Kuwait Towers
Kuwait Towers is a modern architectural complex of three tall buildings built in the north of El Kuwait, on a promontory jutting into the Persian Gulf. The towers were necessary to keep the water pressure in the water system of El Kuwait, but thanks to the original futuristic architecture, they quickly became a tourist attraction and one of the visiting cards of the capital of Kuwait. The graceful silhouettes of the reinforced concrete towers can be seen on the 1 Kuwaiti dinar banknote.
Video: Kuwaiti Towers
Highlights
Respect for water is nothing special for Kuwait. The fact is that there are no sources of fresh water on the territory of this country. The water that comes from the deepest wells is salty to the taste. Fresh water here is imported or special desalination plants are used to produce it.
.The Kuwait Towers were erected by Belgrade builders between 1971 and 1976 under the direction of Swedish architect Malene Björn and opened in 1977. Three years later, the towers were awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Prize for Architecture for their new standards of quality in urban planning. When the Gulf War took place, the buildings were badly damaged, but all three structures were fully restored by 2012.
Entrance to the tallest tower is open any day from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. In the evening, the Kuwait Towers are spectacularly lit and look no less impressive than during the day. At the foot of the towers spreads the territory of a popular water park.
.Features of the architecture
The three Kuwait Towers look like white peaks or stelae cones pointing up into the sky. Today, two of the towers serve as water towers, while the smallest tower is used to house electrical equipment and serves as a lighting tower.
.On the two towers you can see volumetric spherical structures – “balls”, which shimmer in the sun with different shades of green, blue and gray colors. According to the designers’ idea, such a construction should resemble the mosaic domes of ancient mosques. All three spheres are decorated with steel disks of several shades, installed in a spiral, and in total in the design of spherical structures used more than 40 thousand steel disks.
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The central tower rises to a height of 187 meters and has two huge spheres. The lower “sphere” is a giant round cistern that holds 4,500 cubic meters of water. The same volume of water holds the “sphere” on the neighboring 147-meter-high tower.
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In the top “ball” of the central tower, 123 meters from the surface of the Earth, is a popular restaurant with seating for 90 people. The circular platform, along with the guests seated at the tables, rotates and makes a complete revolution around its axis in half an hour. Through the transparent windows of the restaurant you can get a beautiful view of the waters of the sea bay, the coast, two other Kuwaiti towers and neighborhoods of the city.
.How to get there
Kuwait Towers is located in the northern part of El Kuwait, on Arabian Gulf Avenue. It is accessible by cab from the airport. The KPTC bus station is a half-hour walk from the landmark.
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