alkhamiri, Adia section head.

"We foresee a good return on the investment that is being made today. Redundancy means zero downtime and high scalability will see us spending less on upgrades" he added.

"Organisations across the UAE are implementing voice recording solutions in line with international practices," said Waleed Saffarini, Manager of Alpha Data's Telecom Division,.

no offence but I never liked this one, too out dated and looks cheap !!

credit for its height though

flickr

http://static.flickr.com/44/136043597_6a1cf87a43_o.jpg

I live in it's shadow and think it looks great. Also a fan of baynounah (sp!) tower.

That is a VERY cool photo!

This tower is at its finishing stage.. the final finishings are going on. The Managing Directors offices (at level 36, 33, 34) are to be completed, and offcourse the auditorium at basement also. It will be finished within Two months. The landscaping works are almost finished...

hi habibi

do you have more details and drawings / renderings of this project? seems very interesting!

thanks!

six453,,,,,,,what are the details u want? i will try to collect it for you...

hi habibi

thanks for quick reply! :) that was fast.. anyway perhaps some working drawings/plans/elevs/sections? mostly architecture-related drawings and images, or some hires renders?

please dont mistake me for asking too much, just wanted to inquire and cover all possible areas.. but whatver you may have sure would be alright and greatly appreciated! :)

six453,
I will try to give u. I hope I can give you some details by this weekend.

Here is one picture I took recently

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/1167/adiatower5ge.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Recent Pictures

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1781/adiatowerbackside6an.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/3103/adiatowerglazing3ah.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

great shots. :)

thanks. when is it supposed to be completed?

great shots.. thanks!

Thanks for the comments...

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7435/adiatoweratevening9ve.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

WOW NICE SHOTS! but a bit grainy?

anyway would love to see working drawings of this one as well.. seems a very interesting design :)

It does seem Abu Dhabi is building quality not quantity ,I really hope they don't waste half the worlds contrete reserves on trashy buildings like the ones being built in Dubai.

Seriously, this building needs to be cleaned ASAP!

Seriously, this building needs to be cleaned ASAP!

Fahed I believe its the camera that made it look this way otherwise abu dhabi is extremely clean!

complete?

http://static.flickr.com/63/195293793_0461b76b51_o.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/ADIA_Tower_at_night.jpg/291px-ADIA_Tower_at_night.jpg

taken yesterday
see full size at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:ADIA_Tower_at_night.jpg

But doesn't this building always look dusty and dirty in the daylight. I can see there are some funky design things going on with it, but it's too monolithic and frankly doesn't work--imo. It does nothing for the Abu Dhabi skyline. This one is a big eyesore.

^^ I gotta agree with this one

it has to much a front and a back ... like from the front its hot but from the sides.... meh...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/339397193_83337ede3b_b.jpg

looking great in that shot but i still dislike it in the skyline.

December 29, 2006

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/359812583_50f807db8a_o.jpg

why the heck is it FULLY lit up unlike all other buildings around? lightning test?

those are not interior lights

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/484914594_7aeb47f8a4_o.jpg

nice!

This the best thing that has happened to abu dhabi recently.........of course excluding all the new projects!

As a Dubai fan, I like this tower!