Kuwait Towers is a group of three slender towers in Kuwait City, standing on a promontory into the Persian Gulf. They were officially inaugurated on 26 February 1977 and are rated as a landmark and symbol of modern Kuwait.
The main tower is 187 meters high and carries two spheres. The lower sphere holds in its bottom half a water tank of 4,500 cubic meters and in its upper half a restaurant for 90 persons, a café, a lounge and a reception hall. The upper sphere which rises to 123 meters above the sea level and completes a full turn every 30 minutes.
The second tower is 147 meters high and serves as a water tower. The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. The towers hold 9,000 cubic meters of water altogether.
Kuwait Towers were designed by the Danish architect Malene Björn as part of a water distribution project, run by the Swedish engineering companyVBB since 1997. Chief architect of the company Sune Lindström erected five groups of his typical "mushroom" water towers, the Kuwait Water Towers, but the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed, wanted a more attractive design for the sixth site. Out of ten different designs, three were presented to the Amir, who chose this one.
Projecting ofKuwait Towers was done by VBB, who commissioned the actual building task to the Energoprojekt Companyof Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
The towers were built in reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete. They cost 4,700,000 KD which is around 16,540,000 USD. Building was executed in 1971-1976 and the main tower was opened to the publicon 1 March 1979.
According tothe architect, the Kuwait Tower group refers to ideals of humanity andtechnology, symbolized by the globe and the rocket. Kuwait Towers were, together with theKuwait Water Towers, awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1980 Cycle).
During the First Gulf War 1990-1991,then opened to public once again after amendments. In 2012, the towers wereclosed for extra amendments and didn’t open yet till this day but still sparkleall the way as you pass by them on the Arabian Gulf road.
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