Kuwait Water Towers

Kuwait Water Towers
One group of Water Towers
General information
Type	Water tower
Location	Kuwait City, Kuwait
Coordinates	29°19′46″N 47°59′04″E / 29.32944°N 47.98444°E / 29.32944; 47.98444
Construction started	February 1970
Completed	December 1976
Cost	2,800,000 KWD (US$ 9,800,000)
Height	35–40 m
Dimensions
Diameter	40 m
Technical details
Structural system	standard reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete
Design and construction
Architect	Sune Lindström

The Kuwait Water Towers are a prominent group of 31 water towers in Kuwait City, completed in 1976.

Design and construction

In 1965, the government of Kuwait commissioned the Swedish engineering company of VBB (since 1997 Sweco) to develop and implement a plan for a modern water-supply system for Kuwait City. The company built five groups of water towers, 31 in total, designed by its chief architect Sune Lindström, called "the mushroom towers". They were built by VBB out of standard reinforced concrete. Each tower holds 3,000 cubic meters of water. The tower groups are distinguished by number, height, color and ornamentation and they serve as landmarks for their districts.^{[1] [2]}

For a sixth site, the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed, wanted a more spectacular design. This last group, known as Kuwait Towers, consists of three towers, two of which also serve as water towers.^[3] Water from the Desalination facility is pumped up to the tower.

These thirty-three towers have together a standard capacity of 102,000 cubic meters of water. "The Water Towers" (The Kuwait Tower and the Kuwait Water Towers) were awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1980 Cycle).^[4]

Gallery

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  (Kuwait Towers)

Notes

Sources

• Kultermann, Udo, 1999. Contemporary architecture in the Arab states: Renaissance of a region. New York; London: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0070368317
• Kultermann, Udo, 1981. Kuwait Tower. Malene Bjorn's work in Kuwait. MIMAR: Architecture in Development, 1981:2. p 40-41. Hasan-Uddin Khan, ed. Singapore: Concept Media Ltd. ISSN 0129-8372
• Water Towers, 1983. In: Renata Holod, editor; Darl Rasdorfer, associate editor. 1983. Architecture and Community: building in the Islamic world today: the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. p.173-181. Millerton: Aperture; Oxford: Phaidon. ISBN 0893811238
• Arkitekturmuseets tidning. (Sweden) 2008. nr.9. p.48-49 ISBN 978-91-633-3920-2
• Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Retrieved 5 August 2012

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kuwait Water Towers.

• Architecture of Kuwait
• Kuwait Water Towers at Structurae

Kuwait City
History	Timeline
Suburbs	Abdullah Al-Salem Al Andalus Bayan Bneid Al-Qar Al Da'iya Dasma Faiha' Farwaniya Al Ahmadi Hawally Jabriya Kaifan Khaitan Mahboula Mansūriya Mishref Al-Nuzha Al-Qādisiyyah Qurtoba District Rumaithiya Salmiya Abu Halifa Mangaf Sabah Al-Salem Salwa Al Shamiya Sharq Shuwaikh Port Al Surra Yarmūk Khaldiya Al Jahra Adailiya
Landmarks	Liberation Tower National Assembly of Kuwait building Kuwait Towers Bayan Palace Seif Palace Grand Mosque Kuwait National Museum Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum Souq Al Mubarakeya Souq Sharq Kuwait Scientific Center Sadu House Hilton Olympia Kuwait InterContinental Kuwait Downtown Square Capital Tower Kuwait Central Blood Bank Al Hamra Tower Central Bank of Kuwait

Coordinates: 29°19′46″N 47°59′04″E / 29.32944°N 47.98444°E / 29.32944; 47.98444