The Boulevard Plaza Towers stand at the gateway into the Burj Dubai development. The importance of the site is accentuated even more by being located immediately across the street from the tallest tower in the world – Burj Dubai Tower. The design strives to fit appropriately into this development as a respectful icon for the community.
The relationship of the forms and their articulation derive from both a contextual response and the building’s symbol representing a modern Islamic architecture set appropriately within the most modern Islamic city in the world –Dubai.
Despite the changing curvatious form of the building section, the units are modularized to standard layouts for construction simplicity, rational space and cost efficiency.
While the modern Islamic feature façade patterns offer symbolism to address its context it also acts as a sun screen which significantly reduces heat loads applied by the intense Dubai sunlight thus reducing energy consumption produced by mechanical loads.
Over-sailing façades are cantilevering up to 5meters length offering shade to the East and West elevations which contain a more transparent glass than the North and South patterned facades.
The Podium is an open-air structure with natural ventilations and fans for air flow circulation. The open façade is clothed with patterned metallic screens in between a monolithic colonnade that recalls the Islamic motif.
Façade glazing exceeds minimum required shading coefficients: - Reduces mechanical loads and consumption - Heat resistant materials - Majority of skin facing North o Reduces solar gain o Small percentage of frontage to the West - Façade over sails act as sun shades for Eastern and Western exposed facades. - Floor plate tapers to reduce depth of office space from façade o More natural light acquired o Less electrical loads necessary
The design considers the structural efficiency by pushing shear walls to the outside of the corridor, therefore widening the structural base and reducing the span between the core and the façade. This effectively reduces the structural depth and construction materials required for the structural members, thereby reducing embedded energy consumed. The larger core allows pressure to be transferred to the foundation over a larger footprint thus reducing quantities of concrete.
Another important heat reduction measure is the water features along roof landscaped areas, which allow natural cooling for occupants. The soft landscape on roof surfaces also minimizes solar gain.
Both towers point toward the main entry to greet the visitors. As one continues into the site, the towers rotate their orientation as a gesture of respect to the lofty neighbour across the street. The two towers of 42 and 34 floors contain grade A+ office space, looking out to take advantage of the views toward and around the Burj Dubai. The towers are clothed with an articulated skin recalling the veils and layers of traditional Islamic architecture. As the figures rise, they bend inwards, forming two deep, shadowed arches up to the sky and beyond – toward the top of the Burj Dubai.
