The development consists of two sealed glass towers, a residential tower reaching 88 storeys and a hotel of 58 storeys, together boasting a combined total floor area of 550,000m² in total. In order to make the most of energy efficient air conditioned environments both buildings utilise high energy-performance glass. The eye-catching design is defined by its sloping roof lines and distinctive curvilinear forms. Among the facilities offered by the development are car parking, luxurious offices, hotels and restaurants – not to mention and Arabian Souk.

The particular challenges presented by this uncompromising project were the requirements that the Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) should achieve a high level of efficiency whilst avoiding any negative visual impact on the building’s carefully considered design aesthetic. These requirements called for various unique access solutions to meet the client’s needs, with four advanced climbing BMUs which are designed to be totally hidden from view when not in use, in addition to 250 tons of track on each tower to provide comprehensive coverage.

Throughout the project, Manntech worked with care and precision to preserve the effect of the building’s distinctive curvilinear shape. A curving twin track was custom-built and designed to be fitted on 55 degree sloping roof to provide effective maintenance access for high energy-performance panels., we also developed. The machines which service the sloping roofs are also concealed out of sight within the building systems with a shunt car used for parking. To navigate the complex area effectively the BMU on the sloping roof also rotates on a turntable, while the positioning is compensated for automatically at the slewing ring via a computerised control system.

Architects Norman Fosters presented a challenging brief which demanded high levels of build quality and innovative engineering.  Manntech’s proposal made us the only provider that met the needs of this high-end construction project. Among the deciding factors was the ability for the client to ensure the system met their requirements for accuracy and functionality by viewing an extensive mock-up of the solution including track switches and shunt cars.