idProperty | international
Burj Khalifa, Dubai C
M
“In the case of Kingdom Tower, we realised at some point that one of the legs of the tower was pointing in what was very close to a direct line toward Mecca and at that point we adjusted the position of the tower slightly to make it an absolutely straight line toward Mecca. Jeddah has traditionally been the gateway to Mecca, Islam’s holiest site. Having the leg on a direct line with the city seemed like an appropriate way of acknowledging and emphasising that historic connection. “With its slender, subtly asymmetrical massing, the tower evokes a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground… a burst of new life that heralds more growth all around it.” Gordon Gill adds: “The sleek, streamlined form of the tower was inspired by the folded fronds of young desert plant growth. The way the fronds sprout upward from the ground as a single form, and then start separating from each other at the top, is an analogy of new growth fused with technology. “Although we didn’t form the tower specifically to resemble a plant with leaves separating at the top, it did occur to us later that it could be viewed as a symbol of new growth fused with technology in Saudi Arabia as it consolidates its prominent position as a business and cultural leader on the world stage.” Smith continues: “From that point on, it has been a matter of refining the design, getting the areas of the building that would be most marketable for each function and designing the building to the client’s construction cost parameters. “There were many small modifications to the tower, but nothing that affected the primary design concept. One addition to the tower after the competition was the introduction of what was to be a helicopter-landing pad near the top of the building. After we designed it, and [carried out] further research, we realised that wind activity at that great height made the helicopter pad idea impractical. “We had fallen in love with it as an architectural element, however, so we decided to convert it into a sky terrace, which will be one of the world’s most amazing amenity spaces, overlooking the Red Sea. The client’s decision to go along with keeping the terrace in its new role showed flexibility, foresight and, I think, a certain element of fun.”
90
identity [interior/design/property]
Supertall buildings are becoming Smith’s signature, as this is his second claim to having designed the world’s tallest, following his work on Burj Khalifa. “I think an interest in height has been a characteristic of mankind for several millennia, dating back to the pyramids of Giza and, later, the great cathedrals of Europe. Viewing a very tall building is literally an awesome experience and we humans seem to crave that experience,” he reflects. “Tall buildings, at their most basic level, symbolise humanity’s desire for achievement, for soaring and, in a way, for joy. It’s akin to the awesomeness of climbing Mount Everest or putting a man on the moon – the idea that human beings can accomplish something that’s simply so magnificent.” Smith also notes the practical realities of extreme architecture. “It’s true, too, that many places in the world – Dubai, for example – are basing their economic hopes on tourism and the drawing power of tall buildings can obviously be a key part of that,” he says. “Having a landmark structure such as Burj Khalifa can define a skyline and crystallise a city’s identity, which in both economic and psychological terms is well worth doing. Also, the thrill of viewing the horizon and the city from the highest point is also a very thrilling experience that many people seek out and enjoy.” His international oeuvre clearly bears witness to his architectural progression. “I think my experience in the supertall typology, dating from my work on Shanghai’s Jin Mao Tower in 1990s, has been a progression that involves the gradual accumulation of knowledge and expertise,” Smith says. “In a very real sense, Jin Mao, the tallest building in China when it was completed, was the start of my major engagement with the typology and the experience informed all of the supertall buildings I’ve designed since, including Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Nanjing Greenland Centre in China, Tower Palace III in Seoul and Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.” In the case of Kingdom Tower, in relation to the three-legged footprint, Smith was thinking of certain early designs of Mies van der Rohe as well as Lake Point Tower in Chicago and his own design for Tower Palace III. “Wind force is the main challenge in designing supertall buildings. Burj Khalifa is a great advance in this area, because it significantly reduces the buildup of wind
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K