Entrant: China State Construction Engineering Corporation
Project owner: Sheikh Saoud bin Mohamed bin Ali al-Thani
Project contractor: China State Construction Engineering Corporation
Engineering consultant: Dar al-Handasah
Architect: Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Description: Designed as part of the plan to transform the bay of Doha by building impressive buildings along the coast, the Doha 9 tower is a magnificent blend of efficiency and architectural beauty. The 46-storey tower has a helicoidal structure and is topped by a dome mounted with a lightning conductor. Its design is inspired by the mashrabiyya, traditional Islamic screens designed to shade structures from the sun, and is formed by butterfly aluminium elements set according to the orientation of each side of the tower.

Every floor of the Doha 9 building enjoys stunning views of the Arabian Gulf to the east, the port to the south, Doha city on the west and the desert to the north. The structure’s internal atrium, which is constructed entirely of glass and houses eight panoramic elevators, rises a phenomenal 128 metres up to the 29th floor. The project was completed in 2012 and is the first tall building in the region to use reinforced concrete diagrid columns in a cross-shape with no central core, maximising the interior space available for tenants.