Nabito Architects in Barcelona are negotiating with Abu Dhabi engineers to build these stunning sustainable skyscrapers.
Dubai’s skyline is going to look increasingly dull compared to what is planned for Abu Dhabi. In addition to Masdar City and the Lunar Cubit energy-generating pyramids that won the Land Art Generator Initiative’s 2010 design competition, a new award-winning building designed by Barcelona-based architects Nabito could forever change how we view high rise structures. Sweep aside the boring energy-draining buildings of old and welcome instead the “Stairscraper” 
CNN reports that this “eye-catching” spiral skyscraper won the Total Housing Competition organized jointly by the non-profit organization Storefront for Art and Architecture and Architizer, an online platform for architects.
Established in 2007, Nabito architects have already received several acknowledgments for their innovative, and even fun design. This most recent concept was inspired by a spiral staircase they saw hanging from a building in Istanbul.
“We were in Istanbul for the opening night of a building we recently built and while we were speaking we’ve been astonished by a spiral stair hanging from a building in front of us,” co-founder Roberto Ferlito told CNN. “We started joking about the form, playing and imagining the possibilities of transforming it into a building.”
Now he and Alessandra Faticanti are discussing their options with Abu Dhabi engineers, though most of the details are currently confidential.
Faticanti told the paper that they are very concerned to harness as many “green” features as possible. Planned as a mixed use building that incorporates housing, offices, and public space, every level will include a garden.
To irrigate these green spaces, the architects are hoping they can reach an underground water table in the center of the building.
This will be a tricky proposition in Abu Dhabi, where the water table is already deeply stressed. Nabito will have to strike a balance between water scarcity and the urgent need to create carbon-absorbing green spaces.
More innovative architecture in Abu Dhabi:
Abu Dhabi Building To Achieve All Five Green Building Pearls
Ehrlich Architect Trumps Hadid and Foster With UAE Parliament Building
Energy-Generating Pyramids Win Abu-Dhabi’s LAGI Prize
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
well, is interesting, but i have some doubts about this…
structure, circulations, public relations, and how this kind
of building can create a good relation between the city
and its contexts, about how this project is sustainable ? how
the glazed facade can affect the building?, the project is funny
and joyful, i like the colors, but how it works, i have a lot of doubts
is, a nice irony but no more…