Aspire Tower

Aspire Tower, also known as The Torch Doha, is a 300-metre-tall (980 ft) skyscraper hotel located in the Aspire Zone complex in Doha, Qatar. Designed by architect Hadi Simaan and AREP and engineer Ove Arup and Partners, the tower served as the focal point for the 15th Asian Games hosted by Qatar in December 2006. The tower is currently the second tallest structure and building in Doha and Qatar. In 2023, it was surpassed by the Lusail Plaza Towers. The tower has also been known as Khalifa Sports Tower or Doha Olympic Tower. Construction and use The tower was a landmark of the 2006 Asian Games due to its size and proximity to the main venue, the Khalifa International Stadium. Construction began in April 2005. The final form consists of a 1-to-1.8-metre-thick, reinforced-concrete cylinder (the core), varying from 12 to 18 metres in diameter, encircled with radiating networks of cantilevered steel beams on each floor of its building modules. The modules themselves are composed of steel columns, metal decking, concrete slabs and outer tension and compression ring beams, which support glass-paneled outer walls. The bottom of each module is covered with glass fiber reinforced concrete. Beams, as well as steel struts tying all the structural components together, are bolted through the concrete core and hence are anchored into place, transferring vertical loads from perimeter columns and ring beams to the core. The façade consists of an energy-efficient glass skin, and helps efficiently maintain comfortable temperature levels in the desert climate. The building was constructed by companies Midmac and BESIX subsidiary Six Construct and was completed in November 2007 at a final cost of €133,395,000. Occupancy The tower houses a five-star hotel, a sports museum, a health club with a cantilevered swimming pool, a revolving restaurant, and an observation deck. Landmark of Qatari Hospitality,5 Star Luxury Hotel,163 Room & Suites Flying Carpet Restaurant, Three Sixty Revolving Restaurant; also served as a giant torch for the 15th Asian Games. Pool The Tower features a Swimming pool 80 meters (260 feet) above ground that is cantilevered from the core, and extends out 12 meters (39 feet) from the facade. Elliptical in plan, the pool is supported on a substantial steel truss structure some 4 meters (13 feet) deep. LED and 360 Screen LED technology installed across the front allows the creation of effects; each LED is individually controllable in all colors. The largest external 360 screen measured 11,345 m2 (112,116 ft2 81 in2), and was achieved by Sports City Advertising Qatar, in Doha, Qatar on 31 May 2022. Sports City Advertising attempted this record to showcase the Torch Building that has the screen all around it. The Torch Tower has a new record for tallest external 360 degree screen set up which is recorded in Guinness. See also Hyperboloid structure List of towers Aspire Park References External links "Aspire Tower". CVU Skyscraper Center. Hadi Simaan website The Torch Doha "Aspire Tower". SkyscraperPage. The Aspire Tower: a case study on Constructalia Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Haver & Boecker - Information about the tower "Emporis building ID 286515". Emporis. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019.