Atkins officially celebrated one of the construction industry’s oldest customs, the structural ‘topping out’ of the 32-storey Iris Bay office and retail tower at Business Bay in Dubai.
Aside from the distinctive architectural design of this unusually shaped commercial building, Iris Bay was an early opportunity for Atkins to explore the challenges of sustainable design in a hot climate and incorporates both passive and active environmental features. The firm was commissioned as lead consultants for architecture, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering design, and project management for the entire development.
The tower comprises two identical double curved pixelated shells which are rotated and cantilevered over a four-storey podium, underneath which are three levels of basement designed to facilitate underground parking for 920 cars. The distinctive ovoid shape creates areas of negative pressure that draws air through the building and reduces the dependence upon mechanical ventilation for the underground car park in particular.
The rear elevation is a continuous vertical curve punctuated by balconies while the front elevation is made up of seven zones of rotated glass. This includes naturally ventilated spaces and integrated solar energy and shading films in the glass façade.
Last week, the site supervision team was joined by the client and key members of the design team in hosting a small function to celebrate the major milestone which culminated in the last structural slabs being poured atop the 170m tall structure.
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