Goettsch Partners designs commercial tower for Al Hilal Bank
International architectural firm Goettsch Partners (GP) has designed the new commercial tower for Al Hilal Bank, which is located at the Al Maryah Island of Abu Dhabi.
Sprawling over 87,570 square metres, the new 24-storied office tower includes 49,110 square metres of office and retail space, and 1,000 parking spaces for tenants and visitors. It also features a park and reflecting pool, and a cafe for the refreshment of the tenants and visitors.
Featuring contemporary design, the office tower features a podium containing a retail banking facility, as well as a three-storied transparent lobby to the north, with pedestrian arcades on the east and west. The cubical masses, which are stacked like shifted blocks are placed at the top of the podium.
Featuring shifts in massing, the new building creates a push-and-pull effect at the corners and provides column-free spaces within. Featuring glass and notched metal-spandrel elements and vertical glass fins, the design of the new building aims at accentuating the shifted aesthetic of the building as well as providing shading.
Incorporating sustainable elements like floor-to-ceiling glass, which provides views for occupants as well as natural daylight inside, the new commercial tower is scheduled to receive an Estidama 1 Pearl rating. The project is scheduled for completion by the last quarter of 2013.
