Norman Foster and Partners
Adding to the superlatives rising on the Dubai skyline is One Central Park, a mixed-use building that will feature the world's highest apartment. A sense of loftiness is communicated in the building's design, which places the residential section of the structure above buttressed "fins" that separate the public spaces from the private ones.
The building is also eco-friendly, as it's oriented to reduce solar gain. Taking into consideration the fact that skyscrapers tend to be inefficient in terms of energy consumption, Foster & Partners gave the building a central core that absorbs heat and a sunshade system, to reduce cooling costs. Dealing with temperature is a key design challenge within a hot desert environment.
