Dubai, United Arab Emirates

THE BEACON

Signal to the world

The project is divided into two segments:

• The podium portion of the project incorporates a children’s ibrary, conference facility (which can be subdivided into 3 separate rooms, accommodating a total of 100 people), an indoor circulation space, restrooms, a mechanical room and a parking area (containing 34 parking spaces). • The emblem structure (The BEACON) consists of a café which sits atop the structure just beneath the lantern and a viewing platform, located halfway up the height of the structure, both of which highlight the landscape of the adjacent Za’abeel park as well as Dubai’s spectacular city skyline.

Within the emblem structure, the café is reachable by three glass elevators – made to appreciate the surrounding environment – and a semicircular staircase which climbs the core of the internal structure to reach the top of the tower. To maximize circulation, two entrances allow visitors to reach both the conference facility as well as the BEACON café and viewing platform. The first entrance is an elevator access point located on the conference facility roof and the second is a ground floor entrance at the front of the building. The parking area has been developed as an employee entrance, allowing employees a direct access point from the parking area to both the conference facility and the BEACON.

The BEACON is supported by two sets of pillars: the primary structure is composed of three metal pillars which are situated on the external perimeter; the secondary structure is composed of several pillars which are situated in the core of the BEACON. A web of angular braces add to the support and stability of the structure.

The BEACON stands at a respectable 170 meters in height. Topping the structure, a lantern, positioned just above the café contains a lamp which projects a light high above the city below: “the signal”. The illumination of the BEACON can be customized based on individual events: a colored light; a roving light; diffused light, directed light etc., this allows “the signal” to change according to the desired effect. In a town where millions of lights shine, the BEACON’s beam of light would be one-of-a-kind, easily recognized as the EMBLEM of Dubai. The external screens covering the structure of the tower begin as a solid base at the bottom and gradually transform into a transparent material allowing the visitor to discover a constantly changing view of the city, which develops over the course of the ascent. Midway through the ascent an opportunity to appreciate city views is provided in the form of a viewing platform, 91 meters high. The viewing platform juts out from the tower to give the visitor the sensation of floating on air. The platform faces the center of the city where Dubai’s world renowned skyline is visible. Through this experience the visitor becomes an active participant.

The conference facility roof is designed to represent “sand dunes”, each dune is topped with a skylight to illuminate the indoor space beneath. Three of the dunes are made completely of glass which deliver a greater concentration of light to the space below. These glass dunes also provide an unique prospective of the tower above. The roof is made with a concept that allows it to become part of the landscape so that it functions not only as a covering to protect the space beneath but also as a pedestrian zone creating an active energy between the various levels.

The landscape around the project has been shaped with the intention to recreate, by using appropriate colors and organic forms, a bond with the local environment: the desert, sand and water. Stairs, ramps and elevators are integrated into the new environment to let visitors walk without barriers. “The dunes” which encompass the conference facility encourage pedestrian interaction, promoting discovery of the surrounding scenery. The area around the fountain incorporates a relaxation space providing seating from which a picturesque panorama of the adjoining Za’abeel Park can be admired. The outdoor space generated around the Emblem, a “càvea” can be used to organize outdoor events such as concerts, plays, outdoor receptions or children’s activities. This dynamic setting allows the visitor access to all areas of the outdoor circulation space including the existing Za’abeel Park.

Europaconcorsi Beta

THE BEACON