The Crescent Development project

The Crescent Development Project
General information
Status Under construction
Type office, residential, hotel, shopping mall[1][2][3]
Architectural style Highrise, Glass
Location Baku, Azerbaijan
Construction started October 2009
Estimated completion 2016
Opening unknown
Cost USD $ 1,5 billion [4]
Owner Gilan Construction
Height
Roof

The Crescent City 210 m (690 ft),[5]
The Crescent Place 170 m (560 ft) [6]

Crescent Hotel 166 m (545 ft) [7]
Technical details
Floor count

52 (Crescent City)[5]
33+3 (Crescent Hotel) [2]

35 (Crescent Place)[5]
Design and construction
Architect Heerim Architects & Planners Co. Ltd.
Main contractor AECOM

The Crescent Development Project or The Crescent (formerly known as Caspian Plus) is an under construction skyscraper complex which is being built on the Caspian Sea coast in Baku. The project comprises an offshore Hotel (Crescent Hotel), business center (Crescent City), residential tower, and a retail and entertainment center (Crescent Place).

History

In February 2008, skyscrapernews.com, a well-known architectural review website, published an article about two projects which were designed by the Korean company, Heerim Architects, for construction in Baku. The projects were to be endowed with a lunar theme and were described as "an attempt to reinvent the concept of the skyscraper beyond the traditional".[8] The article described two skyscraper complexes, proposed for construction on neighbouring penninsulas, on opposite shores of Baku Bay. The first, Full Moon Bay, was to be constructed on the western side of the bay. It included a 158-meter, 35-story, discoid hotel called "Palace of the Winds 1 and 2".[8] The second complex, "Caspian Plus", had been proposed for construction on the eastern edge of Baku Bay near the seaport, acting as a counterpoint to "Full Moon Bay". Initially, the project included a 32-story crescent-shaped hotel (standing on its "horns" offshore), four high-rise residential buildings, and a 43-story business center standing 203 meters tall (now called Crescent City Tower).[8] The fate of the related projects remained uncertain until October 2009 when foundation work in the location of the "Caspian Plus" complex was started.[9]

The project had been modified. A trio of high-rise residential buildings were canceled in order to avoid visual overlapping of two other buildings (Port Baku Towers and Port Baku Residence). After the project was modified, it consisted of a hotel ("The Crescent Hotel"), a business center ("The Crescent City"), and a high-rise residential building with a podium ("The Crescent Place"). The previous name of the project, "Caspian Plus", was changed to "The Crescent Development Project".[10]
The project of Full Moon Bay was cancelled.

Project

The "Crescent Development Project" will be situated with one part on the waterfront of Baku. An offshore part, which includes "The Crescent Hotel", will be located on an artificial island about 170 meters from shore. There will be a business center ("The Crescent City"), and a residential high-rise building with a podium ("The Crescent Place"), on the coast behind "The Crescent Hotel".

The Crescent Hotel

"The Crescent Hotel" is a curving arched building. It is designed look like a crescent standing with its horns on the surface of the Caspian Sea. The crescent shape of the building possibly refers to one of the symbols of Azerbaijan, depicted on its national flag. The Skyscraper’s arcuate configuration will not affect the interior of the hotel as the building will rely on two multistory column-like towers, which will create additional space and act as a support for the hotel.[8] These supporting towers are called Eastern and Western in accordance with their location. "The Crescent Hotel" is planned to have 33 floors.[11] According to other sources, it is to have 36 floors.[4] Upon completion, the number of rooms is expected to be 360. The total area is 141 455 m², parking is planned for 601 cars.[8] "The Crescent Hotel" will be connected to the shore and other buildings in "The Crescent Development Project" via bridge. This hotel is planned to be seven star facility.[12]

The Crescent City

The business center, “The Crescent City”, is a 210 meter skyscraper with 52 floors (203 meter and 43 floors earlier).[5][8] It is being built behind "The Crescent Hotel" on the waterfront next to the seaport of Baku and the “JW Marriott Absheron”. According to the project's design, the facade of the building is cylindrical and slightly flattened at the north-south direction. The bottom of the tower is narrow and widens as it approaches the top which includes a concave notch. The shape of "The Crescent City" is designed to resemble a torch.

The Crescent Place

"The Crescent Place" includes a 35-story residential tower and 8-story podium, which will be located onshore next to the tower of "The Crescent City". This residential building, standing 170 meters tall, will include 168 apartments.[13]

The Crescent Park

According to the Project plan, there is to be a 3-story subsea car park in the area between "The Crescent Hotel" and the coastal part of the project.[6]

Construction

According to a report published by the management company, almost all piling work for the project had been completed by November 2013. Nine per-cent of the entire project had been constructed. Ten per-cent of the coastal part of the Project had been completed.[14]

Site of The Crescent Hotel

The plot for "The Crescent Hotel" lies within an area in the Caspian Sea. In May 2012, sheet pile setting was started. These piles were installed in two rows around the perimeter of the future hotel's location.[15] A double metal fence was then installed around the site which restricted any additional water entering the area.[16] Once the fence was completed, water was pumped from the site and it was filled with sand to create the foundation of the building.[17] According to the plan, when construction is completed, the fence will be removed and water from the Caspian Sea will return to the area around "The Crescent Hotel".[18] As of early 2013, the soil creating the artificial island has been formed, and foundation work for the Western and Eastern towers is completed.[19] The piles constructed for "The Crescent Hotel", with a diameter 1500–2000 mm and a length 76.1 meters, are the biggest ever built in Azerbaijan. It was planned to build 464 piles by the end of 2013.[20][21] To the beginning of 2015, both Eastern and Western Towers started to grow on the artificial island.

Sites of The Crescent City and Crescent Place

Construction of the onshore foundation started in October 2009. For all parts of the coastline (sites of "The Crescent City" and "The Crescent Place"), 691 short piles with a diameter of 1.2 m and a depth of 26 meters have been installed .[22] For the tower “The Crescent city” 118 deep piles (diameter 1500 mm, depth of 52-61,5 meters) were constructed.[23][24]

By November 2013, 4 taps had been installed on the site of the "The Crescent Place". First floors of the podium were appearing above the fence. The construction of the residential tower, "The Crescent Place", had been started.[25] By the beginning of 2015, 35th floor of The Crescent Place Tower was being constructed.
By March 2014, the foundation of "Crescent City Tower" had been ready for concrete core pouring.[26] As of beginning 2015, The Crescent City Tower was being constructed at 16-17 levels.

Site of The Crescent Park

In September 2013, pile works started in the area designated for "The Crescent Park". Within three months, the plan was to build 483 piles with a diameter of 1000 mm and lengths of 28 m or 45 m.[27]

Completion

According to a spokesman of Ilk Construction, completion of the site "The Crescent Place" is scheduled for January 2015; the site of "The Crescent City" must be finished by May of the same year.[7] Completion of the entire project is planned in the second half of 2016.[28]

Gallery

References

  1. Heerim.com: Crescent Place
  2. 2.0 2.1 Heerim.com: Crescent Hotel
  3. Heerim.com: Crescent City
  4. 4.0 4.1 linkedin.com
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Crescent Development Project". Archived from the original on 2015-01-08.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Ilk Construction - Crescent Place & Park, Earthworks and RC Package Project
  7. 7.0 7.1 "APA - Первые объекты возводимого в столице Азербайджана комплекса «Айпара» будут сданы в 2015 году". apa.az. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Full Moon Rising". skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  9. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 2 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  10. Lotos.com
  11. By (16 November 2011). "Half moon hotel shows Baku's stellar architectural ambitions - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  12. "Page Not Found". aecom.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  13. "Project Update: Crescent Place". thorntontomasetti.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  14. AECOM. "Baku — signatures on the skyline". slideshare.net. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  15. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 24 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  16. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 27 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  17. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 30 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  18. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 26 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  19. New stage of works at “Crescent” area
  20. Lotos.com.az
  21. Lotos.com.az
  22. Lotos.com.az: Completion work on short piles
  23. Lotos.com.az
  24. Malaysian company intends to participate in the project Crescent City in Baku
  25. "Crescent Development Project - 35-52 fl - 210 m - U/C - Page 48 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  26. "BAKU - Crescent Development Project - 210m - 689ft - 52 fl - 170m - 558ft - 35 fl - U/C - Page 10 - SkyscraperCity". skyscrapercity.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  27. Piling works started in the Park area
  28. "Page Not Found". aecom.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 40°22′26″N 49°51′33″E / 40.37389°N 49.85917°E