‘Safdie’s iconic architectural mastery redefined in Sri Lanka’
Photo Caption: Altair at the verge of completion
Altair is an architectural icon; that will place Sri Lanka in the global architectural digests for many years to come; standing at par with the many other architectural icons around the globe. Moshe Safdie of Marina Bay Sand’s fame has taken a bold step in residential architecture, with a Diagrid structure, with one tower gracefully stepping up to meet a second vertical tower.
The Diagrid structural frame, lends itself to the architecture of the stepped tower facade. The stepped form in turn provides for balconies that are open to the sky so that occupants can enjoy the feeling of being in an open garden.
Altair itself has come a long way from the days when the project was a creative vision in the mind of Architect Moshe Safdie. A complex structure requiring considerable project management skills and new construction techniques, the project has taken shape and is on the verge of completion. The final form is now visible and has captured the interest of several locals and tourists who have stopped to admire and photograph this beautiful building. In the same way that Marina Bay Sands has become a reference for Singapore, Altair will also become a reference for Sri Lanka. Altair’ is in the league of iconic buildings of the world, such as Burj Khalifa at Dubai, Petronas Tower-Malayasiya, Marina Bay Sands at Singapore, Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, The Parc 1 Tower in Seoul – South Korea, ICC Building & Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong to name a few.
“At the commencement of the project Moshe Safdie stated Colombo was “urbanising rapidly” and that it was the best time to create a landmark that could provide a benchmark’ for the coming developments in the capital. True to his words, in the past decade a new downtown Colombo Skyline has emerged with many new high-end developments being initiated. Just as the master Architect had envisioned, Altair has and will continue to be the benchmark for luxury real estate developments in Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo,” stated Ravi Todi, Director Indocean Developers Pvt Ltd, the developer of the landmark project.
Altair is also filled with facilities and features that emphasizes luxurious living, with views of the sapphire blue hues of the Indian Ocean during the day, and the magnificent city lights of the fast developing Colombo Skyline at night. Located at the top is the immersing infinity pool one of-the highest infinity swimming pools in a residential building in the world.
Altair is projected to be completed by the 4th quarter of 2021, the project is estimated to cost over US$ 300 Million.
About Safdie Architects LLC; Moshe Safdie is the Principal Architect of Safdie Architects LLC. He is famed for designing enduring landmarks such as Habitat Canada, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Institute of Peace Headquarters United States and Khalsa Heritage Memorial India.
About Altair; Altair is a 240 metre skyscraper in Sri Lanka, promoted by Kolkata based Realtor firm, South City Projects (Kolkata) Pvt Ltd. Altair is considered one of the tallest residential developments in Sri Lanka, with 68 floors and more than 400 residential apartments. The building is situated on the banks of the Beira Lake on a 2-acre plot of land. The project is also considered one of the highest Foreign Direct Investments in the Sri Lankan real estate sector.
