IAnD Exclusive
By
Savitha Hira
Photography:
courtesy Architect Hafeez Contractor
23 Marina, the exclusive
waterfront address overlooking the azure blue waters of the man-made Marina Waterfront
in Dubai, was until August 2012, considered the world’s tallest residential
tower at 392m...
The building is designed
by India’s numero uno Ar. Hafeez
Contractor, whose passion for buildings seems to be escalating like his
structures – rising high into the skies, as if aspiring for the ultimate touch!
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The 90-storey tower
hosts a combination of luxurious 2 and 3-bedroom apartments and 48 lavish
duplexes with varying vistas; it offers unique features such as private
elevators, open deck plunge pools and private Jacuzzis. The imposing 6-storey
entrance offers a dramatic sense of entry into the tower; besides amenities
that boast of a health spa, landscaped garden, jogging track, indoor and
temperature controlled pools etc.
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In the chic urbane
locality dotted with hi-end retail establishments and international eateries,
the octagonal tower in composite aluminium and blue glass with a spire at its
pinnacle stands apart as a lofty landmark.
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While the basic form of
the building has been derived from its adherence to zoning regulations with
restrictive ground coverage, Hafeez altered the initially planned oval form to
octagonal to counter wind loads owing to vertex movement. With the requisite structural stability into
place, the podiums and protruding triangular balconies that contrast with its
distinct profile accentuate the mechanics of the design. The triangular
canopies covering the terrace and embracing the spire further streamline the
form and give it a dynamic disposition.
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| Developmental Sketches |
Known for his distinctive buildings and his views on skyscrapers, Hafeez has designed a handful of buildings in Dubai alone, each one different in terms of use, purpose and aesthetics. An advocate of intense vertical development to save the land, his designs are based on the need for sustainable compact cities, connected centres of social and commercial activities, community based society, rich urban landscaping and proximity reducing waste of energy.
With this as his latest offering on the world map, closer home, the architect is still striving to lay special emphasis on social housing to irradiate the housing shortage in the country and realize his dream of providing a house for every Indian.
good job
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