Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ecologic Tower

Una torre modellata dal vento

Antonello Naseddu, Satberk Banu Cakaloz, Paolo Picchi, Claudia Oddone, Roberto Sacco, Roberto Caboni, Lorenzo Ferrari

Concept

Introduction.

Vista a volo d'uccello

Considering sand, every rigid form becomes meaning less, only movement itself will have a value. This project is based on sand, on the particles of a “solid sea” in continuous flux, in temporary form sculpt by the wind. This tower has found its inspiration through this continuous interaction.

Schema parco

The Tower.

Vista generale dal Parco

A bending form, a quasi curve is giving the multi perceptive form to the structure. There is no ultimate shape, but movement , through the accumulation of multi centred circles. It is an open form, to every interpretation and perception through whichever angle.

Schema pianta

Tower’s skin is designed as a filter an intermediation between light and life. Semi transparency in material let the optical continuity between outer world and interior space, while providing a protected area for the thematic gardens.

Percezione dinamica dal profilo della torre

Main entrance is defined by a huge arch. It provides an open space, a “flexible area”. Podium level is based on two multi centred curves, placed inside one another. The inner curve left an open space before touching boundaries of the outer. This space has designed to gain an accessible line towards the entrance and keeping movement still visible.

Schema funzionale altimetrico

Uppermost section is a viewpoint, made of a glass and glowing arches, completing the bending structure, and providing a vision in 360°. It is made to see the rhytm in desert. It is made to understand if we can see where does a desert stands, where it stands and where it ends.

Piante

Park of the 4 Elements

Prospetti

In the scenery of parks and green areas in Dubai, characterized by an English VIII. century approach in projecting gardens, with the park of four elements the intention was to use the concept in the Islamic ‘Garden Art’. Number four is a recurrent symbol for Islamic culture. Third elevation of the square, a cube, represents the earth, while the circle represents heaven, and the intermediate shape, the octagon, represents Paradise. Islamic gardens are a sort of connection between the earth and the Paradise. Differently from most of the Occidental gardens, Islamic ones are places for meditation and perception of senses (smell, taste), they are enclosed centric spaces, repaired by the hostile outside environment. Islamic art usually refers to four elements: earth, water, air and fire. Four octagonal gardens make people perceive basic elements, to make them reflect and meditate about. Every element is connected with plants coming from Islamic culture and representing a particular concept. Gardens lay between dunes of sand and grass, like oasis enclosed between high walls. These dunes are cut by the main path and dotted by little groves where to hide from the sun. The general purpose of the project is to reach the tower, actually a cultural centre and symbol of Dubai, starting from the fundamental concepts of our life, base of the Islamic as well as of every culture.

Il grande arco d'ingresso

The garden of earth In the middle of the garden, at a lower level, there is an oval space, reminding of a seed. The “hollow” in the ground is made of blue majolica and is the symbol of Fertility of earth, the seed itself is a symbol of Fecundity. The earth is the first element, the Origin. People can seat down in this garden and imagine to be a seed that has to germinate. The symbol of the first garden is the palm tree: Phoenix dactylifera in the Islamic culture represents fecundity and richness.

Il "Parco verticale"

The garden of water Water means life, especially in a country where even a single drop of rain is blessed, and this second garden represents life which grows from the earth when the water flows through. The garden borrows its shape from a drop of water falling down in a puddle to generate concentric circles. A number of channels divide the space and the pool of fresh water in the middle of the garden offer some comfort to the visitors. The shadow is assured by the almond trees, that in the Islamic garden art symbolizes life.

Sala conferenze

The garden of air The symbol of this garden is Punica Granatum, the pomegranate that in the Islamic tradition is considered symbol of hope. Air, is the invisible element, hence, this garden want people to perceive it through its effects. The pomegranate shrub gives home and food to the birds, inhabitants of the air. Together with graminaceae (Stipa tenuifolia) vertical and thin carbon fiber rods stand in the air and whisper its moving.

La rampa che congiunge il bar al belvedere

The garden of fire Fire symbolizes passion and eternity, and ‘Garden of Fire’ is the last one, the one that leads towards the tower. The symbol is the cypress, in Islamic gardens it is considered as the tree of immortal beauty, and the plan of garden is a homage to sun: from a central focus, a number of radial paths are a sign of its rays. Colours of the garden are the colours of love and hate, a powerful dualism. The Red of the velaria floating over the paths and of Sedum spectabile (plant specie) borders together with the black of the Aeonium zwartkop (plant specie) and the basalt, the stone created by the fire.

Vista dal belvedere

Energy production from renewable source

Impianti per la produzione di energia pulita

Wind Energy An horizontal axis wind turbine can be locate inside the building hole. Considering the hole diameter, a 100 kW wind turbine by Furhlander (FL-100) can be used. This turbine has a diameter of 21 m and a nominal power output of 100kW with a wind of 13 m/s. Starting from the ground level wind statistic of Dubai, the wind at 133 m above ground level was calculated. Given the turbine power curve the ideal amount of energy supplied can be estimated in 440 MWh/year. Taking into account the orientation of the building and that the wind turbine can not rotate around is yaw axis due to the installation constrains, the wind direction that can be properly use to produce electric energy is that from NW and, with good approximation, also those from NNW and WNW. From the local wind rose, the percentage of available wind can be estimated in a 45%. This percentage leads to an estimated production of 200 MWh/year. In this analysis The blockage effect of the building was considered compensated by the acceleration effect due to hole presence (Figure 2).

Pala eolica integrata nella struttura

Figure 2. Wind rose and frequency distribution at ground level (yearly averaged value). Power output of Furhlander 100. Solar energy A novel system for solar energy capturing consist in substituting a portion of a glass window with a series of Fresnel lens [1]. These lens focus the solar radiation on a receiver that can be a small photovoltaic panel or a solar thermal panel. This systems as two main advantages: the first is the reduction of the direct irradiation inside the room (while the diffuse light remains mainly unchanged) and the second, of course, is the use of solar energy. The system can be defocused to increase the amount of radiation for room lighting.

Figure 3. Example of Fresnel lens use in for solar energy use in building (figure extracted from the paper [1]) In the present case the top of belvedere window was considered with a glass portions shaped as Fresnl lens. The system was considered always in full capturing without defocus, since there is no need of additional lighting. In this case a area of 120 m2 can be considered for solar energy capturing. Starting from the Dubai yearly averaged specific incident solar energy (1900-2100 kWh/m2/year) and the typical solar panel and photovoltaic panel efficiency, the annual available energy can be calculated (Figure 4 and Figure 5): • Using solar thermal panel: 100 MWh/year of thermal energy • Using photovoltaic panel : 22 MWh/year of electric energy

Figure 4. Map of yearly averaged solar irradiation

Figure 5. Solar irradiation at Dubai geografical coordinates. [1] Y. Tripanagnostopoulos , Ch. Siabekou, J.K. Tonui, 2007, “The Fresnel lens concept for solar control of buildings” Solar Energy 81 (2007) 661–675

Europaconcorsi Beta

Ecologic Tower