UNStudio Reveals Recent Construction Images of Wasl Tower in Dubai

Written by Christele Harrouk
Published on February 06, 2020

UNStudio, in collaboration with Werner Sobek, had designed a new high-rise for Dubai, expected to become one of the world’s tallest ceramic facades, once completed. Created for the wasl Development Group, the project is located along the famous Sheikh Zayed’s Road and directly opposite to Burj Khalifa.

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With on-going construction works from 2016, UNStudio has revealed recent images that highlight the progress of the wasl tower. Facing in almost every direction and offering public access to high up areas, the slender 300-meter tall building “adopts a classic contrapposto movement”. In fact, wasl Tower translates the status of the city of Dubai, as an international connectivity hub.

As the project strongly relates 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. As such a dedicated concept of health, comfort and well-being throughout was developed for the building. -- Ben van Berkel, UNStudio.

Planned in line with the engineering and sustainability concept developed by Werner Sobek, UNStudio’s design will generate the world’s tallest ceramic facades, made out of clay and low-tech glazed ceramic elements. Through parametric design and high-tech engineering, implementing the required sustainable measures, the geometry of the tower was defined.

On the facade, a fine lace of inclined fins over the basic skin literally veils the geometry and provides the required ‘closed’ surfaces. These fins not only provide shade but also reflect daylight deep into the tower’s interior. – UNStudio

An open seam, running along the full height of the tower, creates some sort of vertical boulevard, by stacking green and outdoor spaces. Envisioned as mixed-use development, the MO@Dubai hotel will be established in the structure with 250+ guest rooms. The program also includes offices, guest rooms, public areas and apartments. In order to facilitate access to the tower, a vertical transport strategy was developed with the implementation of separate lifts, 17 in total, of which 5 are service elevators.