Un segno architettonico per Dubai | Guglielmo Acciaro

Dubai is today a city in continues evolution with one of the highest building activity in the world; it present itself as a exotic paradise, probably the center of major interest and beauty in the United Arab Emirates. Surrounded by the desert and the sea. A place of great beauty and wonder, where art and ancient culture of the Arabic people mix together in a curious and particular way with the innovative building techniques, giving by this origin to a modern metropolis of great interest. Walking in the city it is clearly seen the fundamental importance modernity and development has in this places.
The project is made in the Za’abeel Park, that extend itself on a surface of 47,5 hectare in-between the center of Dubai and Al Karama, residential area of the city near to the Bay of Dubai.
The theme of the project in the park , the technological one, give the spaces a contemporary and futuristic stile, but also a unique and vibrant character. Pavilions of innovative technology, spatial labyrinths, observation towers and interactive exhibitions and more spaces for sport activities ( cricket, mini-golf, jogging and so on)
The project makes explicit the decision to create an architecture loaded with monumental and symbolic values, that offers quality functional spaces made for cultural services, that conciliate the new movements of the people with the already existing functions in the park. Clear is the intention to maintain the existing orographic integrity of the park and the walkways of the same, creating a dialog with the natural elements and giving a privilege to the functions and to the essentiality of form. The functional program of the complex articulate itself according to the east-west axis, so as to live in harmony with the existing position of the other already existing elements of the area.
The emblematic tower is composed by pure geometrical forms that interact in harmony with each other creating a complex form but at the same time a united system: three architectonic elements recognizable formally and functionally connects with each other in the system of vertical lifts, giving the monumentality that was searched for.
The place where the project is inserted, in a city like Dubai, leading power in the world for technology and economics, has given a project with a strong symbolic definition, clear, permanent, mirror of the “uniqueness” of the Arabic city. This has motivated the research of different elements that has given a strong contribution to the generating of the project. The triangle, represents the number 3, symbolizes the integration of past, present and future, of the perfect cycle in which the spirit moves; the superimposition of two triangles, the one of 168 meters with an inclination of 18° and its projection on the ground, on the podium, represents the microcosm , the perfectionism of the universe where what is high up is connected with what is on the ground and vice versa.; the sphere, symbol of perfection, totality, primal form of the universe – The globe, has on its inside a spiral ramp, image of power and unlimited growth, symbol of the future, of the dynamism that connote Dubai, iridescent city. The sphere, suspended and hooked up on a cable like a pendulum. is a sign of the flow of time, of the city that evolves.
The Podium host the required cultural activities: the conference space for 100 persons that can be divided up in three smaller spaces, a café and the library for the children. The tilted roof , thought as a great flight of stairs with a triangular form, detach itself from the ground as a thin sheet over a glass box, lifting itself up in the west direction with a height of 15 meters. In the east direction the stairs progressively widen with the reduction of height and in the end connects itself with the park.
This element out of scale assume the valency of podium and offers to the users a panoramic vision of the city and the park.
With this it is created a intimate relationship, of openness: the podium project itself towards the outside eluding every physical limit. The park extend into the inside of the building in an continuum without end. The principle is by this to create a space perceptible by its complexity in an uniform vision trough the diaphragms of the glass surfaces.
The internal spaces of the podium are arranged on two levels, one of which hypogeum. The main entrance, is reached from a circular square on first level on which is connected the luminous volume of the sphere. In connection with the park. In front of the entrance the hall discloses on a triple height, a room filled with natural light. A hall in witch is rooted a wooden double sheeted volume like an harmonic instrument, compact, that sinks in to the ground to the lower level: this inner nucleus contain the conference hall, with a double entrance from each levels, the cavity in-between the two shells contain the vertical connections, ticket office and wardrobe; from the hypogeum level, the one of the café is the entrance to the parking area reserved to the working personality, it is granted a direct access to the external triangular structure that contain the elevators to reach the panoramic terraces.
This complex structure present itself with a double inclination with a maximum opening of 57 meters on its base, with a inclination of18° and a height of 168 meters( proportion 1/3 ), corresponding to the summit of the triangle of the podium.
The two elements that makes the triangle is made of steel and has a square base of 7,5 x 7,5 meters. On their inside there are the elevators and the fire stairs that reach up to the panoramic terraces but also the cables that lifts the spherical volume of the restaurant-café.
This volume, having a diameter of 18 meters, appear as a sphere of light. Almost evanescent and suspended in mid air, it is closed by a layer of glass, behind which unveils the four levels that composes the structure. A continues ramp with a coil form wrap along the perimeter and connects al the floors. This floors becomes panoramic viewpoints with a view of 360°onto the park and the city of Dubai. From the monumental staircase (roof of the podium) through a system of mechanical elements the sphere opens up and let the visitors in to the first level of the sphere. This level contains the functions related to the entrance and welcoming to the sphere. Following the ramp that climbs up into the sphere the visitors finds themselves at the next floor in a bookshop, organized in half-circles with bookshelves and benches for consultation of the books. The third level is the major level of the entire globe, here is the café: an open space where only the closed form of the bathrooms interfere with the panoramic view. From the two monolithic elements it is possible to reach the café at the moment when the sphere gains the height of 113 meters. It is necessary to point out that the whole sphere moves with a continues and slow movement up and down reaching the two stops. This makes it possible to look on to the park first and then the city in an ever-changing perspective . This is made secure through the cables that are anchored safely to the sphere.
The last level is conceived exclusively to contemplative functions, like a covered platform for observation.
The volume in its complexity resume the themes of lightness, transparency, permeability and public dimension: all the floors, hang on to the structure with metal cables, have a reduced dimension confronting to the maximal diameter of the sphere, each floor is moved according to the floor underneath so as to recreate the movement of the spiral.
This movements give life and perspective and ever-changing spaces with double and triple heights from where it is possible to perceive the structure in its wholeness.
The structure is made of regular based tubular steel beams of 20 x 20 cm, this recalls the drawing of the meridians and the parallels of the earth.