Al Ibrahimi Tower

Photograph by Haitham Al Mussawi

Saeed Al Kalili Building, Farouk El Gohary, c. 1980-1989

The Saeed Al Kalili Building, locally known as Al Ibrahimi Tower for a restaurant located on the ground floor, was constructed in the 1980s when Abu Dhabi saw its first skyscrapers. Egyptian architect and professor Farouk El Gohary, the original architect, merged modernist and post-modernist elements with Egyptian influences to create his design. The tower presents a play on forms, exhibiting concrete panels that appear to be woven and intricately surround the 16-floor cylindrical structure.