The Cayan Tower is a 75-story luxury apartment building with a striking helical shape, turning 90 degrees over the course of its 304-meter height. Each floor is identical in plan, but is set 1.2 degrees clockwise from the floor below, giving the tower a distinctive form by way of an innovative, efficient, repeatable structure.
In an environment where so many tall buildings lined up in a row against a humid and reflective backdrop can make massive buildings seem like cardboard matte cutouts, it takes an extraordinary design gesture to indelibly express the three-dimensionality of a building. Cayan Tower makes that gesture; happening upon its dancing form in the skyline is like encountering a hula-hooper on a train full of gray flannel suits.