Aspire Tower

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Aspire Tower**
Information

Use	Mixed
Structural height	318 m
Floors	N/A
Structure Completion	November 2006
Full Completion	August 2007

The Aspire Tower is a 318 meter structure located in the Sports City complex in Doha, Qatar. Designed by architect Hadi Simaan, [1], Aspire Tower served as the focal point for the 15th Asian Games hosted by Qatar in December, 2006. The Aspire Tower is currently the tallest structure in Doha, but it is expected to be surpassed by the Dubai Towers and the Barwa Tower.

The tower was a landmark of the 2006 Asian Games due to its size and proximity to the main venue, the Khalifa International Stadium. The tower housed the Olympic Flame during the games and holds the record for tallest ever Olympic Flame and highest positioning of the Flame, which was visible throughout Doha for the duration of the games. The design employs a concrete core which acts as the primary support. The remainder of the building is a steel structure that cantilevers out from the concrete core. The exterior of the building is covered in a steel mesh which, during the Asian Games, was festively illuminated by vibrant LED lights. One of the most interesting features of the tower is the broadcast of videos which was carried out around an 8 meter section of the tower; this was done through the use of Color Kinetics, Inc.'s Chromasic technology.

While the exterior of the tower is ready, the interior is expected to be fully completed by August 2007. Upon its completion, the Aspire Sports City Tower will include a five-star hotel with ballroom/banqueting suite, conference/business center,lower-level restaurant, gymnasium, franchise space, salons, sports museum, four-story Presidential suite, and at the buildings' top, a restaurant, bar and observation deck providing panoramic views of Doha. It will also feature a swimming pool cantilevered 80 meters above ground.