At first glance, this uniquely-shaped building would resemble a coin or a UFO to most people. Yet, the architecture of Aldar Headquarters actually draws its inspiration from the clam shell, an object that pays tribute to Abu Dhabi’s seafaring heritage. The geometrical shape of the circle symbolizes unity, stability, rationality and the concept of endlessness.

If it’s difficult to balance a standing coin on a flat table, how on earth does a circular building maintain its stability without succumbing to the inevitability of gravity? It is no trick art or visual illusion. To accomplish this, the architects intelligently utilized the Golden Ratio, one of the oldest rules in architecture. Using this ratio, they inscribed a pentagram into the circular façade and juxtaposed a human body into it, locating the two points of stability where the building will meet the earth and henceforth achieving perfect balance and stability.

The building is optimally located in a manner that both the sunset and sunrise are visible in the glass. The glass facades (which had been masterfully reduced from 10,000 different panels to just 10) do not just reflect the vibrant landscape of the city in which it was born. They also immerse you into a spirit of physical and metaphorical self-reflection, in which you consider your image and place in the grander universe.