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Abstract
High-rise development in coastal urban environments is governed by the combined challenges of gravity-induced structural demand, wind-generated dynamic response, torsional instability, and elevated operational energy consumption driven by harsh climatic exposure. This study proposes a twin-arch crown high-rise tower system consisting of two vertically curved towers interconnected through a shared podium and arch-like crown geometry. The configuration is analytically examined as a geometry-driven structural and environmental system, in which architectural form actively participates in load redistribution, aerodynamic moderation, and passive climate control.
Symbolic structural models demonstrate that the curved twin-tower and arch configuration redirects a substantial portion of gravity and lateral wind forces into axial compression–dominant load paths, reducing bending demand and improving global stiffness relative to conventional cantilevered tower forms. Dynamic analysis indicates that geometric coupling between the towers increases effective lateral stiffness by approximately 15–30%, resulting in upward shifts of fundamental natural frequencies and associated 20–40% reductions in peak wind-induced acceleration, enhancing occupant comfort under coastal wind spectra. Structural symmetry and shared load paths significantly reduce mass–stiffness eccentricity, leading to marked suppression of torsional response.
The perimeter curved shell functions as a partial exoskeletal load-sharing system, carrying an estimated 30–45% of combined gravity and lateral loads, thereby improving redundancy, robustness, and resilience without proportional increases in material usage. Environmental performance analysis shows that the curved façades and inter-tower spacing generate favorable pressure differentials, increasing wind-driven natural ventilation rates by 25–50% compared to flat-faced high-rise typologies. Solar–thermal modeling further indicates that curvature-induced modulation of incident angles can reduce peak façade solar heat gain by 20–35%, lowering cooling demand in tropical and subtropical coastal climates.
The findings demonstrate that architectural geometry, when systematically aligned with structural mechanics and environmental physics, can function as an integrated performance system rather than a purely aesthetic device. The proposed framework is scalable, analytically transparent, and compatible with established performance-based design, CFD simulation, and wind-tunnel validation methods. As such, it provides a scientifically robust and adaptable model for sustainable, climate-responsive landmark development in contemporary and future coastal metropolitan regions.