Dubai’s skyline will claim another architectural world title in 2020 when construction completes on the world’s tallest building with a ceramic facade. The twisted mixed-use Wasl Tower will rise 300 meters and comprise a five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel, private residences, and a variety of restaurants. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will manage both the hotel and residences.
257 guestrooms, suites, and serviced apartments will be located on floors 16 to 38 and provide views of the nearby Burj Khalifa. 144 residential units will be located on the tower’s top floors. They will have their own private access and dedicated facilities, such as a Resident’s Lounge. Residents will also benefit from the Mandarin Oriental’s service and direct access to the hotel.
Courtesy UNStudio.
A variety of restaurants and bars will be featured in the building such as a rooftop skybar, an all-day dining venue, a poolside bar and restaurant, a lobby lounge, a club lounge, a cigar room, and a Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop. A double level sky lobby on floors 35 and 36 will include the club lounge, the all-day dining venue, a lifestyle lounge, and a tea lounge. Banqueting and meeting spaces will accommodate social and business events.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, a two-story facility, will feature 12 private treatment rooms, a fitness center, vitality pools, heat and water therapies, and an outdoor swimming pool set within a landscaped garden terrace.
Courtesy UNStudio.
At night, solar-powered lights will be programmed to make it appear as if the ceramic-clad building is breathing (see video below). The tower’s structural system consists of a central concrete core plus outriggers on four levels.
UNStudio designed the building in collaboration with German engineering firm Werner Sobek.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 17, 2023
How to design for adaptive reuse: Don’t reinvent the wheel
Gresham Smith demonstrates the opportunities of adaptive reuse, specifically reusing empty big-box retail and malls, many of which sit unused or underutilized across the country.
Sustainability | Aug 15, 2023
Carbon management platform offers free carbon emissions assessment for NYC buildings
nZero, developer of a real-time carbon accounting and management platform, is offering free carbon emissions assessments for buildings in New York City. The offer is intended to help building owners prepare for the city’s upcoming Local Law 97 reporting requirements and compliance. This law will soon assess monetary fines for buildings with emissions that are in non-compliance.
Office Buildings | Aug 10, 2023
Bjarke Ingels Group and Skanska to deliver 1550 on the Green, one of the most sustainable buildings in Texas
In downtown Houston, Skanska USA’s 1550 on the Green, a 28-story, 375,000-sf office tower, aims to be one of Texas’ most sustainable buildings. The $225 million project has deployed various sustainable building materials, such as less carbon-intensive cement, to target 60% reduced embodied carbon.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2023
6 multifamily housing projects win 2023 LEED Homes Awards
The 2023 LEED Homes Awards winners in the multifamily space represent green, LEED-certified buildings designed to provide clean indoor air and reduced energy consumption.
High-rise Construction | Jul 26, 2023
A 33-story Singapore tower aims to reimagine work with restorative, outdoor spaces
Architecture firm NBBJ has unveiled design details for Keppel South Central, a commercial tower in Singapore. The project, which is slated for completion in late 2024, will transform the original Keppel Towers into a 33-story, energy-efficient building that aims to reimagine work by providing restorative spaces and connections to the outdoors.
Designers | Jul 20, 2023
Mary Cook Associates brews up coffeehouse-inspired apartment community
The MCA design team worked closely with the developer and design architect to create an interior concept inspired by Decatur, Ga.’s, tree-lined streets, boutique retail, and vibrant restaurant and coffee shop scene.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
