THIS SPREAD : The first building houses the majority of the staff and is the pragmatic one ; rectilinear , bold and efficient gallery . A single , off-centre-stringer steel staircase leads to the rooftop of the cube , where an outdoor entertainment room is located .
The second building – the building that accommodates the visitor ’ s reception area and the executive functions - is the eccentric one ; organic , innovative and generous . The ground floor of the building is seated on large concrete columns that allows it to hover over the water of the dam . A large atrium , located in the centre of the floor , provides a visual connection with the dam .
The building is enveloped in a gold skin – a shell – that is occasionally perforated to allow view and ventilation . The gold wrap comprises a series of facets which result in an animated geometry and an array of rich gold hues . The building
is split down the middle by a triple volume glazed slit through which a floating glass stair connects the sub aqua auditorium and bar below , with the first floor gym and executive suite above . A link bridge , with alternating cantilever ribs and glass roof , connects the first building to the second , and beyond to the guest parking and entrance .
Architectural and Engineering Innovation The first building ’ s innovation is clearly in its defiance of gravity ; all of it , but for the triple volume entrance foyer , hovers above the ground , from which it is scantily propped . The 30m-long office wing is supported by only two large concrete columns , and by steel pins on the blade wall beyond , from which a 6m-long executive office also cantilevers . This feat is made possible by a
472 Clear Choice