(1989) Hussein Tower
client : Mohamad Sharif Husseintypology : Mixed-Use
services : Architecture
where : Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Retrospective 1981-1990 video: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CPxSImAji4m/
This is a 10,000 sqm residential building located in the centre of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.
It has few shops on the ground floor, a mezzanine floor used as an office by the owner. The remaining seventeen floors are all apartments. Every floor has three apartments of 2 bedrooms, a living and a dining room. Despite the unnecessary need for balconies for such small apartments, due mainly to hot weather of Abu Dhabi, every apartment has a small balcony, planned in a way to be protected from the traffic noise of the main street.
Similar to most of his buildings, the architect treated this tower as a piece of sculpture, using his very personal touch when choosing the material, forming the shape, or adding color to the surrounding context. The simple vertical movement is always visible in the vertical stretch of the corner lines that define the site limits where the building nestles. Protruded volumes starting from the first residential floor are blended with the corners through rounded architectural features. Large parts of the façade are curtain walls of green-blue glazing and the solid part is white ceramic cladding. Both elements are easy to clean, durable, low maintenance and long lasting. The architect’s personal touch is the use of color red, in this case on the balustrade and parts of the aluminium framing.