Architectural Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (B)

When you think of the United Arab Emirates you generally tend to think of the glitz & glamour of Dubai & there is no greater symbol of this than the Burj Khalifa – currently the tallest building in the world, towering 828m over the desert landscape below…

…Despite this I want to explore the architectural wonders of the capital city Abu Dhabi. I think my interest in architecture stems from being driven through London as a child & marveling at the scale and scope of the man-made structures surrounding me – fast forward thirty years and here we are in the Middle East exploring Abu Dhabi! Each time that I visit the capital I am astounded by the architecture on display, and have devised a driving tour that takes in all of these amazing buildings in one simple route.

Aldar HQ – the Aldar Building is an unmistakable feature on the Abu Dhabi skyline, a disc (or coin) shaped structure of glass and steel that seemingly rises out of the waters of Al Raha Beach. Dubbed the world first circular skyscraper, the buildings shape comes from the use of structural diagrid, or a diagonal grid of steel, it was completed in 2010 and currently houses a number of company headquarters including that of Aldar. Though you can’t enter the building itself, you are able to drive right up and park outside without too much trouble, so this is where we will start our driving tour. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).