Altair Residences, Sri Lanka
The Altair tower, the tallest residential building in Sri Lanka, is designed by world-known architect, Moshe Safdie. The 400-unit residential complex takes full advantage of the site with an innovative two-leg structural design comprising two tower blocks of 63 and 69 stories. Altair’s pair of towers provides each unit with ventilation, balanced diffusion of sunlight, and unparalleled views of Beira Lake, the Indian Ocean, and the surrounding city. The staggered and stepped formation of the leaning towers creates a cascade of large garden terraces at each level.
An extensive study of structural systems, and their impact on unit types, led to the preferred diagrid system. Steel and triangular formations create lateral support and distribute weight efficiently allowing for column-free interior spaces. 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.
The complex will contribute to the public life of the city by offering more than 56,000 square meters 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. Of Altair’s 1.5 million square feet of space, 828,000 square feet or 55 percent is residential space. Of the balance, 36,000 square feet is allocated for retail while 636,000 square feet or 42.5 percent is public space.
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