‘Capital Gate’ building in the UAE named World’s Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (BNO NEWS) — Forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Capital Gate building in the United Arab Emirates is now the world’s furthest leaning man-made tower.

The building, which is owned and developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), was officially certified by the Guiness World Records, thereby replacing the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy as the furthest leaning man-made tower.

The 160-meter (524 ft) tower was completed in January, and has been under evaluation by the Awards Committee ever since. It was built to lean 18 degrees westwards – more than four times that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“Capital Gate is a landmark development for Abu Dhabi and with this recognition the tower takes its place among the world’s great buildings,” said Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of ADNEC. “It is a signature building which speaks to the fore-sight of the emirate.”

Capital Gate’s floor plates are stacked vertically up to the 12th story, after which they are staggered over each other by between 300 mm to 1,400 mm. It further features other innovative construction techniques such as the world’s first known use of a pre-cambered core.

The pre-cambered core contains more than 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel. It was deliberately built slightly off center, but has straightened as the building has risen, compressing the concrete and giving it strength. It also moved into a vertical position as the weight of the floors was added.

Besides that, Capital gate’s shell comprises a super-strong exo-skeleton called the diagrid that carries all the weight of the floors while also providing an unobstructed floor plate, precluding the need for pillars or internal beams. It is not the first time that diagrid technology has been used. Other known buildings that use the technology include New York’s Hearst Tower, the Swiss Re building in London and Beijing’s CCTV tower.

The building also has an outdoor swimming pool on the 19th floor, offering a unique panoramic view. Further, a cantilevered tea lounge overhangs the tower’s exterior – 80 meters above the ground.

“Capital Gate has been a true design-and-build project from the very start,” said Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, ADNEC’s Managing Director. “There have been numerous challenges, which I am pleased to say we have surmounted thanks to a structured partnering program and the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.”

Dhaheri said both ADNEC as well as its partners have ‘thoroughly enjoyed’ the opportunity to create an iconic structure which is not only distinctive in appearance but also ‘extremely functional.’

Even though the exterior was completed earlier this year, the interior is still a work-in-progress. It is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year, when it will house the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel as well as approximately 20,000 square meters of premium office space.

“This is indeed a proud day for all of us involved with Capital Gate,” said Peter Fulton, the Managing Director of Hyatt International in South West Asia. “We are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to showcase our hotel in one of the Middle East’s most significant developments. Along with our partners at ADNEC, we hope to be able to offer a unique and authentic guest experience that will complement this iconic structure, making it the preferred address in Abu Dhabi for the discerning traveler.”

Capital Gate will be featured in National Geographic’s ‘Megastructures’ program next month, and will air in 166 countries.

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