Tower design unveiled for Doha's financial district
14 October 2009
KEO International Consultants has revealed its tower complex design for BARWA's Financial District Project in Doha, Qatar.
The project features an outer ring of six office towers ascending in a clockwise direction from 20 to 35 storeys in height, and an inner ring of towers, comprising of three office towers and a hotel tower ascending in a counter-clockwise direction from 31 to 50 storeys.
The placement of the nine office towers and their opposing movement of heights help maintain maximum views as well as ensuring that all the buildings have access to natural light, KEO stated.
The office towers are connected by a two storey enclosed atrium lined on either side with retail space on both the ground and first floor to create a boutique mall.
The plaza at the main retail level will be open to air and lined with restaurants and cafes. The axis from the main street to the north-eastern corner of the site culminates with the Prayer Hall providing geometric order to the development.
Describing the design a spokesman for KEO said: "Two nautilus forms spiralling in opposing directions create dynamic flow of mass and space.
"The opposing spiralling geometry builds up the movement of the towers to create the pinnacle at the southwest corner of the site creating a landmark tower visible from the West Bay Area as well as the main road arteries west of the site."
The towers, clad in glass and terracotta, will emerge from a solid plinth clad in travertine stone. The glass facades of the towers will be protected from the sun's rays by a metal screen inspired by the traditional mashrabiya - a protruding window enclosed within a carved latticework screen.
The facades of the project juxtapose the natural materials of terracotta and stone with manmade materials of glass and metal screens.
