The 25-story Casablanca Finance City Tower has become the first project to be completed in the newly-established Casablanca Finance City, a new business district being developed in Morocco's Anfa District.
The Casablanca Finance City Tower’s design draws on the openness of the surrounding area, which gave the designers the opportunity in an otherwise dense city to highlight the relationship between the building and the natural environment.
“The Casablanca Finance City Tower and its innovative design was conceived to have long-lasting impact and to signal a new era of economic prosperity for Morocco,” said Morphosis Founding Partner Thom Mayne in a release. “This tower brings together a range of global industries in the heart of the country, galvanizing international investment in North Africa, while also providing a template for the future development of the district as it continues to grow.”
A brise-soleil system wraps the building to protect against the sun while allowing the building to harness external elements to regulate natural light, air, and temperatures internally. The facade draws inspiration from traditional geometric patterned mosaics and wooden latticework screens characteristic of Moroccan architecture.
A tapered crown tops the 400-foot structure, while at street level the building engages the lower urban landscape with exterior public programming that invites the community into adjacent public spaces. This allows the building to serve as both a symbol of the city’s development and as a social hub that nurtures an active street life in the district.
Casablanca Finance City Tower is designed to achieve all LEED Gold certification.
Related Stories
| Jan 31, 2014
Trump Hotel Collections announces luxury hotel for Rio de Janeiro
The 13-story, 171-guestroom Trump Rio will be Trump Hotel Collection’s first property in South America and the only luxury hotel in the neighborhood when it opens in 2016.
| Jan 30, 2014
See how architects at NBBJ are using computational design to calculate the best views on projects [video]
In an ideal world, every office employee would have a beautiful view from his or her desk. While no one can make that happen in real life, computational design can help architects maximize views from every angle.
| Jan 29, 2014
Richard Meier unveils 'urban courtyard' scheme for Mexico City towers
A grand atrium, reaching some 30 stories, highlights the contemporary, bright-white design scheme unveiled this week by Richard Meier & Partners for a new mixed-use development in Mexico City.
| Jan 28, 2014
2014 predictions for skyscraper construction: More twisting towers, mega-tall projects, and 'superslim' designs
Experts from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat release their 2014 construction forecast for the worldwide high-rise industry.
| Jan 23, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed Federation of Korean Industries tower opens in Seoul [slideshow]
The 50-story tower features a unique, angled building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) exterior designed to maximize the amount of energy collected.
| Jan 21, 2014
Comcast to build second Philadelphia skyscraper, with Norman Foster-designed tower [slideshow]
The British architect last week unveiled his scheme for the $1.2 billion, 59-story Comcast Innovation and Technology Center, planned adjacent to the Comcast Center.
| Jan 21, 2014
2013: The year of the super-tall skyscraper
Last year was the second-busiest ever in terms of 200-meter-plus building completions, with 73 towers, according to a report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jan 3, 2014
World’s tallest vegetated façade to sprout in Sri Lanka [slideshow]
Set to open in late 2015, the 46-story Clearpoint Residences condo tower will feature planted terraces circling the entire structure.
| Dec 31, 2013
BD+C's top 10 stories of 2013
The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com.
| Nov 13, 2013
New AISC Guide for Stability Design of Steel Buildings Now Available
Design professionals now have a valuable new resource on practical applications for stability design