Trends
Skyscraper of the future with a Polish accent - another international cooperation of Opoczno
Over 4,000 kilometres - this is the distance between Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and Opoczno, the capital of Polish ceramic tiles. However, such a distance did not prevent us from joining forces to work on the unique residential skyscraper - Gate Towers. This is how about 150,000 m2 of Opoczno ceramic tiles were used in the bathrooms of the building recognised as one of the “Best skyscrapers of the Middle East and Africa”.
Middle Eastern vision
The Gate Towers complex was built in the heart of the Shams district. This impressive building, with a height of 238 m, has as many as 66 floors. Three residential high-raises are the pillars supporting a 300-metre air bridge, creating a huge spectacular portal decorating the entrance to the island. Additionally, it houses 21 breathtaking penthouses, 16 of which have a swimming pool with a unique view of the entire city.
The architecture of the buildings creates a gateway to the whole housing estate, welcoming the arriving visitors. The shape of the building refers to a futuristic vision in which the cities will be so densely filled with skyscrapers that many facilities necessary in the urban environment which have previously been placed on the ground, will have to be placed… at height.
Central European accent
Both at the stage of design and construction of Gate Towers there was no place for compromises. The whole project was carried out with the utmost care, focus on details and quality. The strict standards and high expectations of the investors, creators and the contractors themselves forced careful selection of the partners. Opoczno was the one to be part of the narrow circle of trusted suppliers of finishing materials.
Interestingly, prior to the commencement of cooperation, the people responsible for the Gate Towers project visited Poland in order to get to know Opoczno and its employees better, to see the factory and to make sure of the highest quality of the offered products. Opoczno, on the other hand, decided to delegate a dedicated employee to the project site, who lived in the United Arab Emirates for half a year to oversee the course of cooperation personally. Opoczno was chosen the supplier of ceramic tiles for 300 bathrooms in Gate Towers. Approx. 150,000 m2 of tiles from four collections － Wega Grigio, Kando and Arenisca － were used to finish the bathrooms. Today, Opoczno’s range of products includes a tile inspired by this collaboration, namely Fargo White, available in the 30x60 format.
Global success
In 2013, Gate Towers was selected for the final of the competition in the category “The best skyscraper of the Middle East and Africa” as a part of the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) Awards Programme. The jurors assessed the architects’ aspirations and the performance of the project. It is worth noting that the investment proved to be a breakthrough for the entire industry and introduced the concept of air bridges for residential developments, not only in the United Arab Emirates, but also across the entire region, using proven technology and construction methodologies.
