Elegance, Stature & Meaning in Tall Building Design 3. Conference

ctbuh.org/papers

Title: Elegance, Stature & Meaning in Tall Building Design

Author: Hani Rashid, Founder, Asymptote

Subject: Architectural/Design

Keywords: Design Process Technology

Publication Date: 2008

Original Publication: CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai

Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished

Hani Rashid

Asymptote Architecture, 160 Varick Street Floor 10, New York, NY 10013, USA

Abstract Architecture, and particularly Tall Building design, has been traditionally understood through an assessment of structural and engineering solutions coupled with the architects’ domain of floorplans, core and curtainwall skin. Architects also supply symbolic gestures. Today architects are embarking on a new phase in building design, collaboration and manifestation that is clearly centered on and developing an even greater understanding and integration of the ways architecture is conceived, iterated, fabricated and implemented. Architecture is now, more than in any previous era, capable of achieving a new level of control over the historically laden symbiotic relationship between technique, process, and outcome. Today, digital processes utilizing animation software, parametric modeling tools , new materials and materiality and non standardization processes are drawn from and are influenced by the aerospace, automotive and nautical industries. A desire to build new form and meaning into architecture are fueling a great deal of [email protected] change and possibility. It is this state of flux and transformation that architects need to embrace to develop methodologies and approaches towards the creation of new and inspired works. Biography Hani Rashid, founder of Asymptote Architecture, has received international acclaim for architectural design excellence and Keywords: tall building design, technological innovation, globalization, elegance, modeling is recognized as a leading practitioner and academic in the field. Asymptote’s projects include architecture, master planning, installation art, digital environments, exhibition and product design. In 2004, Rashid along with partner Lise Anne CoutureIntroduction were presented with the prestigious Frederick Kiesleressentially Award in recognition any aspect of capableexceptional of contributions being ‘visualized’ to the progressArchitecture and merging today of art is and emerging architecture. from a drawn out graphically or numerically. The digital tools at our and tenuous relationship with style and shifting stylistic disposal are affording us new ways of translating the Asymptote’smovements dominantcurrent projects throughout include the midtwo tocommercial late twentieth office towerspurely in conceptualBudapest, Hungary, into plastica luxury actualization.mid-rise residential As towercentury. in New Today, York’s computers West Village, with powerfulas well as software 50-storey and luxury sacrilegious residential astower this mayin Abu seem Dhabi to many and architectsa super high-rise today, the in Busan,computer Korea. aided Asymptote fabrication is also technologies currently engaged are bringing in master to planningonce omnipotent projects in handMonterey, drawn Mexico sketch orPrague, hand craftedCzech Repubmodel- licthe as forefront well as a newlarge waysscale ofcultural, thinking hotel about and performing and making arts complexis increasingly in Penang, being Malaysia. supplanted Recently by processescompleted that projects can includearchitecture. the award Of winning particular HydraPier importance in the in Netherlands, this revised the Turfmove Club ideas Master immediately plan in Penang into digitally Malaysia, animated the Alessi sketches, Flag- shipplaying Store field in New is the York impact and ofa proposaldigital tools for aand new techniques Guggenheim Museumstereo lithographed in Guadalajara models, Mexico. ‘printed’ prototypes and on the design of Tall Buildings. In this shifting terrain of one-to-one scale digitally fabricated components. technique, tools now exist to bring us to a heightened Notions of elegance in architecture have understanding of what constitutes elegance, beauty and traditionally differed across cultural lines and distinctions, meaning in the design of such buildings. These buildings specific eras, and nuances of locality and place. Today, the delineate not only our skylines and vital urban centers but advent of societies predicated on hyper-mobility has also signify our cultural status and condition globally. caused a blurring of traditional boundaries and formed Elegance in Tall Buildings is no longer simply a mere hybridized cultures with new concepts of what constitutes aesthetic or stylistic condition; rather, a new elegance is elegance in design, architecture and urbanism. With the emerging from more profound aspects tied to propagation of the international style, the question of technological innovation. elegance in architecture and urbanism has been very As computing has become absolutely pervasive; precisely delineated within the bounds of mid twentieth having found its way into every aspect of the discipline century ‘internationalism’. The recent onslaught of of architecture, it has the promise of increased efficiencies globalization has subsequently produced a and control over the procedural proliferate. As we comparatively distorted range of elegance somewhere conceptualize, envision, represent and produce between the expected and the banal, the new and the architecture we turn more and more towards the digital in unanticipated. It is within this emerging and convoluted all of its guises. For increasing numbers of architects the context where one might begin to configure a new and computer is, in fact, becoming such an important and even problematic definition of elegance. indispensable tool that today works are emerging that can only be enacted through the use of algorithmically based A. Preliminary sketches digital tools. Even among more traditional practices, it is The sketch for the architect has traditionally been a the digital, in one form or another, that is put to the task of gestural mark, the delimitation of possibilities and desire. analyzing formal strategies, spatial flows, time based In designing Tall Buildings, we sketch both by means of spatial conditions, programmatic efficiencies and the analog (pen to paper) as well as by digital means

CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008 Elegance, Stature and Meaning in Tall Building Design

Hani Rashid

Asymptote Architecture, 160 Varick Street Floor 10, New York, NY 10013, USA

Keywords: tall building design, technological innovation, globalization, elegance, modeling

Introduction essentially any aspect capable of being ‘visualized’ Architecture today is emerging from a drawn out graphically or numerically. The digital tools at our and tenuous relationship with style and shifting stylistic disposal are affording us new ways of translating the movements dominant throughout the mid to late twentieth purely conceptual into plastic actualization. As century. Today, computers with powerful software and sacrilegious as this may seem to many architects today, the computer aided fabrication technologies are bringing to once omnipotent hand drawn sketch or hand crafted model the forefront new ways of thinking about and making is increasingly being supplanted by processes that can architecture. Of particular importance in this revised move ideas immediately into digitally animated sketches, playing field is the impact of digital tools and techniques stereo lithographed models, ‘printed’ prototypes and on the design of Tall Buildings. In this shifting terrain of one-to-one scale digitally fabricated components. technique, tools now exist to bring us to a heightened Notions of elegance in architecture have understanding of what constitutes elegance, beauty and traditionally differed across cultural lines and distinctions, meaning in the design of such buildings. These buildings specific eras, and nuances of locality and place. Today, the delineate not only our skylines and vital urban centers but advent of societies predicated on hyper-mobility has also signify our cultural status and condition globally. caused a blurring of traditional boundaries and formed Elegance in Tall Buildings is no longer simply a mere hybridized cultures with new concepts of what constitutes aesthetic or stylistic condition; rather, a new elegance is elegance in design, architecture and urbanism. With the emerging from more profound aspects tied to propagation of the international style, the question of technological innovation. elegance in architecture and urbanism has been very As computing has become absolutely pervasive; precisely delineated within the bounds of mid twentieth having found its way into every aspect of the discipline century ‘internationalism’. The recent onslaught of of architecture, it has the promise of increased efficiencies globalization has subsequently produced a and control over the procedural proliferate. As we comparatively distorted range of elegance somewhere conceptualize, envision, represent and produce between the expected and the banal, the new and the architecture we turn more and more towards the digital in unanticipated. It is within this emerging and convoluted all of its guises. For increasing numbers of architects the context where one might begin to configure a new and computer is, in fact, becoming such an important and even problematic definition of elegance. indispensable tool that today works are emerging that can only be enacted through the use of algorithmically based A. Preliminary sketches digital tools. Even among more traditional practices, it is The sketch for the architect has traditionally been a the digital, in one form or another, that is put to the task of gestural mark, the delimitation of possibilities and desire. analyzing formal strategies, spatial flows, time based In designing Tall Buildings, we sketch both by means of spatial conditions, programmatic efficiencies and the analog (pen to paper) as well as by digital means

CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008 utilizing software and three-dimensional modeling to possibilities for achieving the tower designs we are after. iterate and understand the formal design principals that This provides an exploration of where the structural we are seeking. We are after an immediate transfer and constraints might open up new avenues of study and symbiotic relationship between digital and analog possibility for the architecture. (see Fig 2) procedures in hopes of achieving a design that is at once Another key player in this work is the facade novel and intriguing as well as intelligent and buildable. engineer. We have been utilizing the expertise of Front One could say that each iteration back and forth helps to Inc. of New York, with Mark Simmons at the helm. sustain an 'informed intuition' about approach, problem The collaborative process with various engineers is solving, structural logic and image (leaning towards the supplemented by very early use of Generative symbolic, iconic or other critical dimension pertinent to Components and parametric modeling. This further the specific project) (see Fig 1) affords us the possibility to not only design more efficiently but also to facilitate the communication and collaborative process between the architect and the various experts we bring on board. Using digital tools at this stage takes over the process and it is important for us to utilize versatile and lucid means of digital exploration. The communication is paramount at this stage for the project’s success, going well beyond its design into its implementation. Tall Building design is, in our minds, a delicate balancing act between artistry, formal ambition and elegance. Such parameters are really, in the end, a reflection on high levels of proficiency and innovation on all levels. It is apparent as we go through these processes of designing, iterating, and manifesting such building designs that the weight of compromise sits firmly not only in the economic and financial constraints but also with the limits of imagination. Much of what we set out to do, from the preliminary sketch through the modeling and introduction of state of the art digital tools and means, is thought of as provocations for the collective imagination of the teams involved.

Figure 1. Preliminary sketches

B. Modeling form The iterative dynamic of Tall Building design for Asymptote Architecture is the immediacy and importance of physical modeling. Computer-generated form is only really understood for us once we move the models and design strategies into physicality. In this stage, similar principals are utilized as one would find in automotive or industrial design. Models are used as 'prototypical; formal studies, seeking our lines, surfaces and volumetric assemblies that are refined and elegant Figure 2. Modeling form compositions, resulting in 'effectual' beauty. The formal studies inform our planning concepts and it is with these Projects / Case studies early concepts for buildings where we then begin our conversations and collaborations with critical expertise, Hotel and Retail complex Penang, Malaysia namely that of the structural engineer. The design of the Penang Global City Center In conjunction with our structural engineers, David (PGCC) is centered on a one-million-square-meter Scott and David Farnsworth of Arup New York and in mixed-use development that will function as a second Dubai with Craig Gibbons and Arup Hong Kong, we city center in Penang (see Fig 3). The building designs begin discussions and further 'sketching' in the hope of and complex planning situate this project as a gateway understanding not only the structural logic but also the for the multi-billion-dollar Northern Corridor Economic

CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008 integrated, thin-film photovoltaics x High-efficiency central mechanical systems utilizing trigeneration x Comprehensive storm water management and water recycling. x The incorporation of these site-wide strategies into Asymptote’s design represents the highest commitment to the creation of energy-efficient and Figure 3. Hotel and Retail complex Penang, Malaysia environmentally conscious architecture.

Region (NCER), a new governmental initiative that aims World Business Center Busan (WBCB) South Korea to accelerate economic growth and elevate income levels The commission to build the WBCB was acquired in northern Malaysia. Asymptote’s design for the PGCC through an international design competition. The includes two iconic, sixty-story towers housing luxury competition was organized by the Busan International residential units and five-star hotels, the Penang Architectural Culture Festival (BIACF) and sponsored by Performing Arts Center (PenPAC), a high-end retail and the Municipality of Busan City and the Solomon Group, a entertainment complex, an observatory, a world-class private Korean developer. The official announcement was convention center and a vast public arena in the form of a made in Busan on January 25, 2007 after a unanimous plinth that serves as an entrance to the PGCC and connects decision by the jury members to select Asymptote's it to the city beyond. The project is sited on Penang Hill groundbreaking design of three separate, tapered towers and is a key component of the 256-acre development site rising out of a robust and powerful base building (see Fig that was formally the Penang Turf Club. Abad Naluri, a 4). The Solomon Group intends to begin construction on subsidiary of Equine Capital, a Malaysian property firm, is the WBCB in 2008. developing the PGCC and the entire site. The first phase of development will commence within the next twelve months. Asymptote’s design for the PGCC complex is centered on the idea of creating a new and powerful image for the city of Penang and the new initiatives associated with the development of the Northern Corridor of Malaysia. The design achieves its formal approach and stature from simultaneously reflecting the surrounding natural landscapes in its geometry and attributing abstract aspects of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Arab influences. These are the constituent cultures that form the Malaysian culture. The PGCC project aims to become a vital new precinct that complements and enhances the unique Figure 4. World Business Center Busan (WBCB) South Korea characteristics that typify Penang. The towers At 560m, the building will be among the tallest in themselves are designed to signify the emergence of Asia. Asymptote's design for the WBCB is predicated on a Penenag as a global city rivaling the Petronas Towers of single building comprising three distinct towers, Kuala Lumpur. effectively questioning older notions of singularity and The forms of the two towers are comprised of both autonomy in Tall Building design. The composition of the horizontal and vertical elements; sculpted horizontal towers is inspired by Busan's dramatic situation as a components move across the plinth, rise up and transform modern city with a vital and robust skyline set against a into articulated vertical structures. Set against the striking backdrop of mountains and sea. backdrop of the nature reserve of Penang Hill, the twisting The fifty-story base building negotiates both the site glass façades of the towers “perform” various surface and the city, transporting visitors upward to a sky lobby effects—reflecting, refracting and distorting views of and gardens with awe-inspiring views of the surrounding Penang, the surrounding landscape and the seascape city and expansive natural vistas. It is from this vantage beyond. The vast, cascading plinth, which functions as a point that the three slender towers rise even higher, public plaza with multiple gathering spaces, is a venue gracefully tapering upwards and surrounding a spectacular for the performing arts center, convention center and central voided space and the sky gardens. The tallest tower various facilities for residential, office and urban life. expresses the inherent structural elegance of the scheme as Many aspects of the PGCC incorporate the latest in a whole through an elegant, formal and sculptural sustainable design and engineering technologies, manifestation. The WBCB provides Busan and Korea with including: a unique, symbolic and unparalleled architectural x Building-integrated wind turbines expression for the 21st Century. x High-performance façade engineering with

CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008 Luxury Residential Tower Abu Dhabi UAE Asymptote's design for a cutting-edge, fifty-story luxury residential tower will be among the tallest in the region (see Fig 5). It is situated on a prestigious beachfront development now underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The project will incorporate state-of-the-art engineering, environmental and technological aspects in its execution. The Asymptote-designed tower is designed to be a strong and compelling design statement within the development, boasting individual double-story residential Figure 6. Dubai International Financial Center (Central Tower) units as well as an important, signature architectural statement highlighting the visionary ambitions of the city The Central Tower is comprised of four climbing, of Abu Dhabi and its future as a city. Asymptote's red-glazed towers that rise from a powerful plinth to form design will not only provide a unique and powerful a 'voided' pyramid above an expansive urban plaza. In the landmark building to the skyline, but will also act as a plaza, visitors are able to access one of four inclined beacon and symbol for the future. towers that ascend to create an urban sky lobby. The buildings’ proper base is 40 stories above the public plaza. The building is perceived from the ground-based plaza as having a spectacular undercarriage where the four inclined towers meet. A vast indoor aquarium and educational facility is located at the upper plaza sky lobby, thereby invigorating this space of gathering above Dubai. The perceived form of a hemispherical glass structure is visible from the plaza and its surroundings, creating an architectural spectacle of impressive proportions. The design of the four climbing towers was inspired by the graphical interfaces of stock exchanges and the progressive movement of valuations and commodities that, in the Gulf Region, are characterized by unparalleled growth. The DIFC is the center of such activity in the Figure 5. Luxury Residential Tower Abu Dhabi UAE region and has been in need for an emblematic piece of architecture to represent its dynamic character. The poetry The building design is influenced by fabric and and majesty of the design for the Central Tower speaks to draping, affording the opportunity to create a unique the global aspirations that have made Dubai such an iconic architecture for this site on the Arabian Sea. The important international locale in the 21st century. notion of draping and cladding the building in a veil, like a shroud, is transferred into an exoskeleton that acts both as Conclusion a sun screening element and as a means of producing an The design and implementation of Tall Buildings atmospheric veil over the entire twisting form of the tower. are intrinsically linked to technological advancements at Columns and structural systems also conform to the both ends of the building design spectrum. twisting action of the tower, thereby enhancing the spiral Conceptualization, design and construction have reached quality of the tower reaching towards the sky. a new threshold. Tall towers have not only continued to The residential tower is designed to satisfy the push the boundaries of what constitutes the iconic, they client’s request for a landmark building and from an have also become key protagonists in the demarking of architectural and engineering point of view of becoming a cities and particularly their skylines. Today, the age old precedent-setting tower, utilizing state of the art digital dialog between architect and engineer is even more design tools and manufacturing techniques. intricately interwoven by virtue of a combination of factors, ranging from new tools to highly advanced Dubai International Financial Center (Central technological means and methods. It is in this spirit that Tower) new tower designs and iconic architecture, as well as new The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) attitudes and solutions for new forms of urbanism, are Central Tower is a powerful, tectonic statement tailored reaching an elevated state. This is beyond mere style and for one of the world's most dynamic and enticing cities: fashion but rather deeply rooted in the territory of Dubai. At 600m, the Central Tower is designed to be the innovation, elegance and progressive practices. tallest in the DIFC area and one of the tallest buildings in the world. The design mandated by the client was to be one of unparalleled elegance and strength (see Fig 6).

CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008