Did you know that The Landmark in Abu Dhabi draws its inspiration from a desert flower and the dodecagon? The Landmark is a postmodern supertall skyscraper. It stands tall as a mixed-use project in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Standing here, look up at the impressive height of The Landmark. It reaches 324 meters or 1063 feet. The Landmark has 72 floors above ground. There are also five basement levels. Construction started in 2006 and finished in 2013. The Landmark is the second tallest building in Abu Dhabi. Only the Burj Mohammed bin Rashid is taller.
In February 2007, Consolidated Contractors International Company and Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprises won the contract to build The Landmark tower. The original design included about 70 floors, apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, a sky garden and penthouses. The Department of President’s Affairs was the client. The initial plan was to finish by July 2010. The contract was worth $381 million.
In August 2007, The Landmark Tower Project set a new record in the UAE. It achieved the largest single concrete pouring. This involved 16000 cubic meters. It became one of the largest pourings of self-compacting concrete anywhere in the world.
The Landmark took six years to construct. It includes 31 floors for offices and 28 floors of apartments. There are also five levels of underground parking. You can find a fitness center and a restaurant here. It features a sky garden and a pool.
Pelli Clarke Pelli, an architectural firm from Connecticut, designed The Landmark. Argentine architect Cesar Pelli designed the skyscraper.
The Landmark sits on Abu Dhabi’s grand waterfront crescent. It is visible from all sides. The tower offers panoramic views. You can see the Persian Gulf and the surrounding islands. The design of The Landmark uses local precedents. It aims to be environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive.
Abu Dhabi’s desert environment presents challenges for building design. The summer months bring hot and humid conditions. There are also significant temperature swings from day to night. The Landmark addresses these conditions. It was designed with layered screens. These unfold like flower petals. This reveals a crystalline pillar. This approach evokes the use of screens in Arabic architecture.
The geometry of the building is based on the dodecagon. This 12-sided figure is frequently used in Islamic art. At the base, garden terraces sit under a monumental glass canopy. The canopy offers shade and reduces glare for the lower office levels. These office spaces are organized around an internal atrium. This resembles the traditional courtyard architecture of the Gulf region. The canopy reduces solar heat gain. This lowers the cooling load required for the atrium and public lobbies.
The main body is clad in a high-performance glass facade. Sunshades are integrated into the curtain wall. Balconies act as shading devices on the office and residential levels. Restaurants are on levels 64 and 65. The fitness center is between the office and residential floors. The outdoor pool and sky garden sit on the highest occupiable level. This is 272 meters above ground. At this height, the natural temperature gradient and higher wind speed reduce the need for cooling. This strategy recalls wind towers. These were traditionally used to cool buildings in the Gulf region.
The Landmark stands as a testament to innovative design. It blends cultural sensitivity with environmental sustainability. This iconic tower reflects Abu Dhabi’s vision. It is a blend of tradition and modernity.