This 22- storey high-rise for offices and retail in Business Bay is unique in its use of a free-standing concrete and rebar exoskeleton shell. Perforated with more than 1,300 random, approximately oval openings ranging in size from 1.25 to 7.5 metres, the lace or lattice-work patterned facade stands in contrast to the glass and steel curtain-walled skyscrapers typically encountered in the vicinity. Nestled within the curvaceous cruciform-shaped shell and anchored by concrete connectors is an inner glass-walled enclosure. At a distance of three feet from the exo-skeleton this building core benefits from a ‘chimney effect’ in cooling, while also enjoying solar protection, and seismic and wind resistance offered by the shell.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture