25-storey mixed-use development resistant to seismic activity
The Living Wall is a mixed-use development in the Wadi Saqra commercial district in Amman, currently being built by Buro Happold. Nestled in one of Amman’s dramatic rock beds, it is designed to integrate the diversified needs of a developing city. The dynamic complex is set to become a key destination in Amman for work, leisure, hospitality and retail activities – for all the diverse and growing needs of the area and its communities.
The Foster + Partners design has won the Cityscape Architectural Review Award in the Commercial/Mixed-use category, and the name ‘Living Wall’ comes from the idea of bringing something still to life, like the slope of the urban Wadi it is located in. The project has been designed to reflect the regional topography and ancient history of the area by giving a feeling of the ancient caves which would have once populated the area.
Six inter-connected sculpted towers will sit on a rough-hewn podium cut into the rock face
To this end it has been ‘cut’ into the rock face, with a rough-hewn podium featuring strong, vertical incisions in a line of natural rock, and on this podium will be grouped six inter-connected sculpted towers. The towers will contain shops, residential units and a boutique hotel, while the deep spaces between the towers will house a variety of shaded public spaces, including a sunken amphitheatre and a large, shady piazza.
“Light reflections and shadows will be used to keep temperatures down,” explained Buro Happold’s project leader George Keliris. “The towers have double-skin façades with screens which stimulate air circulation and provide shading, while recalling the natural rock strata. The screens become denser where the potential heat gain is greater, and will store overnight coolness to create a comfortable work environment.” Meanwhile, the spaces behind the screens will contain balconies and terraces, providing outdoor leisure space and helping to animate the complex as a ‘Living Wall’.
Earthquake resistance built in
The development will be constructed entirely from reinforced concrete, and Buro Happold’s structural design team has overcome numerous challenges to make the 25-storey buildings resistant to the seismic activity common in the area.
“Seismic resistance has been achieved by sub-dividing the podium into smaller building blocks, allowing each block to behave independently of the others, with its own dual lateral stability system of concrete cores and moment frames,” explained George Keliris, project leader at Buro Happold. “The structural blocks were modelled using Non-Linear-Time-History analysis as this provides one of the most advanced methods available for assessing the performance of the blocks in earthquake conditions.”
Key project information
Client Development and Investment Projects
Architect Foster + Partners
Dates Ongoing
Main services provided by Buro Happold
Structural engineering, infrastructure and environment, building services engineering, acoustic engineering, fire engineering design and risk assessment, facade engineering, lighting technologies, security, IT and communications.
Ends
Note to Editors:
Buro Happold
Press office and practice information at www.burohappold.com
Images are available on request.
For more information, please contact:
Jenni O’Connor
PR Officer
Tel +44 (0)1225 320600 ext. 2937
Fax +44 (0)8707 874148
Email jenni.o’connor@burohappold.com
Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976. It offers civil and structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, quantity surveying, building services and environmental engineering, health and safety management, infrastructure and traffic engineering, ground engineering, façade engineering, fire engineering, computational fluid dynamics analysis, inclusive design consultancy, project management, urban design and a range of specialist CAD services.
