Lord Norman Foster, renowned as one of the world's foremost architects, has devoted decades to redefining the concept of tall buildings. "What we've done is create a sense of identify drawn from real needs," Foster said. "It's not a fashionable idea, but generated from the realities we were in." His masterpiece includes iconic structures such as the HSBC building in Hong Kong. Now, he's set his sights on Qatar.
Currently nearing completion and set to reach a height of 301 meters, Foster's Lusail Towers are ready to claim the title of Qatar's tallest buildings. Lusail Towers are intended to serve as a center for Qatar's financial institutions, with four distinctive blocks, two standing at 70 stories and two at 50 stories.
But the construction itself wasn't all plain sailing. To address the unique challenges presented by Qatar's hot climate, Foster's team had to depart from the materials commonly used in skyscrapers in cooler countries — part of what Foster called a decades-long quest to "reinvent the tall building." The design combines advanced shading with ventilation (通风), while the towers' surfaces are coated with "marine-grade" aluminum (铝) that wraps around the buildings, protecting the glass from strong sunlight while maintaining the views and still letting in natural light. Central to the project are special shading fins (鳍), which not only optimize views and natural lighting for occupants but reduce solar radiation by 70% compared to traditional all-glass towers.
While the towers are ready to become a recognizable landmark for Lusail, Foster believes that a city's skyline reflects what lies beneath the surface. It was crucial to integrate the towers into a "low-scale master plan." They are strategically positioned on top of a subway line and at the end of a commercial avenue linking the waterfront (滨水区) to the nearby football stadium. According to Foster, the ground features of the plaza will play a significant role in the objective of transforming the area into a lively public space for the future.
