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Both an aesthetic and an engineering marvel, the 984-foot-tall Aspire Tower in Qatar is supported only by its 780-foot-tall, 59-foot-wide concrete core. Each floor rests on precisely cantilevered steel beams anchored in the concrete, which is denser at the bottom to lower the center of gravity and make the building sturdier. The energy-efficient glass and steel lattice that wraps the tower filters sunlight to keep the interior comfortably cool even in the desert’s 110°F heat. The bump sticking out of the side is a 36-foot-long pool for guests of the tower’s hotel. The building, which holds a five-star hotel, health spa and revolving restaurant, doubled as a torch last December, when it carried the flame for the 2006 Asian Games. arup.com; hadisimaan.com; arep.fr
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