A blend of form and function

Dubai Metals & Commodities CentreDubai, United Arab Emirates

ADGI was commissioned by Dubai developer Nakheel to come up with the structural design of this spiral shaped tower that rises out of Jumeriah lake. The complex was planned to house offices for Dubai Metal & Commodities centre and a hotel at the top. A large concrete shell structure houses the Diamond Exchange at the base. The building has three levels of parking that are below seawater level.




The spiralling design meant that the floor plan changes at every level.This posed a challenge to ADGI engineers to develop a framing system that works without compromising the interior layout. Concrete shearwalls in the elevator and stair core area are complemented by a rigid moment frame at the perimeter. This frame spirals down with the building, ever increasing as it descends. This increase correlates with the additional stiffness the building needs as it nears the base.




"Here we were able to achieve an unusual cohesion of architecture and structure" says Aamer Islam, the project principal from ADGI.