SOM's Al Hamra Firdous, a concrete twist on skyscraper design

Recently completed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Al Hamra Firdous Tower is Kuwait’s tallest building, and one of the 20 tallest skyscrapers in the world. In an era of supertall buildings, the 412 meter tower (about a quarter of a mile tall) stands out through its form and material.

Instead of a steel framework that traditionally forms skyscrapers, 500,000 tons of concrete went into the construction of the Al Hamra Firdous. The Al Hamra Firdous required all of that concrete to be pumped vertically. Placing the concrete isn't the only impressive structural feat of the project. The outermost corner of Al Hamra's main structural wall spans 150 feet away from the building.

Al Hamra Firdous is the world's only asymmetrical skyscraper. Inspired by the traditional robes of Kuwaitis, the massive concrete wall that wraps 130 degrees around the building and the concrete lattice of buttresses at the ground are meant to suggest Middle Eastern textiles and patterns.

Because of the building's application of a traditional material to a non traditional building type, Time Magazine named it one of the "50 most inspired ideas, innovations and revolutions” of 2011.

Within its 80 stories, the Al Hamra Firdous houses a major commercial complex of offices and retail.

Even at 412 meters, the Al Hamra Firdous is not SOM's highest skyscraper. The firm is also responsible for the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the world's tallest tower, which at 828 meters is more than twice the height of the Al Hamra Firdous.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com