Columbo, Sri Lanka
With the needs of a tropical home in mind, Safdie Architects together with Design Team 3 designed Altair’s pair of towers–one leaning upon the other–provides each unit with cross ventilation, balanced diffusion of sunlight, and unparalleled views of Beira Lake, the Indian Ocean, and the surrounding city.
The 400-unit residential complex design takes full advantage of the site with an innovative two-leg structural design comprising two tower blocks of 63 and 69 stories.
The staggered and stepped formation of the leaning towers creates a cascade of large garden terraces facing Beira Lake at each level.
The diagrid structure, chosen for its efficiency in dealing with the forces of the inclined tower, allows for a permeable façade with large windows and openings, access to balconies, and units that feature individual roof gardens or terraces.
Both towers are planned with through-unit, column-free interiors featuring open plans that maximize the efficiency of the spaces.
Expansive community gardens and shared outdoor spaces are strategically placed within the building, with a communal sky garden crowning the shorter tower on the 63rd floor.
The complex contributes to the public life of the city by offering more than 56,000 square meters (600,000 square feet) of public space including a retail arcade and a waterfront promenade on the ground level, with additional retail spaces overlooking Beira Lake on the mezzanine level.
At 240 meters at its highest point, Altair is the island nation’s tallest residential building and the first skyscraper to be completed in the rapidly developing city of Colombo.
Project: Altair Residence
Architects: Safdie Architects
Associate Architects: Design Team 3
Structural Design Consultants: Derby Design
MEP Designer: CKR
Lighting Consultants: Studio Lumen
Vertical Transportation Consultants: Barker Mohandas
Fire Engineers: FPC
Wind Analysis Consultants: RWDI
Landscape Consultants: P Landscape
Client: Indocean Developers Pvt Ltd.
Photographers: Space 80
