The Ultimate Tower – Burj Dubai - Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH

Zaha Hadid Architects: Research Institute, RWTH Aachen
At the northern end of the university campus in Aachen,
Zaha Hadid Architects are planning this new, low-energy
building. The plot of land which is strongly shaped by the
direction of a main road seems to be ideal for the Iraqi
architect who is well-known for her spacious, architectural
gestures. The sculptural design allows the almost invisible
integration of technical parameters. The highly pronounced
aerodynamic grooves which run along the roofscapes
(cladded with fibre-reinforced concrete), modulate
the incoming light and the wind which flows over the
building. Seven low-noise wind turbines which are built
into the wind channels and are framed by wind-spoilers,
benefit the building's energy production abilities. In this
way, resources are effectively made useful for the interior.
The structure and shape of the building are in direct relation
to the visible and invisible currents in the area and
surroundings. The system is topographically split into an
upper and lower level, meaning that the practical and
experimentally-equipped areas consisting of four laboratory
units and an exhibition hall are optically separated
from the academic section. In the design process it was
decided early on to lead the users of the building via a
footpath to the main entrance in the south-west and this
path, which had already existed as a scenic trail, was
deliberately staged as an extremely long access route.
Zaha Hadid Architects
29