Captured from the Corniche Promenade, Abu Dhabi
A lavishly imagined dream, Emirates Palace offers you a magical location to enjoy the quintessence of award-winning 5-star luxury hospitality and authentic local experiences. From 394 luxurious rooms and suites, to our award-winning culinary cuisine, Emirates Palace is the definition of an unrivaled and Arabian fantasy.
From my recent travel archives
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Voted Best Futuristic Design in 2008 and included in a list of the world’s 30 ugliest buildings a couple of years ago, Aldar HQ clearly divides opinion. It shouldn’t; this is a genuinely iconic addition to the Abu Dhabi skyline, the kind of building that makes Abu Dhabi instantly identifiable in silhouette.
In brief, it has two circular convex façades linked by a belt of indented glazing. The circle obviously symbolises unity, stability, rationality, perfection – the kind of messages a property developer would like to be associated with. Architect Marwan Zgheib was also inspired by clamshells, a nod to the pearling heritage, but it’s the circular form and the curved glass skin that you notice.
Inside it’s also pretty clever. The building uses a diagrid, a steel exoskeleton which keeps everything together but also means the interior spaces don’t need pillars and beams to support themselves. This provides maximum flexibility for the offices: although there are just 23 floors, the building has the same floor area as a typical 40-storey tower.
And notice the orientation: the west-east alignment allows both the sunset and sunrise to be seen in the glass, along with the island of Abu Dhabi and the new ‘greater’ Abu Dhabi along the road past Yas and KCA. It’s literally a reflection of Abu Dhabi and where it’s going.
Abu Dhabi World Online | The capital's magazine
From my recent travel archives
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