The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi adds a unique element to the Abu Dhabi skyline.
Under the dazzling blue sky, the glass-walled skyscraper that is Capital Gate twinkles in the sunlight as people bustle in and out of the airy lobby.
Abu Dhabi is home to many Iconic buildings but the Capital Gate stands out as having the record for World’s Furthest Leaning Manmade Tower by the Guinness World Records.
Leaning 18 degrees westwards (that’s more than four times that of Pisa’s famous tower) the modern, 160-metre (524.9 foot), 35-storey tower makes for a great photograph.
An Architectural Marvel
The gravitational pressure caused by the 18-degree incline is countered by the world’s first “pre-cambered core,” made up of 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel.
This core was deliberately built slightly off-center but straightened as the building rose, compressing the concrete and giving it strength, and moving it into vertical position as the weight of each floor was added.
Capital Gate is also kept upright by 490 piles which are drilled over 30 meters deep. Two sections of piling were created, one deeper than the other. Together they create competing forces that keep the building upright.
ADNEC
The building, developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company is home to 15 floors of offices, four restaurants and bars, and a hotel, the Andaz Capital Gate and is directly connected to the Exhibition Center.
Andaz Capital Gate
The five star Andaz Capital Gate Hotel occupies the upper half of this extraordinary structure. The hotel pool hangs off the side of the building 19 floor above offering stupendous views and and amazing place to watch the sunsets.
The hotel’s restaurant and swimming pool — suspended on a platform on the edge of the building facing the exhibition center — were added a year into construction, providing one of the biggest challenges for the engineering team.
The solution was a curving mesh skin that ‘splashes’ against the building, culminating in the platform, and the ‘skin’ also provided shade for offices on the lower floors.
The 18 Degrees restaurant at the hotel offers a panoramic view of the city unmatched by any makes for an interesting dining venue.
One of the iconic buildings of Abu Dhabi that defines Abu Dhabi’s skyline and adds to its unique character.
Be it day or night the Gate Tower is hard to miss, at night its twinkling lights give it another dimension.
