The construction of this prestigious 37-storey high-rise headquarters office tower in Abu Dhabi, built for a large Middle East-based company, brought Buro Happold's integrated, multi-disciplinary skills to bear. The stunning design, incorporating a stylish twin wall glass facade and dual curved office wings, complete with central atrium, was immediately hailed as an engineering and design success.

After originally constructing a 33-floor tower, a further four floors to the office and  building services capabilities were increased. Careful attention was given to modifying the external landscape to accommodate the additional people and car parking – Adia can now cater for a population of 2,000 with 800 parking spaces.

The 200m-high structure is in a premier city centre location and includes restaurant, gym and swimming pool facilities for employees. Infrastructure innovations include a link from the car park to the underground train system. Notable features include a 180m-high atrium wall and a 30m cantilevered steel grillage canopy.

Date: 2005