The buildings subsume their programmatic and structural expression in the service of a singular gesture, and in doing so, are placed into the realm of the abstract. These monolithic entities are characterized by platonic solidity, sculptural simplicity, and dramatic form.
30 St. Mary Axe Headquarters: Foster and Partners, London, 2004
This unusually shaped building promises to reinvent the building type through its dramatic form and sophisticated integration of building systems. Located in the heart of London's financial district, the building joins a small cluster of tall buildings.
The tower is circular in plan, widening as it rises, and then tapering towards its domed apex. In geometric terms the building is a rotational form, the result of spinning a curved line about a single axis. The resultant shape is a bulbous projectile - like structure that defies most skyscraper conventions and conjures up phallic associations.
In his book Delirious New York, Rem Koolhass speculates that the conceptual origins of the skyscrapers are to be found in what he calls “architectural subconscious.” He muses that the ideal skyscraper is the result of the desire to be simultaneously a sphere and a needle.
30 St. Mary Axe utilizes natural ventilation for much of the year, reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The operable curtain wall allows the occupants to enjoy natural light and fresh air, as well as an increased connection to the out-doors. Fresh air is drawn through the building envelope, and is ventilated by natural convection through light walls that spiral up the building perimeter.
Foster's design for 30 St.Mary Axe evokes some of the same properties appearing bulbous and axial at the same time.
Al Faisaliah Complex: Foster and Partners, Riyadh, 2000
A distinctly tapered iconic form, the Al Faisaliah Complex in Riyadh is one of Saudi Arabia's first skyscrapers.
The mixed use development combines various program types to form a kind of city-within-a-city; the complex combines office functions, a five star hotel, a banqueting and conference center, luxury apartment, and a three story retail mall.
The structural frame of the building is expressed in its corner columns as a series of grant K-braces. The bowed lines of the four main corner columns accentuate the tautness of the curve, creating a visual tension that draws the eye up the entire length of the tower.
The open structure of the tower contains a glass sphere at its top, which houses a restaurant space and an observation deck. The tower's pyramidal form evokes a weighty solidity, yet Foster combines an affinity for structural expressiveness with the sculptural elegance that creates a tower of paradoxical lightness.
Torre Agbar: Jean Nouvel, Barcelona, 2003
Jean Nouvel's design for the Torre Agbar in Barcelona shares many of the qualities of Norman Foster's 30 St.Mary Axe project. Its explicitly bulbous form appears to be lateralization of the skyscraper as phallus. At 466 feet (142 meters), the tower is among the tallest structure in Barcelona.
The tower consists of an elliptical footprint within an elliptical envelope. An offset core floats asymmetrically within the plan, and perimeter elevator banks are grouped along the eastern elevation. Towards the top, the inner ellipse sets back from the exterior envelope, creating a terraced structure within a dome like shell.
The façade is designed to create the ephemeral effects of a liquid, with reflections and undulations. The façade design is a random pattern of repetitive modules that create a shimmering effect and fluid reflections.
Nouvel's bold gestural design for Barcelona is in keeping with his determination to remain aggressively avant - garde. His buildings do not share a single format language; instead, they are characterized by an audacity that perpetually challenges the limits of convention.
Kingdom Center: Ellerbe Becket, Riyadh, 2003
The boldly sculptural Kingdom Center forms a dramatic new focal point on Riyadh's skyline. At a height of 984 feet (300 meters) it is visible from virtually anywhere in the city. Its signature parabolic crown and streamlined massing makes it a futuristic icon.
The client, Prince Alwaleed, commissioned the building to be a globally recognized icon of Riyadh and Saudi Arabia.
The entire complex is made up of convex and concave arcs. The tower's footprint is an almond-shaped extrusion with reentrant corners. The podium facilitates at its base are organized as crescent-shaped bars that converge on the tower. The catenaries curve at the top creates the dynamic image for the project, but is also a form that is found in nature and has a distinct structural logic: it is the arc assumed by an unloaded suspension structure.
The tower includes a five star Four Seasons Hotel, a luxury three-level retail mall, office space, the headquarter of a large Saudi Arabian Bank, luxury condominiums and apartments, a wedding/conference center, and a sports club.
The design creates a new landmark for Riyadh, one that is contemporary, abstract, and monumental.
National Bank of Dubai: Carlos Ott and Norr Limited, Dubai, 1998
The striking bronze-colored National Bank of Dubai is one of several new buildings in Dubai that signal a desire to shape the image of the city as one of a sophisticated commercial center. Located along the busy waterfront, the façade reflects both the sky and the water in its curved mirror. The reflection distorts the image, capturing a broad expense of sky and water, giving the building an ephemeral appearance.
The curved façade is inspired by the sails of the local ships that ply the river. The building massing suggests a two-part composition, the supporting core clad in stone and the building-services cores. The curved-glass volume seems suspended from the stone volume, emphasizing its sail-like lightness. The curved volume is terminated with vertically articulated fins.
Making up the building's base is a retail podium housing shops and restaurants. The language of convex bows and arcs informs the expression of the podium roof, which appears to hover over the building base.
The National Bank of Dubai building is a mirror for Dubai, reflecting an image of the city as it may want to be seen - modern, progressive, and business friendly.
unnecessary. And money buys what is otherwise not thought
of. So many structures are energy hogs but because the money is available, they are built anyway. In them is little if any sense of frugality. It seems that having money in excess
makes us exempt from common sense. Look at the excessive size of houses built these days. They are expedient tools of the building trades to make lots of money at the expense of
energy usage. No one needs all the space that just sucks up energy. Money and greed make common sense obsolete.
Sincerely,------Doug Rosbury