ADIA Headquarters, Tower, UAE HQ Building, Photos, Offices, Architect, Design, Location

ADIA Headquarters Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Building: HQ Development design by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates – KPF

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2006
Design: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)

Building opens to the Corniche and the sea:

photograph : H.G. Esch

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Headquarters

20 Oct 2008

ADIA Headquarters

Taking inspiration from regional elements such as billowing sails and shifting sand dunes, the dramatic form of the new corporate headquarters for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) transforms the city’s waterfront skyline.

Detail view of the top of the tower

photo : H.G. Esch

Seeking a building form that symbolized the bank’s mission and values, the design of the new facility emphasizes transparency and openness. In folding the structure’s vertical plane three times to create two outstretched “arms” in an inviting gesture.

Designed to represent contemporary commerce and culture in Abu Dhabi, the ADIA Headquarters building also subtly echoes themes found in age-old Islamic architecture. Its slim stair tower creates a dialogue with the slender minarets of the adjacent mosque: an intriguing juxtaposition of modernity and tradition.

Upper atrium ; View from the Corniche – east elevation

photos : H.G. Esch

Cellular and open-plan office spaces were required, as were zones for interaction and meetings. The building’s two wings provide well-lighted cellular offices and allow for intimate, open-plan work areas. Informal meetings take place within central landscaped atria and their sky gardens-recalling the Islamic tradition of planted interior spaces.

The atrium, which soars 492 feet (150 meters), also serves as an extract chimney for stale air. In the lower ground floor, a grand auditorium can be combined with the adjacent reception area to provide a formal gathering space for ADIA’s employees.

View from the city center looking toward the Corniche; Main entry canopy

photos : H.G. Esch

The building is responsive to natural forces. Its “active” façade comprises three layers: a low-e-coated, double-glazed outer skin; a single-glazed internal skin; and a solar-controlled blind in the cavity. This composite provides a high shading coefficient and U-value and lowers the cooling load on the building.

East facade detail; atrium detail

photos : H.G. Esch