RMJM to design one of Europe’s tallest towers in Turkey
11Jan2012 - RMJM’s Dubai studio has just received planning approval for one of the tallest towers in Europe, located in the Atasehir district of Istanbul, Turkey.
The design for the mixed-use building, including super-high-rise apartments, will consist of a tower nearly 300 metres tall comparable with the height of London’s Shard.
The 500,000 square metre development will consist of three towers located over an extensive landscaped public podium. The main tower will include offices, serviced apartments, a hotel, sky lobby and a 30,000 square metre public shopping mall. There will be a separate residential-only block which will be between 30 and 40 storeys tall, together with a dedicated office tower addressing the new financial district.
Its planned location is in the new Istanbul International Financial Centre, a zone within the district of Atasehir given special status by the Turkish government to promote the development of the city as a new financial hub.
Turkish construction companies Varyap and GAP Insaat are developing the scheme and plan to commence construction early next month.
The population of Istanbul has increased dramatically from 2.7 million in 1980 to over 13 million last year, which has created a building boom over the last decade, resulting in the demand for a number of new apartments around the city. Istanbul’s 12 tallest skyscrapers have all been completed since the turn of the millennium.
RMJM has also designed the nearby 340,000 square metre Varyap Meridian, due to be completed this year. This mixed use residential and commercial development consists of 1,500 residential units, a five-star hotel and conference facility, commercial office space and landscaped areas with external pools, water features, public squares and sub-grade parking.
Atasehir is easily accessible by road from Levent to the west and from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport to the east.
Jonathan Knight, Design Principal at RMJM, comments: “In its architecture this project has tried to capture the essence of the city and reinterpret this in a contemporary setting. The tower will be the tallest in Turkey, and amongst the largest in Europe, symbolising the dynamism and confidence of Turkey in 2012. The tower reflects all that is truly inspiring about modern day Istanbul.
“This project has been an exercise in urban planning as much as architecture - it is about the spaces in between the buildings as much the buildings themselves. Our intentions were to create a new public destination - a new heart for Atasehir that was first and foremost inclusive and accessible to the people of the city.”
Chris Jones, Managing Principal at RMJM, comments: “Whilst the development is a commercial mixed use project, we feel that its beauty lies in the fact that its ultimately a piece of city planning, bringing new life to the city. The wider project provides many different spaces that reflect the diversity of the city’s fabric. The streets, gardens, squares, gateways, staircases and boulevards all contribute to a new vibrant accessible and inclusive public realm.
“It has been an honor to work with some of the leading professionals in Turkey, embracing the culture, passion and heritage for design and construction. I’d like to thank our clients at Varyap Gap Insaat, who have had a clear vision for this project since its conception and resolute inspiration and patronage for the development.”
RMJM acquires YRM
23Dec2011 -
RMJM architects and masterplanners, with offices in the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, will enter new markets with the acquisition of YRM who are leaders in the design of aviation, nuclear and technology reliant projects.
With over 850 major projects in 37 countries, YRM will complement RMJM’s positioning and portfolio as global demand increases for digital real estate, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, coupled with the significant demand for secure low carbon energy and the infrastructure to supply it.
RMJM and YRM recognise there are significant opportunities in these sectors, which its framework of global studios can develop through knowledge transfer. Both practices have complementary research links and RMJM aims to strengthen its offer with the ‘YRM Lab’ joining the group‘s global studio platform.
John Clemow of YRM said: “We approached RMJM seeing the potential of a practice combining architecture, masterplanning, design and environmental engineering with over 800 staff and offices on four continents. Joining RMJM provides the capacity, capability and reach our clients in the UK, EU and EMEA increasingly require.”
Peter Morrison of RMJM said: “YRM’s leading position in energy and technology related projects and our combined experience across a wide range of sectors, significantly strengthens RMJM’s offer in the Global Marketplace.”
The demand for clean and secure energy supply is driving interest and investment in nuclear power. The exponential development of internet based communication continues, requiring development of digital real estate. RMJM believe there are very substantial opportunities in these sectors, as well as in other technology intensive industries such as pharmaceuticals, high end manufacturing and transportation.
Hyatt Capital Gate located in RMJM-designed tower opens in Abu Dhabi
21Dec2011 - 189-room, 5-star luxury hotel located above office floors in iconic tower
Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, located on the top floors of the iconic Capital Gate building which leans a record-breaking 18 degrees, has opened in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. The hotel is strategically located adjacent to the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Owned and developed by ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company) and designed by global architecture firm, RMJM, the iconic 35-storey, 160 metre Capital Gate tower is built to lean 18 degrees westwards, more than four times that of the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi occupies floors 18 to 33 of the Capital Gate tower, while the lower floors provide approximately 15,000 square metres of high quality office space. The hotel offers 189 luxury guestrooms and suites featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offer sweeping, bird’s eye views of the city and Arabian Gulf.
A sculptural stainless steel ‘splash’ flows down the front and at low level forms the hotel entrance canopy, flowing over the existing grandstand and acting as a solar shading device for the building. A free form internal atrium with a dynamic glass roof brings natural light and space deep into the hotel’s atrium.
The impressive architectural feats that define the Capital Gate building are combined with elegant interior design concepts to create a uniquely refined guest experience. While standing at the outer periphery of a guestroom, guests feel as though they are floating in mid-air since they cannot see the ground directly below them. The inner atrium provides a view to the sky and draws natural light into the core of the building.
Capital Gate is distinguished by a dramatic steel and glass facade with a striking organic form. With its cantilevered tea lounge and open air pool deck, it provides a unique presence on the skyline of Abu Dhabi and creates a memorable identity to the exhibition centre.
External lighting on the tower is designed to minimise both light pollution and energy consumption, based on a combination of low-level landscape lighting and façade lighting consisting of a net of compact LED clusters integrated into the design of the steel glazing system.
Structurally, this challenging building sits on an intensive distribution of 490 piles which have been drilled 30 metres underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic forces caused by the distinctive lean of the tower. It is an excellent example of RMJM’s design and in-house engineering capabilities.
Chris Jones, RMJM Middle East Managing Principal, said: “RMJM congratulates Hyatt on the opening of their new hotel in this iconic tower.
“RMJM has been in the Middle East for over 40 years and has a long history of designing and engineering incredible buildings in the region. Capital Gate not only accommodates a luxurious hotel and office complex, but has quickly become one of the most recognised structures in the world.”
RMJM unveils DHA City masterplan in Pakistan
12Dec2011 - RMJM’s Dubai studio has unveiled an ambitious masterplan for a new city near Karachi in Pakistan.
In partnership with Doxiadis and Osmani Associates along with Professor Spiro Pollalis as chief planner, RMJM won a design competition in August 2010 to undertake the master planning study of DHA City in Karachi on an 11,640 acre rural site.
Situated 50 kilometres from Karachi, DHA City is seen as a 21st Century model city for Pakistan and is a landmark project for the country, introducing new standards of planning adapted to the local conditions. It also continues the region’s expansion towards Hyderabad, the second largest city in the Sindh province.
The masterplan consists of 50,000 residential and commercial plots, specialised healthcare and higher education institutes, theme parks, a convention centre, informal and formal sports and recreation facilities and resorts, retail and restaurants, along with all necessary community facilities.
At the heart of the new city lies the City Gateway and Downtown district that house the Central Business, Culture & Arts, Education, Central Market and Mixed-use Sub Districts. Careful consideration has been given to the distribution of land uses within this area in order to provide a vital economic and cultural heart that will support the city as it grows.
The downtown district will be defined by a car free pedestrianised spine with tree-lined pathways, garden courtyards, water features and piazza’s. This is aimed at promoting pedestrian movement to improve the quality of life for the downtown employees, visitors and residents. An efficient public transportation system will help support this.
The entire masterplan approach is focused on sustainable design principles and these principles have been implemented across the entire city. A strategy has been laid out that looks at maintaining the ecological integrity of the site through the preservation and incorporation of prominent natural features that are integrated as green fingers and wind corridors.
Construction on the new city is expected to start in early 2012, commencing with primary infrastructures and facilities. Construction of the development will then progress in stages, with full completion expected by 2030.
Ziyad Mahmoud, associate at RMJM said: “Since our appointment 12 months ago we have developed a masterplan that adopts and implements the planning principles behind the Ekistics theory.
“This theory promotes the concept of mixed use residential sectors by creating multiple centres within them spreading facilities such as commerce, amenities and parks throughout these areas.
“The principle behind the masterplan is a group of self-sustaining cities within a city, with community amenities accessible to all residents within a 10 minute walk.
“It is also particularly special for us to be working with Doxiadis, as Constantinos Doxiadis was very good friends with Sir Robert Matthew (one of the founders of RMJM) and they collaborated together on the masterplan of Islamabad throughout the 1960s.”
