Gensler - Concept Design Middle East Bank, Qatar (500m)
http://www.eikongraphia.com/wordpress/wp-content/STELLA_s%20small.jpg


The London-office of Gensler (http://www.gensler.com/) today send me these images of a recent project they did for Qatar, an Emirate sited on a peninsula in the Persian Gulf in the vicinity of the United Arab Emirates, but not part of it though.

A good friend of me defined just yesterday art as something basically meant to broadcast a message defined by the author and exterior to the object itself. Architecture on the other hand, she said, is what it is. It looks like a building, functions like one. I am not sure about that distinction, because where to draw the line?

Take for instance this superinteresting project of Gensler. Its symbolic architecture is actually twice the size of its programmed architecture. Snaking over the ground and reaching up until 150 meters, according to Skyscrapernews, the rest of the 500 meters high design is just… symbolic. Are we here still talking about architecture, or is it sculpture?

As a conceptual design (that is not about to be built) for a bank it shows, like the concept cars do on motorshows, very very good where (iconographic) architecture is heading; towards art, and more precisely to land art and sculpture.

The form of the project is derived from a mash-up of a constellation and an Arab pattern. Transformed into 3-d one might get a form like this. It has a bit of bla-bla, sure, but the exact form I think doesn’t really matter. It is a snaky form that ends up like a spire, that’s it, and that’s something.

And it is not about being ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ (thank god!), but about being beautiful, cultural, contextual, meaningful. At times decadence is the way to go.

It is suggested that the highlighted points of the design could be illuminated by super-LED’s, making it into a live constellation. I don’t think there’s architecture yet quite like that. Even more speculatively some historians argue that the layout of the pyramids at Giza echo the layout of the stars in the sky. This design by Gensler would be then a 90 degrees turned version of that idea - now also sparkling back to the stars.

On a more abstract level the design can be linked to ancient architectures celebrating the cosmos by aligning its architecture to certain positions of the stars, planets or the sun. Mighty Geoff pointed at newly discovered architecture like that reported by the BBC.

About the Great Pyramid of Giza we read:

“The King’s Chamber contains two “air shafts” that ascend out of the Pyramid and point directly to the star Thuban, and the star Alnitak, in the Orion constellation. The “Queen’s” chamber has two air shafts which align to stars as well. These air shafts were supposedly used for ventilation, but given the fact all four were found to be closed off at both ends and only discovered by accident, this idea was eventually abandoned leaving Egyptologists to now conclude they were instead used for ceremonial purposes allowing the Pharaoh’s spirit to rise up and out into the stars. Each of these air shafts are about 13 cm in diameter.”

I have been told that the length of these chamfers would make it possible to see these stars at daytime, were it not that the sky had turned a little bit in time, misaligning the chamfers and pointing them now into the big nothing.

http://www.eikongraphia.com/wordpress/wp-content/09%20final%20small.jpg

http://www.eikongraphia.com/wordpress/wp-content/1074GenslerReachForTheStars_pic2%20cropped.jpg

Source: http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=1766


:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

500 meters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"london based gensler have designed this concept, named
'constellation', intended to be situated in qatar. the design
is based around the ideas of pioneeering arabian
astronomy and geometric, islamic patterns interpreted
into a single star constellation which was then modelled
in 3d software. the summit of the spire rises to 500 meters
above ground level and aims to serve as a new star for the
surrounding city."

Source:
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/read.php?CATEGORY_PK=&TOPIC_PK=1608

Is this serious??! It would be an iconic masterpiece of Doha, if it's built.:cheers:

suzan, don't you think it's obviously distinct from any other tower? brooding and understated, it's the best! no words to describe.

^^Agree!! hope this is true!! as u can see on the link of source of my first post, this info was posted on that website on Aug 30,07
So it should be something fresh and new!! out of the oven!!
Lets cross fingers!
and yes, it will be a masterpiece!

yea, this tower is something one may not think of even in the wildest dreams.......yes, let's cross fingers... but i'm afraid there would be no 'akhbar' (news) regarding this too...for long..like Dubai towers or convention tower..

Gensler Reach For The Stars
Published on 2007-08-22

American architecture firm Gensler, have designed this new half a kilometre tall astronomically inspired concept tower.

Called the Constellation and penned for an unnamed site in Qatar, the slender scheme is designed primarily as a landmark headquarters for a banking company.

Ground the first several floors that the podium consists of will be given over to entrance areas and retail plus a floating pontoon that could hold exhibitions into Islamic Astronomy. These ground areas will be given a particularly earthy approach with timber and gravel.

The main structure stands above the podium levels and offers 20 floors of office accommodation. As the building narrows and floor-plates become smaller the upper floors will have a private function room, whilst a helipad for VIP access sticks out on one side.

After this point about 150 metres up the building is mostly given over to a narrowing spire with an express elevator tunnelled through it until the 300 metre mark where visitors can emerge onto a viewing platform. Above this the spire continues for a further 200 metres narrowing to a needle point half a kilometre above ground.

The architectural concept is centered around the ideas of Arabian astronomy that pioneered many of the human advances in the field between the 8th and 15th centuries, and which still has its recognised today thanks to the Arabic name some stars in the sky have.

Gensler have combined this with Islamic Geometry to generate a pattern using a star map that identifies key points in the constellation that symbolise the cosmos. These points were then taken and reinterpreted as a single star constellation with lines plotted between them using a 3d computer model with eye corner used to help describe the geometry of the planned building.

These will also help dictate the night-time appearance of the scheme by being lit with powerful LED lights with lesser lights forming links in-between that will create an earthly sculpture of outer space.

Furthermore the shape of the building, effectively a spire, has been conceived by the architects to reach upwards towards the heavens joining earth to sky with the pinnacle 500 metres above ground level serving as a new star for the surrounding city.

Bigger renders

http://www.skyscrapernews.org/images/pics/1074GenslerReachForTheStars_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.org/images/pics/1074GenslerReachForTheStars_pic2.jpg


Source: http://www.skyscrapernews.org/news.php?ref=1074

Suzan this is major btw isnt 500 meters the hight of the convention center tower ? i hope so btw i reallty liked this part :D

After this point about 150 metres up the building is mostly given over to a narrowing spire with an express elevator tunnelled through it until the 300 metre mark where visitors can emerge onto a viewing platform. Above this the spire continues for a further 200 metres narrowing to a needle point half a kilometre above ground.

i hope i visit the platform when this is completed :D

Suzan this is major btw isnt 500 meters the hight of the convention center tower ? i hope so btw i reallty liked this part :D



i hope i visit the platform when this is completed :D

jus gimme a buzz and i wud be there with u..

lol yeah i bet every body will but dont you just love the render i mean when i opened this thread and i saw the picture i almost had a heart attack !!!!!

lol yeah i bet every body will but dont you just love the render i mean when i opened this thread and i saw the picture i almost had a heart attack !!!!!

seriously.., it shocks.....

Suzan, you are found guilty for Qson's h/attack!:lol: :lol:

^^LOL! :lol:

seriously.., it shocks.....

Suzan, you are found guilty for Qson's h/attack!:lol: :lol:

LOOOL :lol: :lol: :lol: you should have said Possible h/attack! i am still alive you know

but yes this tower who ever drew it or created should get a house in doha a car 4 million in his bank account and a prize as best tower design in the middle east and a small building for creating renders for Qatar to build i hope he designs Wakrah cornesh :D

^^

:lol: :lol: :cheers:

Millenial how is the new future skyline picture going like the old ones you must have a new one your making emagine convention tower next to barwa tower with constellation tower right next to dubai towers and with the other 50-100 towers looks great in my mind

Millenial how is the new future skyline picture going like the old ones you must have a new one your making emagine convention tower next to barwa tower with constellation tower right next to dubai towers and with the other 50-100 towers looks great in my mind

eg. Dubai Marina.......... Qson, i know frustation is heaping upon you on hearing 'Dubai'........:)

what an awful word too say (Dubai) that word should be banned to say in public !!!!!!

btw what does @#$%& Marina have to do with what i said btw i think we should stop this nonsence emidiatly or Halawala will drop an Atom Bomb on us !!!

Halawala please update the title of this thread, and add to it the height!!
It would be either 500 meters or Half kilometer

LOL!

Halawala please update the title of this thread, and add to it the height!!
It would be either 500 meters or Half kilometer

LOL!

they could have made it taller than the CN tower (53 metres more)...:0

Double post sorry :D

Halawala please update the title of this thread, and add to it the height!!
It would be either 500 meters or Half kilometer

LOL!

since halawala didnt update (yet) why dont you add the towers name for once the title should say (Design: The Constellation ,Middle East Bank (500m) )

Done and thx qatar son!

that's cool suzan and hope it will be approved and annonced soon :banana: ... love the concept, but r they gonna built the spiral in that hight?!!!! coz it is very high as the the tower itself ,if we talk about aesthitic proportion, its realy nice and coooooooooooooost alot.... but i doubt that the client will pay for unusable 200 m structure!
and thanks suzan for the post ,realy a lovely project:)

Wooow! Looks massive and like a work of art. I hope it does get built. It might be a pain for people to build it and design it, but hey it looks great!

^^ yep you said the magic words :D it dose look great :D btw millennial maybe His Highness will pay for it ? btw did you start on the skyline picture i hope you did.

heeheheeee loOol who said i'll do another skyline pic ?!!!

^^ :eek2: :eek2: but you must its a lagacy !!!!

hehehhe ok i have a deal!
do my dissertation, and i'll do the skyline :P

hehehhe ok i have a deal!
do my dissertation, and i'll do the skyline :P

Deal btw a dissertation about what ?

why do i get the feeling that Halawala is gonna strick in any second ! :ohno:

about architecutre in Cyberspace :P
no am just kidding about the deal, but i don't feel that another skyline would do anybetter than the old one since not lots of towers will appears clearly on the line.
but i'll give it a try since am board now !
have u got any recent nice night pic of te whole skyline ?
if u do send it to me as the origenal size with all the new towers heheheheheh...
i think my new deal sounds better :P loOol

^^ we should make a thread " MillenniaL skyline photos" :P

It's only a concept and might not actually happen, even though i would not be surprised if we hear soon that it will happen..

It looks really stunning.

thsi design is sexy..........hope so but i doubt

thsi design is sexy..........hope so but i doubt

:ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

What is this ?

:ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

you think i didnt tell him its un-appropriat i already did in the pearl section when he commented on the slogan

loooool.......you guys its an expression to say....that about it.....and between "sexy" isn't an un-appropriate word at all............but it seesm it is to you guys.

anyways....does this middle east bank exist in Doha already or it will be new to be...?

i have a feeling its a new one :D

btw acording to the dictionary i have it says sexy : attractive or attracted in a sexual way !

forget the dictionary. Sexy can also be used to describe a design. Something lean and sleek. A car can be sexy. I has no relevance to sexual attraction when used to describe inanimate objects.

(((((attractive or attracted in a sexual way))))........well, i meant attractive.......not in a sexual way obviously..........according to the dictionary....therefore, i am appropriate in my speech...period.......looool……

PS: even if i was sexually attracted to the tower.........its my rights and its also my rights to express my emotions towards the tower........loooool

okay stop chatting or else Halla Walla will kick us all out

Kick us all out lol you have no idea what halawala can do :ohno: he might :bash: or :eek2: or maybe :nuts: might :rant: but :weird: and 100% :lock:

How did you guys found out that thiis tower in Qatar!!!!

look here
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=516304

thats right....it says unnamed middle eastern country..........it could be in Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait perhaps.........i doubt Saudi and anywhere around Africa or the cham countries as they are so not stable for such projects

It's in QATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check the link I posted in my first post!!!!!

It's in QATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check the link I posted in my first post!!!!!

Oh, sorry suzan I should do more reading next time :bash:

Simply one of the best proposal I have ever seen :eek:

Simply one of the best proposal I have ever seen :eek:

It is the best...all others remained concealed due to the enormous piece of this architecture. But when it takes off remains to be seen...:cheers:

well if this gets built i think it will be the best looking tower in the world :D

well if this gets built i think it will be the best looking tower in the world :D

very true folks..... this will definetly be one of a kind.....

woooow if this actually gets approved it'll be an architechtual benchmark on so many levels!

i still have a wierd feeling .. this might not be in doha...

acctully this might not be built !!!! or approved to be spicific !

why....?

ok any news guys lol ?

why....?

b'coz this is Qatar! u hear many things but late to c.......or never..

Amazing design.

Unlike the pretty uninspiring Doha Tower and Convention Center this one would become an instant landmark if built.

pretty uninspiring..???

Feels like a X-Men's base haha

I don't want this Constellation tower built because it will have the fewest floors of a supertall (20) and it is not an observation tower.