This book takes architects and designers on a worldwide journey to discover the most stylish and appealing spots, from an urban getaway in Europe to a resort on a South Pacific island, providing a serene ...
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The 35-story Capital Gate tower in Abu Dhabi -- which will become the most-leaning building on Earth when completed -- has reached the half-way point of its construction. A gigantic internal atrium, including a tea lounge and swimming pool suspended 263 feet above the ground, were recently completed on its 17th and 18th floors.
Capital Gate, which will house a Hyatt hotel, was designed by RMJM, a U.K.-based architectural firm. The 525-foot-tall building will lean 18 degrees westward, 14 degrees more than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. The design of the building's central core, which slants in the opposite direction to the lean of the building, straightening as it grows, has never been attempted before.
"Passing the half-way point in development is a great success and we are now entering a critical period in Capital Gate's development," said RMJM project director Tony Archibold. "While we are facing some of our toughest architectural challenges, it is also the beginning of the most exciting stage as the structure takes shape."
Because of its unique posture, the Capital Gate is being constructed on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel exoskeleton, known as the diagrid, sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
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