Aldar's Al Raha headquarters on schedule
Aldar Properties said yesterday the construction of its headquarters was "on track for timely completion".
When finished in 2009 the facility will be the first building at Abu Dhabi's Al Raha Beach waterfront development to be occupied.
The building has been designed by world-renowned architects MZ & Partners and recently received worldwide attention when it was named the Best Futuristic Design at the Building Exchange conference in Spain.
Excavation, piling, basement work and finishes, and the reinforced concrete lift cores are all complete. In addition 30 per cent of the steel structure that will give the building its spherical shape has been constructed.
The 23-storey frame is connected to two large concrete cores to transfer the load of the exterior weight to the cores. Overall 93 per cent of the design is finalised and around 35 per cent of the construction is complete.
"The Aldar headquarters building is progressing on schedule – the evidence of its progress is clear as the steel framing to create the spherical structure is now beginning to take shape," said CEO Ronald Stephen Barrott. "The Aldar team looks forward to moving into its new home and to witnessing the successful progress of the other landmark buildings in Al Dana precinct of Al Raha Beach."
Project Director Michael Cox said: "The Aldar headquarters is coming along at an excellent pace. We are pleased with the completion of all our key milestones.
"Our next focus is the spherical structure. Work on this has commenced on schedule and we look forward to seeing the steel structure completed on schedule." The building will occupy a prominent position in Al Dana precinct, the commercial and financial hub of Al Raha Beach. It will adhere to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system guidelines and feature extensive use of recyclable materials, prefabricated elements and an automated vacuum waste system to ensure minimum waste creation.
The 110-metre building will require 5,700 tonnes of steel, 25,000 cubic metres of concrete and 25,000 cubic metres of glass.