After four years, the O-14 is finally complete, and is as righteous as it is “holey.”
Dubai has been eclipsed recently by a host of exciting developments in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup. In part, this is because the splashy Emirate was forced to adopt a low profile following crippling economic collapse while other Gulf economies have rested comfortably on their oily laurels. Slowly slowly, however, debts are being paid and project development is inching forward. The O-14 Tower designed by Jesse Resiser and Nanoko Umemoto of RUR Architecture first broke ground in 2007 and is finally ready for occupancy. The doily appearance, albeit interesting to look at, does comprise beneficial environmental and structural elements, while simultaneously allowing for an unusual freedom on the inside.
Lower level floors of the 22-storey multipurpose building will accommodate luxury shopping while the upper floors were designed as office space. The 300,000 square foot building will enjoy prime, high-end consumer traffic, located as it is on the Dubai Creek waterfront esplanade.
More than a funky facade, the concrete exterior serves as an exoskeleton that provides most of the building’s structural support. In other words, the skin and shell have been inverted. The shell also prevents excess solar heat gain, and the space between the outer framing and interior funnels heat upwards like a chimney.
Tenants will be pleased, since the passive cooling design will help to offset the high energy prices that are otherwise rampant in Dubai. In place of glass windows, the 1,000 holes also provide views for the building’s occupants, without letting in hot air.
:: Inhabitat
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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.
