CTBUH

Journal
Tall buildings: design, construction and operation | 2009 Issue II

Nakheel Harbour & Tower - The Vertical City

Condenser Typology
Seismic Evaluation: Nanjing Greenland Tower
40 years of the CTBUH: Publications
World's Tallest 50 Urban Agglomerations
SEI/ASCE Structures Congress 2009 Report
Fire & Safety Working Group Meeting Report
Inside
News and Events Features
04 Message from the Chairman
David Scott, CTBUH Chairman
47 Letters
Feedback and Comments
16 3E7
+FG6K
&3=:77>
,AI7D
N
,:7
.7DF;53>
;FK




!









 




Architecture
!>A43>
67E;9@
BD35F;57
/AA6E
39AF
I7D7

3BBA;@F76
3E
F:7
D5:;F75FE
8AD
F:7
&3=:77>

,AI7D
3@6
%3EF7DB>3@@7D
8AD
F:7
:3D4AGD


'

#








BD75;@5F
;@



"







G;>6;@9
A@
F:7
F:7AD;7E
A8
B3EF
H;E;A@3D;7E

EG5:
3E
$7
AD4GE;7D
D3@=
$>AK6
/D;9:F
3@6

%3D=
%;F5:7EA@$AI

 







(3A>A
+A>7D;
F:7
&3=:77>
,AI7D
;E
F:7
8;DEF
FDG7

D73>;E3F;A@
A8
3
H7DF;53>
5;FK
'H7D









;@:34;F3@FE
I;>>
>;H7
IAD=
3@6
EA5;3>;E7
3>>

05 CTBUH News and Events 48 Tall Buildings in Numbers 


&






I;F:;@
3
8AAFBD;@F
E?3>>7D
F:3@
3
&7I
0AD=
;FK

4>A5=
/;F:
F:7
7H7D5:3@9;@9
9>A43>

7@H;DA@?7@F3>
5>;?3F7
38875F;@9
@AF
A@>K

G43;
4GF
F:7
IAD>6
3E
3
I:A>7

,:7
&3=:77>

Antony Wood, World's Tallest 50 Urban

,AI7D
E77=E
FA
D76G57
F:7
:G?3@
;?B35F
A@

:?36
*3:;?;3@ 7@@;E
'MD;7@ Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Dubai’s new experience centre and observation F:7
7@H;DA@?7@F
4K
47;@9
3
4735A@
A8
B3EE;H7

capital, will be a beacon of inspiration for facilities along with a special sky
Authors the region and the world, incorporating function space – creating a vertical
1
Mark Mitcheson-Low, *79;A@3>
%3@39;@9
;D75FAD
elements from Islamic culture. Encom- community of over 15,000 people (see Figure 2. Nakheel Harbour & Tower Plan

CTBUH Executive Director Agglomerations

/AA6E
39AF
%;66>7
3EF



2
Ahmad Rahimian, (:  
(  
+  
(D7E;67@F
/+(
3@FAD

passing more than 270 hectares, this Figure 1).
+7;@G=
-+






mixed-use development will be located
3
Dennis O'Brien, *79;A@3>
;D75FAD

&AD?3@
;E@7K

The lessons learned from the Nakheel +
;@;F;3F;H7E
EFD;H;@9
FA
5AG@F7D35F
3@6
I;@6
8AD57E
#@
5A@FD3EF
F:7
&3=:77>
,AI7D

in the heart of New Dubai, and will
0AG@9
%;66>7
3EF




Harbour Tower hold implications for ?;@;?;E7
;FE
53D4A@
8AAFBD;@F
4K
;@F7>>;97@F
673>E
I;F:
F:7
;EEG7E
A8
I;@6
4K
3>>AI;@9
F:7

include the world’s tallest building, a

/AA6E
39AF
future buildings of this magnitude. 67E;9@
EA>GF;A@E
3@6
D76G5;@9
GD43@
EBD3I>
I;@6
FA
B3EE
F:DAG9:
F:7
FAI7D
D3F:7D
F:3@

harbour, cultural podium and residential
$7H7>

+G;F7

Although the technical difficulties E77
;9GD7

3DAG@6
;F
,:;E
;E
35:;7H76
4K

;@5ADBAD3F;@9

+:7;=:
13K76
*A36
districts. Nakheel Tower in itself will be a
G43;
-
associated with such a large project are FIA
E>AFE
F:DAG9:
F:7
:7;9:F
A8
F:7
FAI7D

vertical city, accommodating residents *735:;@9
:7;9:FE
A8
AH7D
A@7
=;>A?7F7D
I3E

7
%3D= %;F5:7EA@$AIIAA6E439AF 37

many, none are insurmountable. This I:;5:
78875F;H7>K
5D73F7E
8AGD
E7B3D3F7
FAI7DE


in an efficient LEED rated, sustainable ?367
BAEE;4>7
4K
;?B>7?7@F;@9
3
67E;9@


/+(
3@FAD
+7;@G=








&AD?3@
;E@7K

0AG@9
provides optimism for the future of tall 735:
I;F:
F:7;D
AI@
5AD7
3@6
EFDG5FGD3>>K

building. This is the world’s first true, 5A@57BF
F:3F
6;H;676
F:7
,AI7D
;@FA
8AGD



F:
+FD77F








('
AJ

building design and demonstrates the >;@=76
3F
7H7DK

>7H7>E
4K
E=K4D;697E
35:

05 What’s on the Web 52 Exhibit Review

&7I
0AD=
&0

-+








G43;
-
very tall mixed use development E7B3D3F7
FAI7DE

,KB;53>
F3>>
4G;>6;@9E
3D7

7D3:;?;3@IEB5E 5A?








7
6 AM4D;7@@6K 5A? possibilities in building towers that A8
F:7E7
E=K4D;697E
35FE
3E
3
BA6;G?
8AD
735:

combining offices, a 5 star hotel, luxury GEG3>>K
B>3@@76
3DAG@6
3
E;@9>7
57@FD3>
5AD7

reach higher than any that have come A8
F:7
FAI7D
E75F;A@E
34AH7
;F
,:7
7@6
D7EG>F
;E

Mark Mitcheson-Low residential and serviced apartments, an 3@6
F3B7D
FAI3D6E
F:7
FAB
FA
?;F;93F7
F:7

%3D=
:3E
3@
7JB3@E;H7
BADF8A>;A
A8
?3<AD
BDA<75FE
;@
3>>
before. >3D97
8>AAD
B>3F7E
3F
:;9:
>7H7>E
3E
F:7
FAI7D

E75FADE
A8
67E;9@
35DAEE
F:7
IAD>6
;@
:;E

K73DE
A8

7JB7D;7@57
;@
D5:;F75FGD7
(DA<75FE
;@5>G67
?;J76
GE7

6A7E
@AF
F3B7D
3E
;F
97FE
F3>>7D
E77
;9GD7E

3
4


Featuring new content now 'Buckminster Fuller: Starting

67H7>AB?7@FE
A8
5A??7D5;3>
D7F3;>
:AEB;F3>;FK
3@6
Figure 1. Nakheel Harbour & Tower
D7E;67@F;3>
E75FADE
3@6
?3<AD
BDA<75FE
;@
FD3@EBADF3F;A@

76G53F;A@
3@6
;@8D3EFDG5FGD7
67H7>AB?7@FE
%3D=
:3E

477@
3
6;D75FAD
E;@57

3@6
<A;@76
/AA6E
39AF
;@


";E
DA>7
:3E
;@5>G676
F:7
67H7>AB?7@F
A8
@7I

?3D=7FE
3@6
F:7
BDA5GD7?7@F
3@6
67E;9@
?3@397?7@F
A8

3
6;H7DE7
D3@97
A8
BDA<75FE
35DAEE
F:7
9>A47

available on the CTBUH with the Universe' Ahmad Rahimian

/;F:
AH7D

K73DE
A8
7JB7D;7@57
:?36
3@
;@F7D@3F;A@3>>K

D75A9@;L76
7JB7DF
;@
F3>>
4G;>6;@9E
;E
BD7E;67@F
A8
/+(

3@FAD
+7;@G=
3
>736;@9
EFDG5FGD3>
7@9;@77D;@9
8;D?
43E76

;@
&7I
0AD=
3@6
B3DF
A8
/+(
!DAGB
($

"7
;E
F:7
D75;B;7@F

A8

#+
+B75;3>
5:;7H7?7@F
I3D6

+*

website

?A@9
?3@K
@AF34>7
BDA<75FE
:7
6;D75F76




7@@;E


#@
366;F;A@
FA
DA>7E
A@
F:7
A3D6
A8
F:7


"7
;E


Figure 3a. Tower Components
06 40 years of the CTBUH:
Publications
Jan Klerks
10 Global News
Highlights from the CTBUH
global news archive
Case Study
16 Nakheel Harbour & Tower -
The Vertical City, Dubai
Mark Mitcheson-Low &
Dennis O'Brien
Research
26 Condenser Typology: open
envelope vertical farming,
the extremes of tower
urbanism
Matt Wilson
36 Performance-Based
Evaluation for the 450m
Nanjing Greenland Financial
Center Main Tower
Charles M. Besjak, Brian J.
McElhatten & Preetam Biswas
“This cumulative seismic design effort has resulted in one of
the tallest structures in the world to date and represents the
state-of-the-art in performance-based evaluation.”
Charles M. Besjak, page 36
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
52 Book Review
'High Rises: Social Living '
53 Diary
What's coming up?
CTBUH
50 Fire & Safety Working Group
Inaugural meeting report
51 Report: SEI/ASCE Structures
Congress 2009
Latest advances in the field of
the seismic design of tall
buildings
54 Profile: Gordon Gill
CTBUH Awards Committee
Chairman
54 Profile: Israel David
CTBUH Country Representative,
Israel
55 CTBUH Organizational
Structure + Member Listings
:3D>7E
(3@=AI
I3D6
3@6
&*
,AB

&7IE?3=7DE

I3D6
A8

F:7
EFDG5FGD3>
7@9;@77D;@9
A8
F:7
,DG?B
/AD>6
,AI7D
3@6

"73DEF
,AI7D
&7I
0AD=
3@6
,ADD7
%3KAD
%7J;5A
;FK
Dennis O'Brien
7@@;E
'D;7@
;E
F:7
7BGFK
'
8AD
F:7
#@F7D@3F;A@3>

!DAGB
3@6
*79;A@3>
;D75FAD
8AD
%;66>7
3EF
7EF34>;E:76
F:7
A88;57
;@
G43;
8A>>AI;@9
&0

3BBA;@F?7@F
3E
G;>6;@9
+7DH;57E
A@EG>F3@FE
8AD
F:7

&3=:77>
,3>>
,AI7D
A?B3@K
:7
;E
D7EBA@E;4>7
8AD
3D73E
A8
)G3>;FK
EEGD3@57

3@6
*;E=
%3@397?7@F
8AD
F:7
#@F7D@3F;A@3>
!DAGB
3>EA
35F;H7
;@
3EE;EF;@9
;@F7D@3F;A@3>
A88;57E
;@
5A@57BF

67E;9@
3@6
67E;9@
D7H;7IE
8AD
?3<AD
BDA<75FE
16 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower
26 Condenser Typology: open envelope vertical
farming, the extremes of tower urbanism
Matthew Wilson
Author
Matthew Wilson
Vectorfield.org
1st Floor
364 Garratt Lane
London, SW18 4ES, UK
t: +44 077 9465 1691
e: mw@vectorfield.org
Matthew Wilson
Matthew is an independent researcher living and
working in London. He is currently researching the
extremes of sustainability focusing on environmental
sociology, utopianism, and social ecology.
...20 years to recover
“
If a major project has not started in the city already, it is
unlikely to start… I’m not thinking years, I’m thinking decades…
After the Wall Street crash, it took 20 years to recover.
Peter Rees, the London city’s planning officer, admitting that the gloom among developers and investors
is so great it could be a generation before another tall building planning application is received by his
department. From ‘Decades till City’s next tall building’, Building Design, March 6, 2009
26 | Condenser Typology
36 Performance-Based Evaluation for the 450m
Nanjing Greenland Financial Center Main Tower
Charles M. Besjak
Brian J. McElhatten Preetam Biswas
Authors
1
Charles M. Besjak, SE. PE. Director, Skidmore, Owings
and Merrill, LLP
2
Brian J. McElhatten, SE, PE. Associate, Skidmore,
Owings and Merrill, LLP
3
Preetam Biswas, PE. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
24th Floor, 14 Wall Street,
New York, NY
t: +1 212 298 9300
f: +1 212 298 9500
1
Charles M. Besjak
As the Director in charge of Structural Engineering for
SOM New York, Charles Besjak leads the structural
engineering team to develop a diverse array of projects.
As a licensed structural and professional engineer and
licensed architect, he brings over 20 years of experience in
the design and construction industry. He has supervised
structural engineering for some of SOM’s tallest building
projects, including the 555-meter tall Lotte Super Tower in
Seoul, Korea and zero energy 71 story Pearl River Tower in
Guangzhou as well as Airports such as Terminal T3, Changi
International Airport, Singapore and the 5 million sq. ft.
Integrated Terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport in Mumbai, India.
2
Brian J. McElhatten
As an Associate, Brian McElhatten leads the development
of the entire structural design for individual projects in
coordination with the architectural and building services
teams and incorporates the structural engineering design
concepts within project requirements. The projects he has
been involved with include Pearl River Tower, Lotte Super
Tower and Terminal T3, Changi International Airport.
3 evaluate the long-term load sharing between
Preetam Biswas
As senior structural engineer, Preetam Biswas develops
the structural design for individual projects in
coordination with the architectural and building services
teams and incorporates the structural engineering design
concepts within project requirements. The projects he has
been involved with include Lotte Super Tower and the
Integrated Terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport.
36 | Nanjing Greenland Financial Center Main Tower
Visit www.ctbuh.org for more on the global tall building
industry and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
"In a hybrid vertical farm, harvests would
inevitably cause ‘delirium’, as crops, people,
and services would necessitate a 24-hour cycle
of events" Rem Koolhaas, (1994). Delirious New York. NY. Monacelli.
Can humidity-harvesting experiments inform tower urbanism in arid coastal environments?
The finding of this study includes how the ‘Condenser’ tower typology deviates from other
methods of vertical farming, climate control, and tower urbanism for the Dubai region. It
includes an overview of the Condenser’s rationale, precedence, technical workings,
organization, incentives, and limitations.
Foundations
Order, control, and purity are key attributes of
the utopian socialist projects of the modern
era. From within these modern visions, many
academics have argued that ‘high-technology’
will conquer nature to save us from impending
doom. These anthropomorphically centered
desires have led us away from working with
natural resources and into unfamiliar worlds
(McHarg, 1992). The common side effects are
feelings of alienation from the natural
environment, and detachment from the city
and the places we live. Our contemporaneous
urban conditions are inspired in part by these
visions, from the hinterlands, to the flat share
(Pinder 2005). At the urban regional scale these
ideologies are realized short of their social
aspirations, leading to the erasure of local
cultures, climatic ways of living, and the
uniqueness of everyday life. Our modernized
”
"SOM has completed numerous projects in
China which were super-tall and beyond the
limits of the Chinese code, beginning with the
Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai in the mid-1990's.
Additional design and analysis measures are
always required on these projects to prove their
behavior and gain approval from seismic review
panels and building authorities."
In order to obtain seismic review approval for the Nanjing State-Owned Assets & Greenland
Financial Center’s Main Tower, one of tallest structures in the world to date, enhanced design
measures and performance-based evaluations were utilized. The critical parts of the lateral
system were designed for earthquake forces between two and six times that typically required
by Chinese code. In addition a full 3-Dimensional Non-Linear Elasto-Plastic analysis for a
2500-year earthquake was completed to determine the structures response and serviceability.
A multi-stage axial shortening, creep and shrinkage analysis was also performed to evaluate
the long-term load sharing between the central core and the perimeter of the Tower via the
outrigger truss system.
Introduction
In order to obtain seismic review approval for
the Nanjing State-Owned Assets & Greenland
Financial Center's Main Tower, one of tallest
structures in the world to date, enhanced
design measures and performance-based
evaluations were utilized. The critical parts of
the lateral system were designed for
earthquake forces between two and six times
that typically required by Chinese code. In
addition a full 3-Dimensional Non-Linear
Elasto-Plastic analysis for a 2500-year
earthquake was completed to determine the
structures response and serviceability. A
multi-stage axial shortening, creep and
shrinkage analysis was also performed to
the central core and the perimeter of the
Tower via the outrigger truss system.
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
homes and workplaces are constructed as
hermetic boxes of synthetic materials that are
sealed and controlled by oversized ducts and
advanced mechanical systems. To exacerbate
the issue, some academics are promoting the
use of hyper-elite and advanced mechanical
technologies to germinate plants in closed-
loop environments. Their manifestos depict
towers as space ships that produce food for
the entire city. Paradoxically, their proposals
imply that humankind should seek subsistence
in detached environments to deter an
apocalyptic future. Preemptively, these vertical
farm designers cite NASA-like, closed-
ecological systems as the answer before
considering contemporaneous bespoke
solutions. Herein lies an opportunity to
‘re-territorialize’, or open, the tower typology to
dialectics with the city and its resources
(Guattari, 1987). We could use our common
hopes and desires for changing space in
relation to life’s fluxes. We could germinate
plants in towers for climate control and food
production and make towers that are
responsive to the local culture, climate, and the
urban fabric (Abalos, 2003) (Wood, 2008). In
the following sections, I will speculate on the
technological concepts of this ‘open source’
alternative, the Condenser tower typology. I
will overview its precedence, technical
application, and internal organization.
Following these sketches is a discussion on the
incentives, limitations, and implications of this
and other methods of vertical farming.
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Overview
The Nanjing State-Owned Assets & Greenland
Financial Center Project (A1 Site) is a mixed-
use development consisting of a 450-meter tall
(1476'), 70-story office and hotel Main Tower; a
100-meter tall (328'), 22-story Accessory Office
Tower; and a 7-story podium building linking
the two towers and containing retail space,
cinemas and hotel conference center. The
total area above grade is approximately
197,000 square meters (2.1 million square feet).
The 450-meter tower contains approximately
65,000 square meters of office space on levels
11 through 34 and 60,000 square meters of
hotel, club, and restaurant space on levels 36
through 65. The project has 4 below-grade
levels under the entire site with a partial
mezzanine between the first basement floor
and the ground floor. Total below-grade area is
approximately 64,000 square meters. These
floors contain retail, mechanical systems, hotel
support, loading docks, car parking, and bike
parking (see Figure 1.)
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Figure 3b. Slots through Nakheel Tower allow wind to
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Project Overview
This study introduces the Condenser tower
typology and an uncommon vertical
eco-tourism that is specific to Dubai’s arid
coastal environment. As one of Dubai’s
contemporary modes of urbanism, the
ecologic tower could enhance the city’s green
credentials (Yeang 2008). The rationale for this
project is that the tower’s inherent nature is to
‘condense’ development. As it does so, it gains
more access to greater amounts of sunlight
and fresh air than any other building type. By
reorganizing the tower, and exposing its inner
core to Dubai’s environment, we could collect
or condense humidity to germinate plants for
sustenance and climate control (see Figure 1).
In this light, the Condenser situates itself as an
alternative to many vertical farm proposals. On
another front, the Condenser itself is a
postmodern utopian project. It is situated to
weave environmental, social cultural, and
perceptive ecologies (Guattari, 2000). To foster
these relations several of the Condenser’s
floors are designated for ‘seasonal crop
rotation’, or ‘flux-farming’. These are deceptive
terms as these spaces are not dedicated to
only growing crops. The function of these ‘flux’
spaces changes depending on seasonal
natural resources, demand for crops,
communal space, and finance. These variations
create different social groupings within the
tower. Together these space, seasonality, and
communal living aspects introduce a rekindled
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Figure 1. Nanjing Financial Center Main Tower; Left: Architectural Rendering; Right: Construction Photograph
Across the street from the A1 Site is the
Nanjing Greenland International Commercial
Center Project (A2 Site), which is a thirteen-
story multi-use building containing office,
retail, dining and parking facilities. Surface
parking is contained at basement Level B2.
Retail, dining and atrium spaces occur from
Level B1 to Level 3. Following are nine floors of
office space with a partial mechanical floor and
atrium at the top. Typical floor-to-floor
heights are 6.3m at the retail floors and 4.2m at
the office floors. The overall height of the
building is 66.2m (217') above grade with a
total area of 46,000 square meters (495,000
square feet).
Structural topping-out of the Main Tower was
completed in September 2008. Cladding
installation has been completed and interior
fit-out is currently underway. When finished
the Main Tower will be the 5th tallest building
in the world according to the CTBUH criteria.
The overall project was a competition that was
awarded to the Chicago office of Skidmore,
Owings and Merrill (SOM) in 2004. The
schematic design and design development
phases along with the seismic review process
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
pass through
Nakheel Harbour & Tower | 17
Figure 1. Condensation Graph - Relative Humidity , Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
‘keno-urban’ tower typology (Dear, 2000). Its uninhabited masonry tower on a hill in rural
uncertainty of events derogates from modern France, called Knapen’s air well (Nelson, 2003).
aspirations and moves towards a postmodern Knapen built the large-scale masonry structure
utopianism. as a labyrinth of internalized cavities. He was
keen on combining wind flows, diurnal
temperature variations, and the structure’s
Humidity Harvesting Precedence thermal mass to trap and condense
Humidity harvesting can be traced into the atmospheric vapors (see Figure 2). Although
depths of antiquity. Literature cites a wide, he anticipated his air well to collect 90L (23.7
geographical gamut of these experiments, Gal) of water per meter of its surface per night,
taking place in various regions of the world the well’s 3.7m (12ft) height and 2.7m (9 ft)
throughout time. This lineage ranges from the thick walls produced an average of 22L (5.8
collection of dew in ancient Greece, taking the Gal) of water by each sunrise. 
form of constructed dew ponds. It includes fog
water collection from coastal mountain ridges
in Hawaii and Chile,
and extends to
explorations on how to
collect advection fog
to settle nomadic
tribes in Namibia
(Beysens, 1998). The
materials and methods
that are employed to
collect atmospheric
vapors have varied in a
manner that is
significant to both time
and region. This
antiquated idea
entered the modern
era with the
construction of an
Figure 2. Knapen's Air well
Condenser Typology | 27
Structural System for the Main Tower
The Main Tower consists of a composite
system utilizing both structural steel and
reinforced concrete elements to resist both
gravity and lateral loads. Typical floor-to-floor
heights are 6m to 7m in the podium zone,
4.2m in the office zone and 3.8m in the hotel
zone. Mechanical floors are generally
double-height spaces at 8.4m tall.
The lateral-load resisting structural system
provides resistance to both seismic and wind
loading. Refer to Figure 2 for a graphic of the
overall lateral system. The primary lateral
system is comprised of an interior reinforced
concrete “super-core” shear wall system and
exterior composite columns. Shear wall
thicknesses range from 300mm to 1500mm
over the height of the building with reinforced
concrete link beams joining adjacent sections
of shear wall around door openings and 
for the A1 Site were completed by SOM by the
middle part of 2005 and then turned over to
the Local Design Institute (LDI), East China
Architectural Design and Research Institute
(ECADI), for completion of the construction
documents and construction administration
phases. Schematic design for the A2 Site was
completed by SOM in January 2005, and then
turned over to ECADI to complete the
remainder of the design phases. ECADI is the
engineer of record for both the A1 and A2
sites.
Given the height of the Main Tower and the
requirements for super-tall buildings which are
well beyond the limits of the Chinese code, an
extensive performance-based evaluation
approach was employed. Particular emphasis
and effort was put into the seismic design,
analysis and review process including an
elasto-plastic analysis on one of the tallest
buildings in the world to date. The steps taken
for the seismic design and approval of the
Main Tower will be the primary focus of this
paper.
Figure 2. Main Tower Lateral System
Nanjing Greenland Financial Center Main Tower | 37
Content | 3
Case Study: Nakheel Tower – The Vertical City

"The Nakheel Tower is a feat of design

intelligence on all levels and across all
disciplines – it truly is a mark of the epoch. It is
an example of the resilience of the human spirit
Mark Mitcheson-Low
to overcome the forces of nature to create a
monument dedicated to past, present and future
generations of the Gulf.”

Ahmad Rahimian Dennis O'Brien Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Dubai’s new experience centre and observation
capital, will be a beacon of inspiration for facilities along with a special sky
Authors the region and the world, incorporating function space – creating a vertical
1
Mark Mitcheson-Low, Regional Managing Director, elements from Islamic culture. Encom- community of over 15,000 people (see
Woods Bagot, Middle East
2
Ahmad Rahimian, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., President, WSP Cantor
passing more than 270 hectares, this Figure 1).
Seinuk, USA mixed-use development will be located
3
Dennis O'Brien, Regional Director, Norman Disney & The lessons learned from the Nakheel
in the heart of New Dubai, and will
Young, Middle East Harbour Tower hold implications for
include the world’s tallest building, a
1
Woods Bagot future buildings of this magnitude.
harbour, cultural podium and residential
Level 3, Suite 313 Although the technical difficulties
Sheikh Zayed Road districts. Nakheel Tower in itself will be a
Dubai, UAE associated with such a large project are
vertical city, accommodating residents
e: Mark.Mitcheson-Low@woodsbagot.ae many, none are insurmountable. This
in an efficient LEED rated, sustainable
2
WSP Cantor Seinuk 3
Norman Disney & Young provides optimism for the future of tall
building. This is the world’s first true,
228 E 45th Street PO Box 212828 building design and demonstrates the
New York, NY 10016, USA Dubai, UAE very tall mixed use development
e:rahimian@wspcs.com e: d.o'brien@ndy.com possibilities in building towers that
combining offices, a 5 star hotel, luxury
reach higher than any that have come
Mark Mitcheson-Low residential and serviced apartments, an
Mark has an expansive portfolio of major projects in all before.
sectors of design across the world in his 30 years of
experience in Architecture. Projects include mixed use
developments of commercial, retail, hospitality and Figure 1. Nakheel Harbour & Tower
residential sectors and major projects in transportation,
education, and infrastructure developments. Mark has
been a director since 1998 and joined Woods Bagot in
1986. His role has included the development of new
markets and the procurement and design management of
a diverse range of projects across the globe.
Ahmad Rahimian
With over 28 years of experience, Ahmad, an internationally
recognized expert in tall buildings, is president of WSP
Cantor Seinuk, a leading structural engineering firm based
in New York and part of WSP Group PLC. He is the recipient
of 2007 AISC Special Achievement Award, 2005 ASCE-CERF
Charles Pankow Award and ENR -Top 25 Newsmakers
Award of 2003. Among many notable projects, he directed
the structural engineering of the Trump World Tower and
Hearst Tower, New York; and Torre Mayor, Mexico City.
Dennis O'Brien
Dennis O’Brien is the Deputy CEO for the International
Group and Regional Director for Middle East. Dennis
established the office in Dubai following NDY,
appointment as Building Services Consultants for the
Nakheel Tall Tower. In addition to roles on the Board of the
Company, he is responsible for areas of Quality Assurance
and Risk Management for the International Group. He is
also active in assisting international offices in concept
design and design reviews for major projects.

16 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II

Architecture
Global design practice Woods Bagot were
appointed as the Architects for the Nakheel
Tower and Masterplanner for the harbour
precinct in 2006.
Building on the theories of past visionaries
such as Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and
Paolo Soleri, the Nakheel Tower is the first, true
realisation of a vertical city. Over 15,000
inhabitants will live, work and socialise all
within a footprint smaller than a New York City
block. With the ever-changing global
environmental climate affecting not only
Dubai, but the world as a whole - The Nakheel
Tower seeks to reduce the human impact on
the environment by being a beacon of passive

Figure 2. Nakheel Harbour & Tower Plan

ESD initiatives, striving to counteract and
minimise its carbon footprint by intelligent
design solutions and reducing urban sprawl
(see Figure 2).
Reaching heights of over one kilometer was
made possible by implementing a design
concept that divided the Tower into four
separate towers. Typical tall buildings are
usually planned around a single, central core
and taper towards the top to mitigate the
wind forces. In contrast, the Nakheel Tower
deals with the issues of wind by allowing the
wind to pass through the tower, rather than
around it. This is achieved by incorporating
two slots through the height of the tower
which effectively creates four separate towers,
each with their own core and structurally
linked at every 25 levels by "skybridges". Each
of these skybridges acts as a "podium" for each
of the tower sections above it. The end result is
large floor plates at high levels as the tower
does not taper as it gets taller (see Figures
3a+b). 

Figure 3a. Tower Components Figure 3b. Slots through Nakheel Tower allow wind to
pass through

CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II Nakheel Harbour & Tower | 17

Figure 4a. Arabic Pattern Base Figure 4b. Concentric Circles Figure 4c. 16 points

is a regular geometric shape that symbolises circle of the plan they created crescents, and

“
equal radiation in all directions from a single the intersection of these crescents, in turn, form
In the concept stages point. This is a fitting symbol for the spread of the shape of the columns. As they fan out from
of the design, the architects the teachings and influence of Islam the base of the tower, these larger circles
searched for cultural and throughout history. When the star motif is inform the geometry of the surrounding areas,
replicated and radiated, it creates junctions at reinforcing the importance of the tower’s
regional inspiration. A key the points where they meet. This, in turn, geometry and the way it sits in its context (see
element that came up time and defines further points of a circle, creating a Figure 5).
time again from an engineering series of concentric circles all emanating from There are many buildings that claim to offer
perspective was that a building the centre point, again reinforcing Islamic vertical communities. However, the Nakheel
that was symmetrical would principles (see Figures 4a-c). Tower will far exceed the existing paradigm of
evenly distribute the massive In developing the Nakheel Tower, the circle has vertical living with the inclusion of ‘sky bridges’
been adopted as the essential form of the plan. in the proper sense of the term. The sky bridges
loads. This was keyed into
The locations of the columns supporting the perform multiple roles, offering community
Arabic pattern-making, which tower represent the points of a 16-point star. and public spaces where visitors and residents
is the same notion about Instead of forming the star from straight lines, alike can interact - the Village Squares for the
symmetry, harmony and the circles were used. As these circles crossed the building inhabitants. They will also serve
centre point. From a cultural
point of view and from an
engineering point of view
there is an overlap that
basically tells the same
story.
” Alf Seeling, Principal, Woods Bagot

The design essence of the Tower is thus deeply

routed in the regional influences of pattern-
making and geometry, stemming from the
harmony, unity, order and balance of the
radiating circle and 16 pointed star often seen
in regional designs. The 16-pointed star, from
which the Nakheel Tower draws its inspiration,

Figure 5. Pattern informing tower plan

18 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II

Figure 6a. Skybridge section
Figure 6b. Skybridge link
functionally as the transfer point between lifts,
the refuge zones in an emergency, and the
structural link between the four tower legs,
acting as a ‘belt truss’ that binds the tower
together (see Figure 6a-c).
Fire and life safety design is paramount in tall
building design. The design team made a
priority of incorporating multiple levels of
in-built redundancy within the Nakheel Tower’s
design. The concept of four legs means that
there are four separate towers that offer four
distinct means of exiting in an emergency. For
example, if one of the tower cores were
disabled due to an emergency, it is possible to
travel either up or down to the nearest sky
bridge and safely cross to an unaffected tower
and exit from there.
The logistics of servicing a population of over
15,000 people vertically requires innovative
design solutions. The tower is serviced by 156
lifts using the latest technology of double-deck
and express lifts - the equivalent of a vertical
mass transit system.
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Figure 6c. View to Skybridge dome from glass elevator Figure 7. Diagram of the planning and stacking of the 156
tower lifts
The express lifts use the highest lift technology
available to reach the 560m high sky lobby and
transfer floors. From the sky bridges, residents,
tenants and guests can commute in local lifts
for the 25-level community above. All 156 lifts
can be used for fire evacuation to refuge zones
on sky bridges or complete evacuation.
Delivery to the tower is also via remote loading
and docking with a logistics handling system
not unlike an airport terminal (see Figure 7).
Due to the sheer scale of the Nakheel Tower
and the time projected to build it, a key Figure 8. Facade Panelisation
consideration during the design process has
been to maximise the repetition of façade whilst providing shading co-efficiencies and
elements, to keep construction time and cost U-Values to withstand direct sunlight and high
down as much as possible. The curtain wall and humidity levels. The Titanium panels proposed
titanium cladding follow a modulation that are 100% recyclable – including all fixing plates
panelises the entire façade – essentially making and connections. The panels are manufactured
the panels used on every level exactly the same in a process similar to that utilised by the
(see Figure 8). aerospace industry.
The façade incorporates the very latest in glass In a region such as the Middle East with its
technology, including advanced nanotech- harsh climate, sustainability is of the upmost
nology, to allow maximum light transmission importance. The design teams are working 
Nakheel Harbour & Tower | 19
to achieve LEED Gold rating for the Nakheel
Tower. Also, original and forward-thinking ...super-talls
sustainability initiatives are being developed

and incorporated in parallel to contemporary
standards to ensure that it is ‘future proofed’.
When holistically considered, all these efforts
will offer ‘green’ capability above and beyond
the existing advisory standards. The current
“
The primary difference between a super-tall tower and two
towers half its size is not the cost per square meter – it is the time it
takes to build the tall one versus two shorter ones, and the loss of
revenue through lost rent. This makes most super-tall buildings

sustainability model for super tall buildings is
being challenged at every level on a
continuous basis, the physical example
becoming the Nakheel Tower . Many forms of
environmental strategies have been applied to
the building design. These include everything
from the use of high-performance facades to
low energy-use servicing.
Structure
WSP Group has been appointed as structural
consultant for the Tall tower. Structural
engineering of the Tall Tower were managed
by WSP Cantor Seinuk as lead structural
engineer in collaboration with LERA and VDM
Group.
Building Form
The building form steps forward beyond the
traditional approach to high-rise construction,
and does so in a holistic way that harmonizes
the structure and architecture. For any
high-rise building, a broad footprint gives the
structure the stability that it needs; and
Figure 9. Typical Wall Layout
”
financially unfeasible.
Adrian Smith, Principal, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture on why most super-tall buildings
are financially unfeasible for developers. From ‘The Sky’s the Limit’ Cityscape. February/March 2009
traditionally that broad footprint would taper
and narrow at higher elevations. Generally,
this approach has the beneficial effect of
reducing the lateral wind and seismic loads on
the building. Unfortunately, the tapering
reduces the most valuable real estate that the
building possesses – the area towards the top.
To gain an adequate footprint for stability, the
tower extends to nearly 100m in diameter,
resulting in an approximately 10:1 aspect ratio.
Still, despite being quite a slender tower, the
central area of such a floor plate cannot be
reasonably utilized as lettable area, as it is too
far from the natural light of the façade.
This fact led to creating a central void space in
the tower, which pushed all of the usable area
to the perimeter. This in turn afforded the
opportunity to create vertical slots in the
tower, allowing wind to pass directly through
the center of the
building. In effect,
the tower essentially
tapers from the
inside out to dramat-
ically reduce the
overturning wind
forces on the
structure.
The 4 quadrant
approach also
provided the
opportunity for
independent and
redundant building
systems of all kinds – structural, mechanical,
electrical, fire egress, life safety, etc…
And of course, this design maximizes the most
valuable real estate at the top of the building.
Structural Form
Beyond practically a constant form from top to
bottom, the tower is also characterized by its
symmetry. This provides two very important
benefits for the structure. Firstly, there are no
transfers of vertical elements through the main
body of the tower. Secondly, it allows for a
uniform distribution of gravity forces through
the structure. These characteristics allow for a
more efficient structure. Further, they address
an important design consideration for
super-tall buildings – axial shortening.
Maintaining a uniform distribution of load
throughout the structure was one of the
driving forces in developing the structural
systems, given that the building would likely
shorten more than 400mm at its observation
level. However, the structural characteristics
that address this issue are one in the same as
those that address the core issues of efficiency,
redundancy, and economy.
There is no separation between the gravity
system and the lateral system, as can often be
the case in high-rises. The vertical structure is
organized in such a way that the elements are
all sized based on strength considerations,
while at the same time providing sufficient
lateral stiffness. Every element of the structure
is interconnected as will be described below.
This creates an extremely efficient structure

20 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II

where the materials perform double-duty
(gravity and lateral support). Multiple load
paths are created to give added redundancy
and by placing material only where it is
required for strength. This structure creates a
uniform distribution of load, so as not to have
differential shortening.
Though the building may function architec-
turally as several groups of 25-story buildings,
structurally it functions as a single entity.
Primary Structural Elements
All of the vertical elements of the building are
cast-in-place reinforced concrete. The wall
system consists of a Drum Wall, which is
essentially analogous with a typical building’s
central core wall. From the Drum, Hammer
Walls spring outwards to engage the structure
at the perimeter of the building and Fin Walls
spring inward primarily to support the core
area (see Figure 9).
The Hammer Walls connect directly to eight
Mega-Columns situated at the perimeter.
At each skybridge, the balance of the
Mega-Columns are interconnected to the
Hammers by means of the 3 story high steel
Belt Trusses (see Figure 10). In addition to
increased lateral stiffness, the Belt provides a
level of redundancy and added robustness to
the structure by creating alternate load paths.
Also at each skybridge are Link Walls, which
tie the Drum Wall segments together. This
produces a completely interconnected
structural system that behaves as a single
tower rather than separate quadrants. To
transfer the tremendous shear forces, steel
plate shear walls, up to 80mm thick encased
with up to 1300mm of concrete, are used.
The top of the building is characterized by a
series of 8 arches that extend upward to a
center spire that supports several special
function levels (see Figure 11). To put this
portion of the tower in perspective, the
arches are taller than the Eiffel Tower.
The spire itself is a cylindrical concrete form
that is supported from the 7th skybridge with
a series of concrete walls. The arches are to
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
be constructed with structural steel.
Outrigger trusses at the special function
levels will provide support to the floor
systems as well as stabilize the spire by
engaging the arch elements.
The last main element is the floor system,
which is a conventional concrete on metal
deck supported by composite steel beams.
With 10 million square feet of area, the floor
designs are meant to reduce complication.
Given that there is a tremendous amount of
repetition and that its erection can run
independently of the concrete operation, the
Figure 10. Isometric View of Belt Trusses
system is easily erected.
Structural Materials
As important as the simplicity of the floor
framing is, its weight is equally as important.
Reducing the overall weight of super-tall
buildings is always a principal goal, since the
weight and costs tend to compound
themselves in the vertical elements. In this
case, nearly half of the vertical structure’s
capacity went towards simply supporting its
own self-weight. Therefore, a lightweight
floor system is key.
Of course high strength concrete is imper-
ative in achieving a building of such
unprecedented height. Although there is a
ready supply of concrete in Dubai, placing
concrete above an 80MPa strength is not
believed to have been attempted. For the
Nakheel Tower, concrete in excess of 100MPa
strength is required with Young’s Modulus of
nearly 50,000MPa.
Again, beyond simply the strength of the
material, constructability is at the forefront of
the design approach. The concrete must be
workable in a very hot environment,
pumpable to great heights, and above all Figure 11. Finite Element Model of Spire and Crown
reliable.
To this end the design team worked together
with concrete technologists, Ancon Beton of
Australia, developing design mixes. This was
seen as a crucial element in the structural
design of the building and work on the
concrete design was undertaken during
schematic design. 
Nakheel Harbour & Tower | 21

Figure 12. CFD Analysis
Wind Engineering
Wind was perhaps the single greatest
adversary for the engineers on this project.
Rowan Davies Williams & Irwin (RWDI) are the
wind engineers for the project with peer
review work being performed by the Alan G.
Davenport Wind Engineering Group of the
University of Western Ontario and MEL
Consultants. The wind engineering, structural
engineering and the architecture of the tower
were very closely intertwined in the devel-
opment of the project. Numerous building
forms were studied throughout the tower’s
development. Ultimately, many of the
refinements to the tower’s architectural
concept were driven by aerodynamics.
Figure 13. High Frequency Force Balance Test
22 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower
With a constant cylindrical form, the tower
was susceptible to vortex shedding, which is
why the slots are such a crucial design
element. The slots serve to mitigate the
vortex-shedding phenomenon and reduce
the overall wind load on the building by
three fold. One lesson learned in the design
was that very subtle changes in the slot or
internal void geometry can substantially
impact the aerodynamic behavior.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were
used to study many small variations in
geometry (see Figure 12) together with
dozens of high frequency force balance
(HFFB) tests (see Figure 13). However, the
CFD modeling and HFFB tests were only
initial indicators as to the building’s response
Figure 14. Large Scale High Re Test
to wind. Aeroelastic model testing, high
frequency pressure integration studies, and
large-scale tests at high Reynolds Number
(Re) were also performed to provide
additional pieces to the puzzle (see
Figure 14).
The strategy for addressing lateral accelera-
tions of the tower was always to look for an
aerodynamic solution first. This required a
very good understanding of the wind
behavior and extensive testing (as intimated
above). The wind engineering is substantially
completed at present. The building’s
performance in terms of lateral accelerations
is good and no supplemental damping is
necessary. However, provisions for a liquid
mass damper has been included in the
design to account for possible variations in
the building’s as-built stiffness and inherent
damping.
Building Services
Norman Disney & Young has been appointed
to design Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulic
and Fire Services for the Nakheel Harbour
Tower. A significant amount of research and
development has been undertaken for this
project. The product of this effort has
significant implications for the engineering of
other tall towers.
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
Stack Effect
Stack effect is one the main difficulties
associated with tall tower design. The
problem has traditionally been encountered
in cold climates in North America, during
winter, where temperature differences
approaching 40°C are common. Many of the
world’s early tall towers were constructed
there.
A warm building in a cold climate behaves
like a chimney, with warm air rising to the top
of the building. This results in the internal
pressure at high level becoming well above
atmospheric and at low level becoming well
below atmospheric. Somewhere near the
middle of the building there will be a neutral
point, where the internal and external
pressures are equal.
In the past decade, the world’s new breed of
high rise towers has been built in the hotter
climates of Asia and the Middle East.
Problems occur during hot weather, with the
pressure gradient operating in reverse. The
result is high pressures at ground level and
low pressures at high level. The tallest towers
in Asia have been approximately
500m high. Temperature differences tend to
be no more than 15°C (say 36°C ambient and
21°C internal). The Nakheel Harbour Tower is
over 1,000m high and the temperature
difference in summer is 25°C (46°C ambient
less 21°C internal). This results in a pressure
difference between the top and bottom of an
open shaft of 780 Pa. This is expected to result
in a positive pressure on the order of 390Pa at
the ground and a negative pressure of 390 Pa
at the high level. To put this into perspective,
most fire codes limit the pressure difference
across a fire escape door, due to stair
pressurisation, to 50 Pa. This is due to the
force needed to open the door.
The pressure created by stack effect causes air
infiltration into the building at the high level,
resulting in energy loss and loss of capacity of
HVAC systems. At the bottom of the tower,
the high pressure will cause high loss of
conditioned air to the outside.
The pressures will result in high air velocities
across doors connecting to the outside. This
will cause lift doors to jam and subsequent
loss of lift service. It will make doors either
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
impossible or dangerous to open.
Measures being considered to mitigate the
problems created by stack effect include:
t Use of revolving doors at pedestrian
entries.
t Providing multiple stages to entries.
t Isolating loading docks from goods lifts.
t
Providing an anti-room with sequenced
operation of doors and pressure control
for goods access.
A similar use of anti-rooms is proposed for
maintenance access at the top of the
building.
In general, stair shafts serve from skybridge to
skybridge only, opening onto safe havens at
each skybridge. Likewise, lifts serving limited
parts of the tower do not present major
problems.
High rise lift shafts will be temperature
controlled to align pressure differentials to
those existing elsewhere in the building.
Shafts will be required to be warmer in
summer than the general space temperature,
to provide the same pressure gradient.
Pressure Staging
Tall buildings create the need to pump water
in stages up the building, to limit the pressure
in any part of the pipework to the pressure
rating of the available pipework, valves and
equipment.
In the case of chilled water, this issue
becomes more complicated. The number of
stages is limited by the practicalities of
permissible temperature rise in the chilled
water to the top of the tower.
Two broad options presented themselves.
Option 1 had a pressure stage at each
skybridge. This kept the pressure ratings low
but resulted in unacceptably high chilled
water temperatures at the top of the tower.
Air-cooled chillers would be required at high
levels in the tower.
Option 2 had a pressure stage at every
second skybridge. This limited the stages to 5
(including a stage at the basement chiller
level) and eliminated the need for chillers in
...retrofit
“
They’re showing the
rest of the city that existing
buildings, no matter how tall
they are, no matter how old
they are, can take steps to
significantly reduce their
”
energy consumption.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City,
who has made sustainability a theme of his
administration, quoted on the
environmental retrofit plans for the Empire
State Building. From ‘Empire State Building
Plans Environmental Retrofit’ The New York
Times, April 6, 2009
the tower. The concern with this arrangement
is the very high pressures in the system.
Option 1 is favoured, with the most signif-
icant concern being the potential for a leak in
the heat exchangers between stages. This
would result in a doubling of pressure in the
lower parts of the stages and subsequent
failure of all heat exchangers below these
stages. Resultant damage would be
enormous, and the potential for injury
significant.
This is likely to be overcome by the use of an
oversized venting system. Whilst this seems
likely to prevent a rapid pressure build up,
computer modeling is to be undertaken to
ensure the design can cope with any
transient pressures due to a sudden failure.
Environmental Initiatives
The project brief requires high standards of
environmental performance. Most initiatives,
which are widely considered best practice in
modern buildings, are being incorporated as
a matter of course and are not covered in this
paper.
The project has a high component of
residential and hotel space and therefore a
high need for hot water on a continual basis.
The Dubai climate creates the need for
cooling, even during the winter months. 
Nakheel Harbour & Tower | 23
Several alternative cogeneration strategies
are being considered.
The project requires its own District Cooling
Plant. This provides the opportunity to gain
the advantages of efficient operation from a
large chiller plant. It also enables the design
of the load side (air handling plant) to be
optimised to increase chiller efficiency and
reduce pumping needs.
Water conservation is by means of black
water treatment, storm water harvesting, and
reuse of fire test water.
Phase change material is being considered
for thermal storage in chilled water and hot
water systems as well as in building
construction, where an increase in thermal
mass can contribute to either energy savings
or reduction in peak demand.
The use of high voltage power distribution
enables reduced transmission losses.
Logistics
During construction, the time taken to hoist
equipment to such heights is considerable.
The time taken for labour to go to and from
the upper parts of the building is also
considerable. This dictates the need to look
closely at prefabrication offsite.
Internal lift shafts are to be used for
construction lifts, to reduce the reliance on
external cranes. Therefore, components that
fit in the lift shaft and can be quickly
assembled onsite are preferred.
Examples of preassembly include prewired
electrical and communication systems with
plug-in connections, fan coil units and air
24 | Nakheel Harbour & Tower
handlers complete with mounting frames,
valves, electrical panels and control panels.All
will be pretested offsite and will use propri-
etary-bolted assembly pipework.
Replacement of system components, during
the life of the building, includes equipment
that can be broken down to components and
catered for in a goods lift. Where this is not
feasible, the dimensions of the component
must be within the dimensions of the lift
shaft, which can be temporarily used for
hoisting.
Services risers must be planned, to allow
replacement and additional services to be
run. This requires spatial planning not only for
the riser but also for access during instal-
lation.
Facing the Future
In order to develop a tower of this scale and
distinction, the design team has had to
project its design strategies
forward into the future by
using the latest design
techniques of today and
creating flexibility to
embrace the trends and
technology of the future.
Children of the Emirates will
see this tower constructed
and will be the future
occupiers, tenants and
guests of the building. The
team has been designing
this tower for future
generations and future
vertical communities.
Future-proofing the
thoughts and innovations behind the design
involves becoming a futurist and not
accepting current norms. Research into future
trends and means of providing for them has
been an important part of the design teams’
approach.
In these uncertain financial times, Dubai and
the Nakheel Tower have not been immune to
the effects of the Global Financial Crisis.
Currently, the design team have completed a
substantial portion of the project design and
documentation, enabling extensive
foundation work to be completed at the site.
The decision by the developer to temporarily
suspend site-work has not impacted the
enthusiasm of the team, who are still excited
about the day this boundary-pushing tower
will rise out of the sand. 
Naming all the professionals involved and
instrumental in advancing a project of this scale
requires more space than available here.
However, this article will not be complete
without acknowledging the contribution and
dedication of the following individuals:
Cris Johansen, Peter Read and Neil Woodcock,
Nakheel. Alf Seeling, Garry Marshall, Richard
Marshall, Nik Karalis, Peter Miglis and Matthew
Gaal, Woods Bagot; Kamran Moazami, Bart
Sullivan, Samer Wattar, Andy Veall and Patrick
Chan WSP cantor Seinuk; Leslie Robertson and
SawTeen See, LERA; Anil Hira, VDM; Kevin
Winward, Winward Structure; Peter Irwin and
Derek Kelly, RWDI; Nick Isyumov and Peter Case,
BLWTL; Bill Melbourne, MEL Consultant. Max
Ervin & Chris Haberfield, Golder Associates; Ian
Ullah, Fugro; Harry Poulos, Coffey Geotechnics.
Soletanche-Bachy / Intrafor JV Michel Percak
Khalil Ibrahim; Rick Barker and Paul Bennett,
Barker Mohandas.
CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II
CTBUH Organizational Members http://membership.ctbuh.org

SUPPORTING CONTRIBUTORS Rosenwasser/Grossman Consulting CPP Inc.

Arup Engineers, PC CS Associates
Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc. CTL Group
W. S. Atkins & Partners Overseas Dagher Engineering
Bovis Lend Lease S.r.l. Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates, Inc.
Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners)
Buro Happold Ltd. Studio Gang Architects Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects &
CB Richard Ellis Ltd Thornton Tomasetti Inc. Engineers (HK) Ltd.
Davis Langdon LLP Walter P Moore Dunbar & Boardman
Winward Structures Pty. Ltd. Edgett Williams Consulting Group, Inc.
DeSimone Consulting Engineers Emirates Specialities Co. LLC
Emaar Properties PJSC Woods Bagot
Epstein
Gale International Faithful + Gould
Illinois Institute of Technology, College of
CONTRIBUTORS Fortune Consultants Ltd.
AECOM FXFOWLE Architects P.C.
Architecture
AKF Engineers Gold Coast City Council
Kohn Pedersen Fox American Iron and Steel Institute Gorproject (Urban Planning Inst. of Residential and
KONE Oyj Broadway Malyan Public Buildings)
Mori Building Co., Ltd. Canary Wharf Group Guangzhou Scientific Computing Consultant
NBBJ CB Engineers Gulf Glass Industries.
Remaking of Mumbai Federation Continental Automated Buildings GVK–ECS, Inc.
Samsung Corporation (Engineering & Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc.
Association (CABA) Heller Manus Architects
Construction) C.S. Structural Engineering Hilson Moran Partnership Ltd.
Schindler Elevator Corporation DeStefano + Partners Ltd. Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects
Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP DHV Bouwen Industrie HOK,Inc.
Turner Dong Yang Structural Engineers Hong Kong Housing Authority
Viracon (Apogee) Goettsch Partners Horvath Reich CDC Inc.
Halvorson and Partners International Union of Bricklayers and
Allied Craftworkers
PATRONS INTEMAC
Irwinconsult Pty. Ltd.
American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. JCE Structural Engineering Group, Inc. JBA Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Blume Foundation KHP Konig, Heunisch und Partner John Portman & Associates
BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd. Lobby Agency Lerch Bates Inc.
DLA Piper UK LLP MulvannyG2 Architecture Limitless LLC
The Durst Organization Nakheel Lucien Lagrange Architects
NFPA Magnetek, Inc
Hongkong Land Ltd.
Norman Disney & Young Margolin Bros. Engineering & Consulting Ltd.
KLCC Property Holdings Berhad McNamara/Salvia, Inc.
Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Perkins+Will MechoShade Systems
Sciences Riggio / Boron, Ltd. Middlebrook & Louie
Saudi Ogers Ltd. The Steel Institute of New York Murphy/Jahn
Tishman Speyer Properties Structal-Heavy Steel Construction Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
Studio Daniel Libeskind, Architect LLC Nishkian Menninger
Webcor Builders
T.R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn. Bhd. Arkitek O’Connor Sutton Cronin
Weidlinger Associates, Inc. Option One International W.L.L.
Tekla Corporation
Zuhair Fayez Partnership Otis Elevator Company
TSNIIEP for Residential and Public Buildings
Palafox Associates
DONORS WSP Group Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture Perkins Eastman Architects
Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory
PARTICIPANTS Plannungsgruppe Droge Baade Nagaraj
Aedas Limited PPG Industries
(U. Western Ontario) Al Jazera Consultants Ramboll Whitbybird
Built Form Allford Hall Monaghan Morris LLP Stanley D. Lindsey & Associates
Gensler APH Capital Partners Syska Hennessy Group, Inc.
Halcrow Yolles Arabian Aluminum Co. LLC Taylor Thomson Whitting Pty Ltd
Hughes Associates, Inc. ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism TFP Farrells Limited.
Hyder Consulting Archstudia P.M. TPS Consult Ltd Centre
Architectural Institute of Korea Traynor O’Toole Architects
Larsen & Toubro Limited Arquitectonica United States Gypsum Company
Leslie E. Robertson Associates BG&E Pty Limited University of Nottingham
Magnusson Klemencic Associates Bouygues Construction Vanguard Realty Pvt. Ltd.
W. L. Meinhardt Group P/L Building Design International Vipac Engineers & Scientists Ltd.
Nabih Youssef & Associates Callison LLP Walsh Construction Company
Pan Arab Consulting Engineers The Calvin Group, LLC Werner Sobek Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG
Canderel Management, Inc. WOHA Architects Pte. Ltd.
Pickard Chilton Architects
CBM Engineers Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.
RISE International Chicago Committee on High-Rise Buildings World Academy of Sciences for Complex Security
RMJM Hillier Code Consultants, Inc. WSP Cantor Seinuk Group Inc.
Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. Contract Glaziers Inc. WSP Flack + Kurtz
COWI A/S Y. A. Yashar Architects
Supporting Contributors are those who contribute $10,000; Patrons: $6,000; Donors: $3,000; Contributors: $1,500; Participants: $750.

CTBUH Journal | 2009 Issue II CTBUH Organizational Members | 55

About the Council
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat, based at the Illinois Institute of
Technology in Chicago, is an international
not-for-profit organization supported by
architecture, engineering, planning,
development and construction professionals.
Founded in 1969, the Council’s mission is to
disseminate multi-disciplinary information on
tall buildings and sustainable urban
environments, to maximize the international
interaction of professionals involved in
creating the built environment, and to make
the latest knowledge available to
professionals in a useful form.
The CTBUH disseminates its findings, and
facilitates business exchange, through: the
publication of books, monographs,
proceedings and reports; the organization of
world congresses, international, regional and
specialty conferences and workshops; the
maintaining of an extensive website and tall
building databases of built, under
construction and proposed buildings; the
distribution of a monthly international tall
building e-newsletter; the maintaining of an
international resource center; the bestowing
of annual awards for design and construction
excellence and individual lifetime
achievement; the management of special
task forces / working groups; the hosting of
technical forums; and the publication of the
CTBUH Journal, a professional journal
containing refereed papers written by
researchers, scholars and practicing
professionals. The Council actively undertakes
research into relevant fields in conjunction
with its members and industrial partners, and
has in place an international ‘Country
Representative’ network, with regional CTBUH
representatives promoting the mission of the
Council across the globe.
The Council is the arbiter of the criteria upon
which tall building height is measured, and
thus the title of ‘The World’s Tallest Building’
determined. CTBUH is the world’s leading
body dedicated to the field of tall buildings
and urban habitat and the recognized
international source for information in these
fields.

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Illinois Institute of Technology
S. R. Crown Hall
3360 South State Street
Chicago, IL, 60616
Phone: +1 (312) 909 0253
Fax: +1 (610) 419 0014
Email: info@ctbuh.org
http://www.ctbuh.org
ISSN: 1946 - 1186