Designed by: Aedas (UK)
Status: Approved
Developers: Karachi Port Trust (KPT)
Contractors: N/A
Design Engineers: Mott MacDonald
Landscape Master Plan: Planit Intelligent Environments
Marketed By: N/A
Building Type: Mix Use
Height:

Main Tower: 331.8m (to the top floor), 352m (to the building crown)
Residential Tower 1: 84m
Residential Tower 2: 102 m
Residential Tower 3: 118m
Residential Tower 4: 134m
Conference Building 35m

Floors Above Ground: 78
Floors Below Ground: 2
Office Floors: 58
Hotel Floors: 18
Apartment Floors: N/A
Parking Floors: 2
Location: Cheena Creek, Karachi

Renders:
http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/web/t/s/v/12news15.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/887AedasWinKarachiPakistanCompetition_pic2.jpg

14 March 2007

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has announced that Aedas is the winner of an international architectural competition for the design of a new landmark waterfront development in Karachi, Pakistan.

The mixed-use project will be the first such landmark building built in Karachi Port. The scheme has two aims: to act as catalyst to some major regeneration initiatives planned for the port by KPT as it develops its land bank; and to provide a new landmark for this new Commercial Business District by the waterfront.

Endorsed by Pakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf, designs also include residential, retail and conference facility space in addition to its core commercial facility.

The distinct form will be an instantly recognisable symbol. It responds to ecological concerns to reduce carbon footprint, setting a precedent in Pakistan for environmental building standards though the use of passive design principles and techniques of environmental control.

At the centre of the development is an 80 storey helical tower with glazed outer skin. This will house 102,000 sq m of office accommodation, on top of which will sit a 250-bed 5* hotel across the top 21 storeys. The hotel will also include 30 luxury serviced apartments and a swimming pool, and give immaculate views over the Indian Ocean.

Three further towers echo the design, each of varying heights, arranged around a lake. These will each include 280 serviced apartments with a further 70 apartments above 10,000sq m of high-end retail development. The scheme also features a 1,200-seat convention centre and exhibition hall and an underground 2,500 space car-park.

David Kingdom, project director comments:
“Over the last six months we have worked to develop a concept design that satisfies an international demand for BCO standard office space and answer an extreme shortfall in 5* hotel and high class residential facilities identified by the Karachi Port Trust.

This is the first step in developing a large swath of reclaimed land at Karachi Port, a promising area of prime commercial and residential development.”

Aedas is being assisted by MM Pakistan and Mott MacDonald UK & Dubai. The project is due to start on site in April 2007.




Source: Aedas (http://www.aedas.com/html/press_releases.cfm?ID=88&sort=press&leftnav=news_events)

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/887AedasWinKarachiPakistanCompetition_pic1.jpg

Extremely beautiful design!!!

Awesome building, if they gonna build this tower it will be one of my favourite

very cool design

nice one....

Very nice thread musiddiqui... Thank you for reposting!

Very nice design!!

Great news for Pakistan.

Awesome building, if they gonna build this tower it will be one of my favourite

construction is supposed to start sometime this month. a few weeks ago there was a advertisement by KPT in a local newspaper inviting bids to start preparatory work on the project site so hopefully construction will start soon

Wow, great looking tower musiddiqui. A twisting torso tower with bit of a difference to most other twisting torso scrapers going up or planned around the world ATM.

BTW Where is the convention centre housed? In the "tail" off to the right-hand side of the base of the main tower, seen curved in the bigger render in post #3? If not, where?

Also, do you know what heights the other 4 smaller accompanying towers are?

This is really great for Karachi & Pakistan.

Thanks again for posting this musiddiqui :okay:

muse i dont know that much detail yet will post as soon as i find something

nice

It's encouraging for the South Asian skyscraper scene to see this being approved in Pakistan, though the fact that it's been scaled down from 590-ish meters can be seen as a bit of a letdown.

^^that 590m tower is a different project u can find the thread for that project here http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=449988

wow, this is a good design..

Cool building. . .

This design looks very good to the eye. And i like the touch to the left with the smaller versions of the tower. Altough i havn't seen karachi so i dont know how it will go specifically in that location. But so far so good :D

excellent design. quite elegant too ...

love this project!! very good Pakistan!

Amazing design..I hope they start construction soon and end it fast..I just cant wait to see this!:banana: :banana: :banana:

great design!! i think it is the neatest twisting tower in the world :okay:

i hate those little clones though :( should have made them more different

Beautiful architecture, In my opinion one of the better designed towers in the world!

xkQnCE0rQ50

Beautiful project

Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Mott MacDonald has been appointed design engineer for the highest tower development in Pakistan.

The company won the $490m contract from the Karachi Port Trust.

The development located on the lagoon at Karachi in Pakistan, consists of a 78-storey tower, conference centre, retail development and four residential buildings located on the lagoon at Karachi in Pakistan. At almost 330m high, the tower will form the centrepiece of the development and will be the highest building in the subcontinent.

Work is expected to begin in September with completion due in early 2011.

Mott MacDonald will provide all civil, structural and building services, engineering, advice on façades, quantity surveying and cost consultancy and project management.

Mott MacDonald director Steve Gregson said: "Mott MacDonald is delighted to have won this exciting project in Pakistan which will help bring further commercial development and tourism to the region. Our Karachi office will provide all the necessary local support with staff from our Manchester, London and Dubai offices providing specialist expertise."



Source: Builder & Engineer Online (http://www.builderandengineer.co.uk/news/contracts/mott-macdonald-wins-pakistan-tower-contract-405.html)

great news :). first supertall for karachi is coming

Mott MacDonald appointed design engineer for highest tower development in Pakistan
30 May 2007

Mott MacDonald has been appointed design engineer by the Karachi Port Trust for a US$490 million development comprising a 78 storey tower, conference centre, retail development and four residential buildings located on the lagoon at Karachi in Pakistan. At almost 330m high, the tower will form the centrepiece of the development and will be the highest building in the subcontinent and will give Karachi a stunning landmark.

Located about a mile and half south east of Karachi city centre on the lagoon shore, the site is on reclaimed land close to Karachi port. The entire development will sit on top of a two storey basement car park and comprises seven separate buildings. The tower has a circular cross section with a very distinctive anti-clockwise spiral. It includes 1 700 000 sq ft of office accommodation and a 250 bed 5 star hotel located on the top 20 floors. Four separate blocks comprising 609 000 sq ft of residential accommodation are situated inland from the tower along a new water feature running through the middle of the development. Also included in the development is a 120 000 sq ft conference centre with a large exhibition hall, auditorium, seminar rooms and restaurant with views over the lagoon. A separate building comprises retail units on ground and first floors and residential units above to a maximum of five floors. An energy centre housing a sewage treatment works and electricity substations will be located in an underground facility adjacent to the main development.

Working with architects Aedas, Mott MacDonald is providing all civil, structural and building services engineering plus fire engineering, advice on façades, quantity surveying/cost consultancy and project management. As Karachi is in a medium threat (2B) seismic zone, the tower and other buildings will all require seismic analysis and specialist design.

Commenting on the project, director Steve Gregson said: “Mott MacDonald is delighted to have won this exciting project in Pakistan which will help bring further commercial development and tourism to the region. Our Karachi office will provide all the necessary local support with staff from our Manchester, London and Dubai offices providing specialist expertise.”

Advanced works are expected to begin in September and main works in January 2008. The entire project is due for completion in early 2011.



Source: Mott MacDonald (http://www.mottmac.com/newsandpublications/newslist/?id=35849)

The design is excellent, very futuristic, and monolithic too.

Wow, is it covered in balconies? Also, the video said 76 stories, but the thread says 80. Was it extended, or is that a mistake?

^^ take the average ... 78 :)

Construction starts Sep. this year right?

^^ take the average ... 78 :)

Haha yeah. 76, 78, or 80... I'd say 80 would be better but in the end it will be an awesome tower no matter how many floors it has, atleast in my opinion. :cheers:

when i first made this thread i read that its going to be 80 floors but now they r saying 78 in any case its more than 300 m talls and thats wat i care about

Construction starts Sep. this year right?

main work will start in january 2008

Construction starts Sep. this year right?

they r going to start preparatory works this sept and main construction from jan 2008

Jan 08 is confirmed?

look at post 28 ;)

I think they have a little piece of land that they might need to reclaim, I guess they'll start doing that in Sep., while construction starts in Jan 08.

This is what I'm talking about, this is a Google Earth image a member posted in the Pakistani side;

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-12/1233976/KPTTowerComplexc.JPG

i think they will reclaim land and demolish that structure in sept. this area is going to look good after this and port shopping district are constructed

this has now been listed on the projects section of Aedas website. from the website:

KPT Tower, Karachi, Pakistan

his mixed-use project will be the first landmark building in Karachi Port. The scheme is to act as catalyst to other major regeneration initiatives planned for the port, and is to provide a landmark for this new Business District.

The distinct form responds to ecological concerns with a reduced carbon footprint through the use of passive environmental controls. setting a precedent in Pakistan.

Our London and Manchester offices have collaborated with our specialist Advanced Modelling Group using Ecotect analysis to interpret the climatic performance.



Source: Aedas (http://www.aedas.com/html/projects.cfm?projectssort=sector&projectID=354&leftnav=projects&thissectorhighlight=1&leftnavhighlight=&pagetitle=Commercial%20and%20Office)

Beautiful!

Best tower I've seen in a very long time!

look nice

when the towers going to complete

nice indeed love it ;)

Any updates on this project???

wow...nice project

Any updates on this project???

it will probably start in 2008, that are the latest news

ground work to start in sept this year with main construction work to start early next year

already september? great to hear that :)

september is according to mott macdonald, lets wait and c wat happens

is this the same as port tower

^^ No.

i thought that this tower is the 540m one.

Why always the giant tower with mini-me's next to it?
That really ruins the sight for me.

actually the smaller towers will make the composition look more complete. The setting will be great.

Awesome design, hope it will become a reality soon :)

any updates

for what? ^^. it isn't UC, so you'll see nothing special on the site

I'm kinda liking it... sort of a snake shedding its skin.


it might be accused of being derivative (courtesy of Dubai) but if it's good for Karachi and good for Pakistan.... go nuts, I'll visit!




HOLY METRIC CONVERSION BATMAN! My town has had a super tall (985') for the past 30 years!!! Didn't even know we qualified! Thanks BMO... but stop dropping marble on the citizens.

hay- caliente

Looking good, another great project in Karachi.

design is very good i hope its get build

What a fantastic project! Congrats for Pakistan!

Karachi Port Trust Tower - by developer Karachi Port Trust - will comprise of 80 floors of office space, penthouse apartments, and five star hotel.

In addition, 4 ascending buildings with 350 apartments and retail areas. As well as: exhibition, conference center, auditorium, 3-level shopping mall, and man-made lake

Client – Aedas / Karachi Port Trust

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/1.jpg
Concept Masterplan

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/2.jpg
Lighting Concept

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/3.jpg
Traditional Pattern Making

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/4.jpg
Waterside Refuges

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/5.jpg
Concept Sketch

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/6.jpg
Concept Sketch

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/7.jpg
Tower Render Courtesy of Aedas

In June 2007 Planit were commissioned by Aedas Manchester to work alongside themselves and Mott MacDonald to develop a landscape masterplan for the KPT Tower project in Karachi. The proposals for the 5ha waterside site include a 76 storey (1000ft high) helical tower containing a 250 bed five star hotel and over a million sq ft of offices, an international conference/exhibition centre, a retail/leisure complex and 340no. apartments.

Our brief was to provide a setting that will emulate the architecture and international importance of this project. Whilst the aspirations of the client were clear, an understanding of the seasonal climatic conditions, security and intensity of use have been key drivers in the design process. The focus of the scheme is three connecting water bodies that provide visual reference to the inland sea with a dramatic water cascade that descends the primary pedestrian core to the car deck beneath. Defining the primary pedestrian route, a perforated sculptural canopy casts a tapestry of movement, pattern and welcome shade across the water and paths. Palm trees further define the main pedestrian routes providing shade and a more intimate scale from which to experience the space. Lighting will ensure that the space is charged into an exciting leisure destination by night.

To find out more, about this landmark project for Pakistan you can view the Aedas presentation by visiting ‘youtube’ and search under KPT Tower.




Source: Planit Intelligent Environments (http://www.planit-ie.com/)

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1261509/7.jpg
Tower Render Courtesy of Aedas

I do like it overall, and I think it is a great addition for Karachi. That being said, I wish there were more differences between the building designs. I'm all for area developments where the buildings dialogue with each other, however, in this case there is too much similarity. It is still a very nice project though. Again, I do like it!

http://arts.anu.edu.au/languages/russian/russian_dolls.jpg

^^^if you watch the video you see there is a difference between the buildings

has anyone gone to the site yet?? Musiddiqui bhai???

Have they demolished the old structure, because there are only what, 15 days till January.

dont think they have done anything yet i m guessing they will start after elections now. anyways will go check out the site when i goto pakistan next week

Normally, I don't approve of these towers that twist and curve, but this one is truely beautiful. A true jewel for Pakistan.

dont think they have done anything yet i m guessing they will start after elections now. anyways will go check out the site when i goto pakistan next week

Thanks :)

2008 Issue 2
By Karolin Schaps

Planning work on Mott MacDonald’s £245m Karachi Port Tower in Pakistan has been hit by political unrest in the country.

Mike Barker, a director at the consultant engineer, said work was suspended for three weeks in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, when normal business life in the country came to a halt.

However, he added that work on the project, which was designed by architect Aedas, was now “back on track”.

Mott MacDonald is providing engineering and cost consultancy services on the 330m, 78-storey Karachi Port Tower. The tower will contain a five-star hotel and is set to be completed in 2011.

David Howell, a board member of British Expertise, said UK construction firms were becoming more wary about accepting work in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Mott MacDonald has revealed that it is looking to develop its business in Russia. It has already set up three offices in Moscow and acquired a 70-staff local consultant in October last year.

The firm now wants to expand into the Russian building services industry and develop its established offices.

Barker said Mott regarded the eastern European and Indian markets as the main regions for international growth. He said: “Our Indian business grew by 50% last year and is expected to add another 60% to this year’s budget.”

Mott’s Indian branch was established through an acquisition and is led by local staff. Process engineering, such as pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure work form its core sectors in the country.

• Two employees of joint venture Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) have been killed during a private caving expedition in Yorkshire.

Caroline Fletcher, of Mott MacDonald, and Stuart Goodwill, of contractor JN Bentley, were surprised by rising flood waters. The accident occurred on 27 December.

MMB said in a statement: “We would like to offer deepest condolences to the family and friends of our colleagues, Stuart Goodwill and Caroline Fletcher.

“Both were talented and enthusiastic engineers and key members of our team.”




Source: Building (http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3104069&c=0)

Wow, really nice project. Can't expect something ugly from Aedas :)

magnificent :okay:
i like this render
http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/web/t/s/v/12news15.jpg

Can't imagine anyone will invest in that time!

"News | 17.02.2008 | 13:00 UTC
At least 39 dead in Pakistan bomb attack

At least 39 people have been killed and almost 100 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in north-western Pakistan. The attack came on the last day of campaigning for elections that are meant to complete the country's transition from military to civilian rule. The bombing occurred as supporters of a candidate backed by the party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto were gathering near his campaign office in the town of Parachinar, near the Afghan border. The campaigning for elections for a new parliament and provincial assemblies has been overshadowed by security fears, especially since Bhutto was killed following a rally on December 27."

Can't imagine anyone will invest in that time!

"News | 17.02.2008 | 13:00 UTC
At least 39 dead in Pakistan bomb attack

At least 39 people have been killed and almost 100 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in north-western Pakistan. The attack came on the last day of campaigning for elections that are meant to complete the country's transition from military to civilian rule. The bombing occurred as supporters of a candidate backed by the party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto were gathering near his campaign office in the town of Parachinar, near the Afghan border. The campaigning for elections for a new parliament and provincial assemblies has been overshadowed by security fears, especially since Bhutto was killed following a rally on December 27."

I can't imagine anyone will invest in USA that 9/11 attack :nuts::nuts:

very elegant design

Wow that is one of the coolest towers that I have ever seen. I hope that there are balconies on the right side of the render, they appear to be long skinny balconies. I also observe that the 4 little towers are not twisted howver the design is similar to the tall slightly twisted one.

Invest after attacks??? What about London underground and Spain trains and Bali. Everywhere is a risk.

Can't imagine anyone will invest in that time!

"News | 17.02.2008 | 13:00 UTC
At least 39 dead in Pakistan bomb attack

At least 39 people have been killed and almost 100 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in north-western Pakistan. The attack came on the last day of campaigning for elections that are meant to complete the country's transition from military to civilian rule. The bombing occurred as supporters of a candidate backed by the party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto were gathering near his campaign office in the town of Parachinar, near the Afghan border. The campaigning for elections for a new parliament and provincial assemblies has been overshadowed by security fears, especially since Bhutto was killed following a rally on December 27."

That attack took place in the TRIBAL AREAS of Pakistan, called FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas). They are a fry cry from the rest of Pakistan. Karachi is located WAY DOWN in the south of the country, bordering the Arabian sea. Where as Parachinai is LITERALLY on the border with Afghanistan. Look here (http://www.fata.gov.pk/_theme/images/fata_map_big.jpg). Karachi is thousands of miles away (http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/nov2007/tribal_areas.gif).

probably one of da best....... but in pakistan?

probably one of da best....... but in pakistan?

Come on? Why's that? Us Pakistanis are TIRED of hearing that from every other person. Everyone feels like they can have a go at Pakistan.

wells its not under construction

^ Not yet that is...

Unbelievably beautiful!
i love it.

wow what a great design and height for this tower makes it perfect

I'm a bit tired of twisting towers but it's ok to have some more built.
The tower seems a bit fat in the last rendering.I hope they choose the thinner one.

tower is 1200ft as per the cityscape magazine out a few days ago in Dubai and its 80+G

that are almost 370m! maybe we'll see a new design also?

Looks good.

tower is 1200ft as per the cityscape magazine out a few days ago in Dubai and its 80+G

Wow! Thank you SA BOY! Mods update the title of the thread please.

tower is 1200ft as per the cityscape magazine out a few days ago in Dubai and its 80+G

That sounds great! :happy:

Can you post it here?

5 of the same buildings?

tower is 1200ft as per the cityscape magazine out a few days ago in Dubai and its 80+G

if true this might explain the delay in starting construction

Thursday, 20 March 2008

Tenders for a landmark waterside development at Mai Kolachi adjacent to the Port of Karachi in Pakistan have been received and are currently being evaluated following the implementation of Aedas’ international competition-winning design for a mixed-use scheme.

Endorsed in 2007 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the development will command an iconic presence and provide an instantly recognisable beacon to Pakistan’s principal city of Karachi and the country’s largest sea port. The project is expected to commence on site in the second quarter of 2008.

The scheme which includes five high rise towers focuses around the centrepiece; an elegant 78-storey fully glazed tower The tower comprises 162,000 sq m of office space crowned with a 250-bed six-star luxury hotel with additional serviced apartments. The hotel bedrooms are cleverly arranged around an 85m-high atrium to maximise the magnificent views over the Arabian Sea.

Advanced digital modelling and sustainable design practices have responded to ecological challenges, drastically reducing the building’s carbon footprint and harnessing the potential of natural resources. The development is designed to set an exemplary precedent in Pakistan for environmentally responsible architecture and construction standards though the use of low energy design principles and techniques to maximise the use of passive environmental control.

Designed for the Karachi Port Trust, the development will help satisfy an international and domestic demand for institutionally acceptable ‘British Council for Offices (BCO)’ standard space. It will also help satisfy a significant shortage of luxury hotel accommodation and aspirational residential property in a city with a population of over 17 million. The development will be the catalyst that creates the heart of a new Central Business District and help realise Karachi’s optimum commercial and lifestyle potential.

Aedas has worked closely in partnership with the Karachi Port Trust, MM Pakistan and Mott MacDonald UK and Dubai.




Source: Property Magazine International (http://www.property-magazine.eu/news.php?fuseaction_newsbase=details&news_ID=6537&artimage_ID=9113)

that's great news.

me likey

2 new renders

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/1939/karachikpttowerrender11hg4.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/5422/karachikpttowerrender12lw1.jpg

Friday 14 Mar 2008

Big plans for Pakistan
Construction is soon to start on Aedas’ new landmark scheme in Mai Kolachi, Pakistan
Plans for a landmark waterside development at Mai Kolachi adjacent to the Port of Karachi in Pakistan have been received and are currently being evaluated following the implementation of Aedas’ international competition-winning design for a mixed-use scheme. Endorsed in 2007 by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the development will command an iconic presence and provide a recognisable beacon to Pakistan’s principal city of Karachi and the country’s largest sea port.

The scheme which includes five high rise towers focuses around the centrepiece; a 78-storey fully glazed tower. The tower comprises 162,000sq m. of office space crowned with a 250-bed six-star luxury hotel with additional serviced apartments. The hotel bedrooms are cleverly arranged around an 85m-high atrium to maximise the views over the Arabian Sea. Advanced digital modelling and sustainable design practices have responded to ecological challenges, drastically reducing the building’s carbon footprint and harnessing the potential of natural resources.

Designed for the Karachi Port Trust, the development will help satisfy an international and domestic demand for institutionally acceptable ‘British Council for Offices (BCO)’ standard space. It will also help satisfy a significant shortage of luxury hotel accommodation and high end residential property. Work is set to begin this spring.




Source: World Architecture News (http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=2053)

Amazing renders and news :)

:drool:, wonderful render...can't wait until it is UC!

Wow. That's the first render ever where they actually have Pakistani people in them! :lol:

oh yeah and cool design! :)

Just to let everyone know that second design is actually another project within Karachi called the Karachi Port Tower.

This is the KPT Tower Complex.

Yes confusing, and whoever named it should be slapped until the end of times, however I'll rejoice since two big ones are going up in Karachi (well I hope).

:)

^^^its just Port Tower and not Karachi Port Tower

Published: 02 April 2008 10:23 Last Updated: 03 April 2008 15:54

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2932/karachikpttowerrender13gz1.jpg

In Karachi, Pakistan's second city, a tall building is characterised as anything over 10 storeys. The loftiest have reached 20. So it is no overstatement to say that the 78 storey Karachi Port Tower, construction of which is scheduled to start this year, will transform the city's skyline.

Compared to the Burj Dubai, which will be the world's tallest building at 146 or more storeys, 78 storeys doesn't sound so remarkable. But Karachi Port Tower will be the tallest building on the Indian subcontinent.

Building on this scale in Pakistan is a one-off and poses some interesting challenges. Nobody in the country has ever carried out a site investigation for a building of this size before. Exceptionally deep and large foundations are required but local batching plants are not equipped to produce concrete in the volumes and strength required. The specialist falsework, formwork, cranage and concrete pumping equipment needed for ultra-high buildings does not yet exist in Pakistan.

"Construction will require international know-how, but with local knowledge. Three joint ventures of foreign main contractors with local firms have been shortlisted," reveals Mott MacDonald director Steve Gregson, who is leading structural, facade, mechanical and electrical, and fire engineering. "But whichever of the three is selected, they will be heavily reliant on local subcontractors."

Throughout the design process a close eye has been kept on buildability and making the structure suitable for local conditions and skills.

Client Karachi Port Trust is the port authority and operator and is also a major property and infrastructure owner. It is undertaking the project on a speculative basis. In addition to office space it also wants housing, a hotel and a conference centre, and it specified "something iconic". Mott MacDonald and architect Aedas won the design competition last year, and are taking the design to "detailed concept" stage.

Offices will occupy ground level up to floor 58, a hotel will take up floors 59 to 76 and the top two floors will be apartments and leisure facilities. The contractor will be appointed to deliver the £200M-plus scheme under a FIDIC design and build contract.

Steel construction is rare in Pakistan, so Karachi Port Tower will be built from concrete.

It will consist of a cylindrical core ringed by columns at the building's perimeter. Structurally, square cores are stiffer, Gregson notes. The cylinder was specified for architectural reasons and to achieve spatial efficiency within the tower's circular footprint. But lack of stiffness has been more than made up for by increasing the core's diameter to 31.5m and tying in the ring of perimeter columns.

The core size and other aspects of the structural design were dictated by the post-9/11 rethink of fire evacuation from tall buildings, driven by Mott MacDonald's fire specialists. "You used to be told 'if there's a fire, evacuate using the stairs'," says Justin Garman, one of
Mott MacDonald's fire engineers. "But the World Trade Center disaster showed that stair capacity wasn't enough, and that some people were physically incapable of descending tens of storeys by stair.

"So now, for very tall buildings, lifts are being looked on as integral to the fire evacuation strategy." Lift capacity has been designed for an office population density of one person per 11m2, so there will be a lot of them.

Karachi Port Tower will be equipped with a combination of express and local lifts. High-speed lifts, moving people over large numbers of floors, will be double deckers. Passengers will then catch local lifts from transition zones to their destined floor.

Over the height of the tower there will be three transition zones. Structurally these are very different to the tower's typical open plan floors. Floor slabs throughout the tower will be 260mm thick post-tensioned concrete, stiffened by a 400mm deep edge beam. Columns will be tied into the circular ring by an 850mm-deep downstand.

But the two-storey transition zones will be of far heavier construction, with thicker floor slabs and heavily reinforced concrete outrigger shear walls running from the core to the building's perimeter columns. Each zone will house a technical floor dedicated to building services, and a fire-proofed refuge. It is to these refuges that people will be led if fire breaks out. They will then be speeded to ground level in express lifts.

The transition zone shear walls play an important role in linking the core and columns. Gregson says that at the lowest of the technical floors the stiffening effect of the outrigger walls is minimal. "When we modelled the structure we found we don't need outrigger walls there, so we've omitted them and gained a fairly significant cost saving."

Design has had to deal with the age-old problem of differential axial shortening between core and columns under dead load. This occurs when a structural member is squashed by the weight of the structure above. The taller the column, the greater the degree of potential shortening.

Sized purely for structural efficiency, columns would have shortened by more than 75mm, Gregson notes. "You can allow for a degree of axial shortening by introducing a slight camber into the floor slab. That camber comes down as you build the structure up, and the floor ends up level." But a greater than 75mm correction was at the edge of technical feasibility.

Columns have therefore been sized to reduce stress and shortening. In plan they are elongated triangles with rounded corners, measuring 2m wide by 3m deep. Column sizes diminish as they rise up the building – first in width, then in depth.

Mega columns are required over the height of the tower's hotel atrium, slicing through the topmost 25 storeys. "Five columns are left free-standing by the atrium," Gregson says. Perimeter beams every five floors provide lateral restraint – columns follow the cigar-like profile of the tower's facade, so are subject to considerable outward force. Otherwise, the columns are structurally independent.

Gregson says that lower down the tower, axial shortening could have been reduced by specifying very high-strength concrete. "But we want to keep the concrete mix within the realms of what is feasible in Pakistan." Achieving C100 would require the use of exotic additives and very precise mix control. C65 concrete will be easier to batch and more forgiving in construction.

Concessions to the local construction market have also been made in the arrangement of columns and in the tower's foundations. Karachi Port Tower's facade is dominated by a spiral that twists through 180o over its height. "We initially looked at following the spiral with the columns, so they would have been raking," recalls Gregson. However, "to make them work it would have required very heavy reinforcement and precise steel fixing. Because there's no precedent for a building of this height in Pakistan, we felt it sensible not to add avoidable complexity."

Though columns are oriented to the curvature of the facade, an alternative way of expressing the spiral was found, says Gregson. "The spiral is achieved by cantilevering the floorplate by just over 3m on opposing sides of the tower. As you go up the tower, the cantilever moves around a few degrees."

the bigger picture
Karachi is 200km from the nearest seismic fault line and is generally regarded as at low to medium risk from earthquakes Đ UBC seismic zone 2B. But, because nothing even a fifth as tall as Karachi Port Tower has been attempted in Pakistan before, Mott MacDonald decided to reassess the seismic risk.

"Our specialist geotechnical engineers have just completed the analysis and concluded that for the purpose of this project Karachi should be treated as seismic zone 3," says Mott MacDonald director Steve Gregson. "Complying with structural requirements for zone 2 is easier.
Taking it up to zone 3 introduces some major structural issues."

And "sloshing" tuned mass dampers will be installed on the tower's roof. These will consist of water tanks connected by large-diameter pipes with tuned baffles.

Quake engineering
Karachi Port Tower forms the focal point in a scheme involving construction of a conference centre and five residential towers.

 Underlying the complex will be a double-storey, 2,000-space subterranean car park.

 The only vehicles seen above ground on site will be the Port Trust's fleet of electrically powered service trucks.

 Power cuts are commonplace in Karachi. To prevent the tower being plunged into darkness, it is being equipped with twin 132kV power supplies - in Karachi the high voltage supplies are less affected by cuts than low voltage lines. In case of blackout, the complex also has its own generating plant.

 Karachi Port Tower will have its own water and waste water treatment plants.

Focal point: Karachi Port tower is part of a larger scheme




Source: New Civil Engineer (NCE) (http://www.nce.co.uk/structures/features/2008/04/karachi_cracker.html;jsessionid=ADEC578C30D4B12D34EBA164DD6EC3D2?tmcsTrackingInfo=$HUFvWvcmyHt0CQJT84ztfmD5y4CyLtfD5OnCtPzHZPJFplPBW6Q1sa3bN5uq4UaqJi6Apf0Zdzn$)

anyone who has the slightest idea of what they talked about in the above article care to translate it into layman's term

Barker Mohandas LLC (http://www.barkermohandas.com) are have done the Elevator/Lift Concept Design Study for KPT Tower

Published: 02 April 2008 10:23 Last Updated: 03 April 2008 15:54

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2932/karachikpttowerrender13gz1.jpg

In Karachi, Pakistan's second city, a tall building is characterised as anything over 10 storeys. The loftiest have reached 20. So it is no overstatement to say that the 78 storey Karachi Port Tower, construction of which is scheduled to start this year, will transform the city's skyline.



Pakistan's second city???????
which1 is the first.....?

^^ Dumb journalist i guess.

But those renders are freaking amazing!! They should be starting the construction very soon i presume.

I found these images while surfing the net. don't know how old are these but the owner of these images mentioned that this is kpt tower site. can anybody confirm?

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1239/picture58yq7.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6333/picture57il0.jpg

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5820/picture64ol9.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9438/picture70zi9.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/qaicer/Picture62.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/qaicer/Picture62.jpg


I think they are doing some initial research work? soil testing, may be. just a layman guess :lol:

Pakistan's second city???????
which1 is the first.....?

duh ... obviously the capital (islamabad, for you dumbasses) is the first city ...

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/qaicer/Picture66.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/qaicer/Picture64.jpg

yes this is the KPT Tower site

probably soil testing and reclamation work...:dunno:

probably soil testing and reclamation work...:dunno:
I think it is probably just soil testing because they had reclaimed land a long time ago, didn't they?

But its a good sign that at least some work is being done.

they reclaimed land a long time ago but they need to realign the land

how far this complex will be from the actule dowtown of karachi?

could someone post a picture of the CDb of Karachi ?

thanks guys

this project is absolutely great !!!!

What about the waterfront project any updates ? i m not sure if the project will bbe located in Karachi or Lahore ....

got a few more details, there was more on the site but that stuff has already been posted a billion times before so just posting stuff that we dont already know

KPT Tower Project details:

The total site area of the development is 77,090sq m. Building heights are as follows:
- Tallest tower: 331.8m (~1088.6 ft) (to the top floor), 352m (~1154.9 ft) to the building crown
- Residential towers: ascending heights of 84m (~275.6 ft), 102m (~334.6 ft), 118m (~387.1 ft) and 134m (~439.6 ft)
- Conference and residential building: 35m (~114.8 ft)
- Hotel Atrium: 85m (~278.9 ft)

Echoing the design of the largest tower, the four adjacent towers of varying height are arranged around a freshwater lake, which extends the quality and reflections of the waterside context back across the site and stretches above the 2000-plus space car park concealed below. Its distinctive serpentine form meets the seafront alongside the restaurant, and the 1,200-seat convention centre and exhibition hall.

At the heart of the scheme, a soaring glazed canopy reaches over water-cascaded steps, revealing dramatic views to the rich mix of uses and world class public spaces. The tallest glass tower at the centre of the development takes its form from stacked and twisted conic strips, which create a shape of repetitive panels. The 105-degree twisting curves divide the form into four petals, and the stacked tower culminates with two off-set petals continuing through the twist above the last floor plate. This defines the crown of the building.

Solar shades, modern services, and wind capture technology will contribute to the building’s energy efficiency and long-term sustainability. The asymmetric sun shades or blades and glass fritting respond directly to the local sun path to minimise heat gain whilst maximising glass clarity and views.

Aedas Director, David Kingdom – Project Director for KPT Tower




Source: e-architect (http://*************************/pakistan/kpt_tower.htm)

by ArabianBusiness.com staff writer on Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Sketch of the proposed tower.
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2097/karachikpttowerrender14ne3.jpg

Sketch illustrating windflow around the tower.
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/741/karachikpttowerrender15wc7.jpg

Transparent render of the tower.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7156/karachikpttowerrender16yk5.jpg

A cross-section of the KPT tower.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/6296/karachikpttowerrender17mv3.jpg

Early sketch of the tower and its surroundings.
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1866/karachikpttowerrender18pk4.jpg

Site plan for the KPT tower.
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1169/karachikpttowersiteplanzu8.jpg

Pakistan's biggest building will help the nation announce its arrival on the global stage.

In the Middle East, it's easy to get blasé about ‘iconic' buildings, which seem to spring up on a weekly basis. Other regions don't necessarily have the same economic power, the same business cache, or frankly, the same media coverage as the Gulf.

So when one of these other regions begins construction of a building that's nearly double the height of its current tallest, it's worth sitting up and taking notice of a genuine icon.

The busy port of Karachi, Pakistan, is home to around 17 million people and-because of population and myriad socio-political factors-is one of the more challenging places in the world to create a world-class design. Aedas' Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Tower Development is taking on those challenges, and may even help boost Pakistan's position on a world stage.

At 80 storeys high, the tower is a first for Pakistan, which has never built anything over 25 storeys. Aedas was selected via competition, largely because of their previous expertise in similar projects.

"We had to put forward a proposal of how we'd handle it and examples of previous designs, so the competition was in terms of the quality of the way we'd handle the project and execute it," explains David Kingdom, project director at Aedas.

Pakistan suffers from its share of both political and environmental instability, which means a project the size of the KPT Tower must be designed particularly sensitively in order to cope with the extremes to which both man and meteorology subject it.

"The biggest problem in Karachi during monsoons is that it gets flooded. Their drainage infrastructure can't cope with it," explains Kingdom.

Given that the building makes use of underground parking, it is particularly important for the project to have a sound strategy for preventing floodwater from entering the car parks. "You need a bundled perimeter and over the threshold runways you have these rising dams that block the entranceway," says Kingdom.

Other problems include the very real threat of an attack by any one of Pakistan's myriad militant groups. As the biggest building in the country, the KPT Tower could be considered a potential target during periods of social unrest.

With 12,000 people using the building on a daily basis and with most of them arriving and leaving during morning and evening peak hours, complex computer simulations had to be conducted to find out how best to monitor such vast numbers of people without causing delays.

To that end, the building will have 14 exits to cope with the potential numbers of people. "We simulated it about six times before we got it right. We had to enlarge the lobby area significantly to ensure that at peak rush hour, people weren't queuing outside," says Kingdom.

The building is to be constructed from reinforced concrete, which will undoubtedly provide challenges in and of itself. "I've never built anything this high in concrete," says Kingdom, who explains that getting an acceptable quality of concrete in Pakistan has traditionally been a problem as well. Concrete, after all, provides the building with a degree of fire-proofing-a vital component in a post-9/11 world and in a country familiar with both social and political conflict.

Adding to the challenges of building KPT Tower is its location on an active seismic zone. Because of the height of the building, a tune mass damper is required to keep the tower stable. "You need to put a pendulum arrangement on the upper floor of a building, which can be done with a mechanical weight, or as we're doing it, with a whole floor of water..." says Kingdom.

"[The water] is pumped from one side to another to compensate for the swaying of the building." The water floor also adds another component of fire safety to the building. "That tank is also used to pressurise the sprinkler system," explains Kingdom.

Efficient design

In keeping with the growing worldwide trend for sustainability, KPT Tower will also include a number of design features aimed at reducing energy use. However, Kingdom points out that a sustainable building is desirable in Pakistan from more than just a practical level. "The country is starved of energy supplies," he says. "Fortunately, the government is extremely conscious that natural resources are limited and [sustainability] has to happen."

As a result, the design of the building is based on information gained from a very intensive process of energy-saving simulation. "We have an advanced modelling group in our London office, which did some very complex simulations to look at the whole sun-path geometry of 365 days of the year, every hour of the day," explains Kingdom.

The results of the simulations mean that the building can have a completely shaded external envelope, which dramatically reduces the cooling load on the building.

The solar shading is provided by large cantilevered solar shades, some of which extend as much as five metres from the façade. Full solar shading also means that more glass can be used in the building's façade, which assists in the tower's durability.

"One of the design challenges within Karachi is that it's a marine atmosphere, which is very aggressive in terms of corrosion but there is also a high level of pollutants due to the traffic of 17 million people," explains Kingdom.

The shading also means that low-E glass can be used on most of the elevations.

Cooling for the building will be partially provided by the significant wind load from the Indian Ocean. "The vortices around the building have a continual circulation of moving air that keeps the surface glass temperature quite low," explains Kingdom. Plans also exist for a 40-metre wind turbine on the roof, although at this stage in the design, this feature is purely speculative pending an economic analysis.

The building's sustainability is further augmented through its water preservation and recycling systems.

Rainwater collection tanks are a standard feature in Pakistan and, according to Kingdom, grey water will be used for toilets and irrigation. "The outfall would also be recyclable for drinking, but we won't be doing that because of the psychological issues related to that," explains Kingdom.

The level of sustainability for KPT Tower will be evaluated by the UK's Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), with an aim for a rating of ‘Excellent'.

Danton Phillips, the commercial director for Aedas on the project, has indicated that US LEED and Abu Dhabi Estidama accreditation could also be considered since the building is intended to appeal to the global market.

Local knowledge

An important aim of the project is for KPT Tower to act as a springboard for future architectural development in Pakistan. ‘Knowledge transfer' has proved a particularly important part of the design process, and as a result, the Aedas design team worked very closely with local partner Ali Arshad Associates-soon to be Aedas Karachi-in order to create a design appropriate to the cultural context.

"We could have come in as an arrogant set of architects from outside, but instead we took them gently step by step," says Kingdom. Aedas also involved three eminent Pakistani architects, Tariq Hasan, Habib Fida Ali and Surti & Partners, to participate in design workshops. "That created a lot of cultural support because there were things there that we might have done wrong and not understood the culture quite right," says Kingdom.

Although the building has been designed and modelled through computer simulation, local architecture still played a vital role. According to Kingdom, the crown of the building is inspired by Islamic architecture.

The height of the building has meant adopting architectural protection strategies that have been used in other markets but are somewhat unusual in Pakistan. For example, every 18 floors, there is what Kingdom describes as a reinforced concrete ‘Catherine wheel', which provides a shelter point during a phased evacuation.

Those leaving the building can corral at these refuges before using a lift to escape the building if necessary. All of the lifts are contained in a thick high-density fire-resistant concrete core.

The extraordinary nature of this element meant Aedas faced some unforeseen challenges when dealing with the Karachi fire authorities. "The fire chief's first reaction to the building was that he doesn't have a fire tender with a ladder big enough," says Kingdom.

However, Aedas worked closely with the fire authorities to advance their abilities to deal with fires in tall buildings by explaining the design principles and evacuation policies.

That collaborative safety effort is consistent with the Aedas team's approach to the entire project. "[KPT Tower] is seen as a symbol that this country is coming together. [The Pakistani authorities] are extremely proud to be able to this," says Kingdom.

"During the process, we made a lot of friends with people like the governor, the lord mayor, the head of the building control authority and the fire authority," adds Kingdom. "We feel we've helped them grow and I know I've made some good friends who'll certainly assist us in mapping the way forward in the future."




Source: arabian Business (http://www.arabianbusiness.com/524865-karachi-rising?start=0)

The KPT Tower and the Port Tower are two confusing projects.

The KPT Tower and the Port Tower are two confusing projects.

Yup agreed!:yes:

Looks very nice i think!

Very nice project! Really made with good taste!

The KPT Tower and the Port Tower are two confusing projects.

Yup agreed!:yes:

Lemme clear up the confusion:

KPT Tower Complex

http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/web/t/s/v/12news15.jpg

Port Tower Complex or 1947 Tower

gzWRhoew2vE

beautiful building!

nice project.

when are they gonna start construction?

It's a really nice design but the color...

I am quite fond of this design style. Looking forward to this.

Hi!! I'm new on this forum..it is very very nice!!!! compliments... I want know..if it is possible to have more informations about this tower because for the school I must make a study on this...I'm looking for plans with the external measures coz I have to do the perspective view, and architect designer informations... thx and by from northern italy

This tower is going to rock the whole Karachi

as far as i know i along with other forumers have posted all the information avaliable on the internet for this tower over here. as soon as i get some new information i will post here.

Hi!! I'm new on this forum..it is very very nice!!!! compliments... I want know..if it is possible to have more informations about this tower because for the school I must make a study on this...I'm looking for plans with the external measures coz I have to do the perspective view, and architect designer informations... thx and by from northern italy

Location & renders:

in the article they are talking about a large swath of reclaimed land near karachi port at cheena creek so i m guessing its going to be the area along the mai kolachi bypass, dont take my word for it cuz its just a wild guess. as far as the investor is concerned i have no clue. and yes they will be selling apartments and office and retail space in this complex. here is the google earth image of the area i m talking about

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-12/1233976/kpttowercomplex.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/kpt_0002.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/kpt_0003.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/kpt_0005.jpg


http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/kpt_0001.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/kpt_0004.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/ktp_0006.jpg

like this building....

very pretty

not going to happen since Pakistan is going through tough times maybe in the next decade or so hopefully

not going to happen since Pakistan is going through tough times maybe in the next decade or so hopefully

I take it that you're an expert on buildings and construction work???? :|

I think this thread should be locked until we hear someting concrete about this building, right now there is no news of it and it looks like this project is on the backburner. Frankly, I don't expect it to be under construction for a good while.

I take it that you're an expert on buildings and construction work???? :|


no sir

but I know the economy is fucked up right now, thats why I came to that conclusion

So this aint the same building as the 117 floors one?

So this aint the same building as the 117 floors one?

Nope sir. That one would be this:

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/3199/karachiporttowercomplexab8.jpg

^^ Its latest render.

:runaway:That looks so much better than the first design! Great new for Pakistan!

Muito bonita. Moderna e diferente. Gostei muito. Beautifeul.

Muito bonita. Moderna e diferente. Gostei muito. Beautifeul.

CAn you please write this all in English.....

Gorgeous. Modern and different. I like too much.

I just hope that it gets built

The latest render is great
Now it must be Rising

The latest render is great
Now it must be Rising

Just to clear it up. The render posted at the top of this page is NOT of this project but of Port Tower. It was posted to clear up the confusion for India#1.

This building will look like this:

KPT Tower Complex

http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/web/t/s/v/12news15.jpg

CAn you please write this all in English.....

alvarobendezu just translated it for you below :)

Gorgeous. Modern and different. I like too much.

I just hope that it gets built

Its more likely to be built than the Port Tower thats for sure!

lets all pray that it gets built.

it will never happen .

Nope sir. That one would be this:

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/3199/karachiporttowercomplexab8.jpg

^^ Its latest render.

this one is awesome! Would be so nice to see it being built in Karachi, an enormous megacity that really deserves such a building!

it will never happen .

Don't be so negative!

Very beautiful from any angle !

whats the status? On hold?

wowowo that latest render is just unbelievable, damn it looks so tall and futuristic

This thread needs to be locked. Not going to get built anytime soon.

such is fate of all good things in that country

can any1 tell me the exact location of the tower? where is cheena creek?