feature stories | a tower proposal for libya’s tripoli 1 The skin Skin material- composite curtain wall glazing system with aluminum paneling and stretched light Teflon® fabric with minimal joints. The panel’s geometry, identical side joinery and horizontal flat surface bands create the single appearance the architects were looking for. The versatile Teflon® fabric envelops the four main vertical elements with the same clean, seamless resolution. The form is defined by stretched fabric and horizontal ribs installed along the slab periphery between two consecutive floors. The glazing panels and horizontal ribs articulate the image of the bow of a sailing boat and its causal relationship to its sails. 2 The lighting Masts, ships, surf, and the calm Mediterranean are the inspiration for the Burj’s lighting concept. The façade’s dimming and glowing LED white speckles recall the slow movement of an appearing and disappearing ships rocked by the gentle movement the sea. A constant blue glow radiates from the tower’s vertical voids and completes the visual impact. The same white speckles light the reflective pond from within, eclipsed by a periodically pulsating blue glow slowly fading away just as a breaking wave retreats back into sea. The cleaning system The building uses three kinds of cradle systems to clean the entirety of the building envelop, the canopies and the dome. The roof cradles armed with electrically operated big telescopic jibs cover the upper 2/3 of the façade. When parked, they are tucked away, completely hidden behind the sails. Two small monorail cradles fitted under the front canopy will run along hanging monorails on the northern and southern façades. Movable cradles fitting into the dome’s pierced top will keep it sparkling inside and out. 3 1 Ground floor and landscaping site plan 2 First floor and landscaping site plan 3 Typical floor plan 32