Design 8 - Ate Kim

UNStudio Designs Dubai Supertall with One of the
World's Tallest Ceramic Facades
UNStudio, working in collaboration with Werner Sobek, have unveiled their designs for the
Wasl Tower, a 300-meter tall skyscraper in Dubai. Centrally located along the main
thoroughfare that connects the Emirates north to south, the Wasl Tower sits directly
opposite the Burj Khalifa and, once completed, will feature one of the world’s tallest ceramic
facades. Inspired by the movement of the city, the 300-meter supertall building takes on a
"contrapposto" form, responding to the Sheikh Zayed Road along which it is sited.
The facade has ribbons of outdoor balconies wrapping up the facade, referred to by the
designers as a "vertical boulevard," tying together the interior with the exterior of the tower.
The veil of fins that covers the facade was designed using parametric design in conjunction
with high-tech engineering to ensure performance in addition to aesthetics. Taking on a
holistic sustainable approach, these ceramic fins provide shading and also act as a light-
shelf, throwing light deeper into the building. To match the pulse of the vibrant city, the
facade is programmed with rhythmic animation designed by Arup, which will be powered by
PV panels on the low rise parking structure, which sits at the base of the tower creating a
podium for the rest of the building.
The Wasl Tower will be mixed-use, comprising offices, guest rooms, apartments, public
areas, and a large column-free ballroom on the main level of the parking structure.
Connecting the public programs, the building's elevator system includes four main lobbies,
the ground, spa, sky, and rooftop levels. Structurally, the building boasts three 300-meter
tall shear walls in the core, with 4 large outriggers connecting back at strategic levels,
allowing a nearly free, highly efficient floorplate.
“As the project strongly related to and interconnects with Dubai’s urban experience, the aim
is to make a visit to the Wasl Tower as attractive and contemporary as possible," explains
Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. "As such a dedicated concept of health, comfort and well-
being throughout was developed for the building.” The design pays special attention to the
quality of interior spaces as well, using clean materials, interactive light levels, and good
acoustics throughout, particularly on the public levels where food services will add to the
experience.
Architects: UNStudio, Werner Sobek Group
Location: Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Architect in Charge: Ben van Berkel
Design Team: Gerard Loozekoot, Frans van Vuure with Harlen Miller, Crystal KH Tang, Nick
Marks and Megan Hurford, Machiel Wafelbakker, Derrick Diporedjo, Matthew Harrison,
Aleksandra Sliwinska, Pietro Scarpa, Mihai Soltuz, Fernando Herrera, Jung Jae Suh, Jae Geun
Ahn, Henk van Schuppen, Elizabeth White, Pieter Doets and Dana Behrman, Roman
Kristesiashvili, Filippo Lodi, Rene Wysk, Hans Kooij, Nanang Santoso, Thomas van Bekhoven,
Ka Shin Lu, Patrik Noome, Philip Wilck, Shankar Ramakrishan, Meng Zhang
Architect of Record: U+A Architects
Structural Engineer: Werner Sobek
Facade Engineering: Werner Sobek
Sustainability: Werner Sobek Green Technologies
Acoustic Engineering: Werner Sobek Green Technologies
MEP Engineering: Werner Sobek
Interior Design Hotel: GA Design
Interior Design F&B: AB Concept
Landscape Architect: Green4Cities
Client: Wasl LLC Asset Management Group
Operator: Mandarin Oriental Hospitality Group
Sesc Avenida Paulista / Königsberger Vannucchi
Arquitetos Associados
Architects: Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados

Location: Av. Paulista, 119 - Paraíso, São Paulo - SP, 01311-903, Brazil
Authors: Jorge Königsberger, Gianfranco Vannucchi
Collaborators: Vera L. Tusco, Karina Kohutek, Albert Sugai, Sandra Dellarole, Daniel
Port, Isadora Citrin
Area: 128761.9 ft2
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Pedro Vannucchi
Manufacturers: Cosentino, Formica, Guardian
Glass, HUFCOR, Lamitech, Otis, Pilkington, Saint Gobain, IDEA, Servimon,
Concresteel, Gail, Penha Vidros, Perfglass, Brimat, CAMPOY, Permetal, ISHIDA,
Jatobá, Deca
Acoustics: Harmonia Acústica
Air Conditioning: Thermoplan Engenharia Térmica
Visual Communication: O2
Cenotecnia: Gustavo Siqueira Lanfranchi
Thermal Comfort: Daltrini Granado
Kitchen: Nucleora Planejamento
Frames: Arqmate
Concrete and Metallic Structure: Kurkdjian e Fruchtengarten
Façade: Worker
Foundation: MAG
Waterproofing: Imperpav Projetos
Electrical and Hydraulic Installations: PHE Engenharia
Logic: Laga Engenharia
Lighting: Estudio Carlos Fortes Luz
Landscaping: Albuquerque Arquitetura
Wood floor: Xylema
Structural recovery: DFA
Security, Supervision and Detection and Alarm Systems: Bettoni Automação
Sound: Crysalis Produtos
SMT/CET: Tekton
Elevator: Empro Comércio
Audio and Video Technology: AVM (Reinaldo Pargas)
The new unit stands out as an extension of the Avenue itself, establishing itself as a free
territory to be appropriated by the general public. Among its structural characteristics, the
concept is developed in the large accesses, in the various areas of coexistence - with
internal squares and a terrace at the top - and even in the choice of materials, such as the
use of non-reflective glass. The option for the material, which appears conjugated to zinc
plates on the facade, reveals the various activities carried out inside the building.
Architecture is only completed when activated by the movement of people, and for this
relationship every structure was conceived with the actions that will be developed in the
Unit, guided by the "Body-Art-Technology" trinomial.
"The configuration of the east and west facades, with horizontal features, allows users a
new look at the city while breaking with the typical typology of Paulista Avenue office
buildings, announcing a new use of the old building (designed by Sérgio Pileggi and
Euclides de Oliveira in the 1970s), divided between Sesc and Fecomércio, and a new and
democratic audience, "says Gianfranco Vannucchi, the architect responsible for the project.
Access to the new unit, from Av. Paulista, takes place in a large area of coexistence with
multipurpose space and a paracycle with capacity for 40 bicycles. In the ground floor there
are also two escalators, 6 elevators and two pressurized fire stairs for access to the upper
floors. In the 2nd Floor is the Relationship Center and living area, as well as the Sesc store.
The various spaces and services - Café Terrace, Library, Children's Room, Technology and
Arts, Sports halls and Shows, Shop and Dental Offices - were distributed over 17 floors,
with four basic aspects: the neighborhood between similar activities, levels of noise
produced by the activities, the volume of the public accessing the unit and the external
visuals.
Reinforcing this integration between the activities and the pavements of exposure there are
voids in the slabs, totally open. Stairs were created between floors, visually and physically
integrating the activities of the unit. It was also tried to leave the pavements as free as
possible in order to allow great flexibility in their uses.
In addition to the aesthetic effect, the large glass slide acts as an acoustic and thermal
antechamber, always flanked by a naturally ventilated internal terrace, which acts as a
screen for refrigerated environments. These, in turn, have their corridor seals defined from
the amount of light desired, in glass with solar control and spaces for shows and exhibitions
are contemplated with blackout. The other facades are sealed with light precast or masonry,
reducing in this way the thermal and acoustic loads coming from the outside.
Taipei Nanshan Plaza / Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei
Architects: Archasia Design Group, Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei

Location: Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Project Team: Tetsuya Okusa (Project Director), Yasuhiro Sube (Project Architect),
Hiroshi Kawamura, Takaaki Fuji, Noboru Kawagishi, Shunichi Osaki
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Shinkenchiku-sha, Hisao Suzuki, Nan Shan Life Insurance
Manufacturers: YKK AP, Fuzhu, Hete, Kinzi
Structural Engineer: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc. + Evergreen Consulting Engineering, Inc.
Mechanical Engineer: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc. + GHIA Engineering Consultants Co.,
Jiesheng HVAC ENGINEERING, YUAN DAH FIRE FIGHTING ENGINEERING
CO.LTD, Ming Shuei Engineering
Lighting Design: CMA LIGHTING DESIGN
Construction Supervision: Archasia Design Group
FFE Coordinator: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc.
Art Coordination: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc.
Project Management: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc.
Total Floor Area: 192,891.35 m2
Site Area: 17,708 m2
Building Area: 10,271.41 m2
The Xinyi district of Taipei, where the building site is located, is a cosmopolitan tourism area
that symbolizes the city as a whole. Based on a new urban plan drawn up by the
government that encourages cityscape-conscious development, the area has grown into a
business center with a range of amenities including shopping, arts facilities, and
international exhibition spaces. The building stands on the former grounds of a trade center
adjacent to Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan, on the southern edge of Xinyi.
Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei won a government-led development competition to partner on the
project with Nanshan Life Insurance, which has a fifty-year lease from the government and
planned to construct an office and high-end shopping complex to re-energize the district.
The first time our team visited the site—a long, thin, piece of land measuring 100 meters
north-to-south and 270 meters east-to-west—we noticed the way the flow of people and
energy from the shopping district to the north ended there. In order to attract visitors to the
site and create a lively atmosphere, we proposed a new landmark tower to draw people
from a distance, paired with a human-scale podium to welcome them in. The idea was for
the 272-meter tower to form a set with Taipei 101, creating a new skyline for the city while
harmonizing with the existing neighborhood.
The tower is occupied primarily by offices, with restaurants featuring dramatic views on the
top three floors. The architectural design, inspired by the image of two hands joined in a
prayer of thanks and peace, expresses the insurance company’s gratitude toward its
customers and desire for them to enjoy health and peace. A low-rise “Retail Annex” and the
“Cultural Entrance Annex,” a multi-purpose cultural hall, adjoin the tower on either side,
linking horizontally to the bustle of the surrounding neighborhood.
The “Retail Annex” is comprised of three large cubes offset in alternating layers, like hands
placed on top of one another. The entire façade is covered with an artistic, three-
dimensional cast-stainless-steel motif of plum blossoms, the national flower of Taiwan. The
building makes abundant use of other handmade decorative elements as well, which are
intended to inspire an appreciation of craftsmanship. The “Cultural Entrance Annex” has a
trussed shell whose sculptural form seems to invite people in with outstretched hands.
In the evenings, Taiwan’s first rooftop bar glitters at the peak of the tower, while the
plantings on the retail tower terraces blend in with the adjacent park, further enhancing the
attractiveness of the building from afar. The contemporary architecture may present the
illusion of having been created automatically by computers and machines, but in reality,
human hands come together at every stage of design and construction Taipei Nanshan
Plaza fully expresses the spirit of creation symbolized by human hands.

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Design 8 - Ate Kim

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UNStudio Designs Dubai Supertall with One of the

World's Tallest Ceramic Facades

Architects: Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados

Architects: Archasia Design Group, Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei

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