The Capital Gate has a whopping 18-degree incline to the west. That’s four times as much as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which these days has an incline of about 3.97 degrees (it used to lean 5.5 degrees in 1990). Capital Gate is now recognized as the world’s “farthest manmade leaning building,” a record previously held by the medieval Leaning Tower of Suurhusen (5.19 degrees).
One other notable feature of the building’s exterior is the sculptural stainless steel “splash” that flows down the front of the skyscraper. Near ground level it flows out horizontally, forming a canopy over the hotel’s entrance while also acting as a solar shield to help keep the building cool.
Work began on the Capital Gate in 2007 and was completed in 2011, 525 feet (160 meters) tall. Unsurprisingly, the architectural firm behind the skyscraper, RMJM Architects, had to get creative to build such a tilted structure.
The building uses what is known as a “pre-cambered” core. Built using 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel, the core was created with a slight incline in the opposite direction to the eventual lean of the building. As the building rose, the pre-cambered core was gradually pulled up and compressed into a vertical position, helping to support the skyscraper.
According to atlasobscura
