Ramboll completed the Shining Towers project in 2012. The project comprises two towers of 33 and 42 storeys respectively, and won the GCC tower of the year at the 2010 Construction Week awards.
The concept of the project is based on a pair of dancers moving together without touching, and therefore they appear to lean in different directions. The curved residential tower and leaning effect of the office tower provided us with considerable structural design challenges, with slab thicknesses varying to accommodate bending and shear forces on varying spans.
In addition, the Ramboll façade team faced considerable design challenges on this project, and through independent research and development the team designed and engineered a ‘cold bent’ façade, where a typical flat curtain wall is bent post production to confirm to the inclined and twisting façade. This solution eliminated the need for costly glazing curved in two directions.
The bespoke curtain wall system is capable of accommodating high wind loads, as well as accommodating very high floor to floor heights in the podium. Additional reinforcements are hidden within the system, allowing the office tower and the podium to utilize the same system for cost efficiency and visual consistency.
This project showcases Ramboll’s progressive multi-disciplinary engineering capabilities where we have implemented highly innovative solutions to facilitate a complex architectural structure.
“From a supervisory perspective, James Cubitt & Partners worked very closely with Ramboll on the Shining Towers project. The project was delivered successfully and enabled Ramboll to showcase their ability to deliver innovative and complex solutions. Ramboll’s highly skilled team provided multi-disciplinary services to execute this project and their engineering expertise was evident in their response to the numerous structural challenges we faced.” James Cubitt & Partners
