GGI projection of Ad Astra Tower

The concept design for an innovative mixed-use development in Georgia has been revealed, promising an instantly recognisable landmark in the country’s coastal city of Batumi.  

Designed by Atkins, the firm behind Burj Al Arab, Dubai and Bahrain World Trade Centre, Ad Astra Tower features a hotel, offices, retail space and apartments. The concept design takes inspiration from the distinct watchtowers seen in the northeastern region of Georgia.

The design of Ad Astra Tower is dedicated to the present day Georgian spirit of liberty and courage and is expressed through the innovative operable Astra heliport module at the crown of the tower. The heliport also features as a perpetual beacon that will be visible from different vantage points of the city, and from the Greater Caucasus region.

The contemporary, elegant tower accommodates boutique shops, a multipurpose events hall, a 140 key five star hotel, offices, penthouse apartments, a sky restaurant and a champagne lounge. The white concrete diagrid structure on the exterior of the building carries vertical loads in its inclined members and the same members create a triangulated system, which braces the building against horizontal loads.

This exterior structural skin, which contributes to the architectural form of the building, simplifies the structure within the building and thereby reduces impact on planning different accommodation facilities internally.Sustainability was central throughout the design approach. 

Analysing the balance of light and shade, the depth of overhangs and integrating louvers in the diagrid structure ensured that solar gains were kept within limits to enable building to use low energy environmental control systems. The shading option provided a 40% improvement on the maximum plant-cooling load from that required by a baseline tower with external glazing only. 

A dynamic approach for the landscape design ensures good integration of the proposed public realm with the existing Batumi Seafront Boulevard. Vibrant spaces have been achieved to create an exemplary identity for the tower environs.