Bahrain World Trade Center

__NOTOC__

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = Bahrain World Trade Center


caption = Scenic view of the three wind turbines at the center of the two skyscrapers.
year_highest =
year_end =
plural =
location = Manama, flag|Bahrain
coordinates = coord|26|14|21|N|50|34|53|E
status = Complete
groundbreaking = 2004
est_completion =
opening = 2008
demolished =
destroyed =
use = Commercial
antenna_spire = convert|240|m|ft|0|abbr=on|lk=on
roof =
top_floor =
floor_count = 50
elevator_count = 4
cost = US$ 150,000,000
floor_area =
architect = flagicon|South Africa Shaun Killa
engineer =
contractor = [http://www.ramboll.net/eng/mainpage.htm Ramboll Danmark] ,
[http://www.norwin.dk/ Norwin A/S] ,
Elsam Engineering
developer =
owner =
management = flagicon|United Kingdom Atkins

Location and design

The Bahrain World Trade Center (also known as: Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a convert|240|m|ft|0|abbr=on|lk=on high twin tower complex, located in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. This 50-floor structure is constructed next to the King Faisal Highway, close to popular landmarks such as the towers of BFH, NBB, Abraj Al Lulu and the scenic Pearl Roundabout. It is the second tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbor. The building is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. As a result, the project has received several awards for sustainability, including;
# The "2006 LEAF Awards" for ‘Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme’.
# The "Arab Construction World for ‘Sustainable Design Award’".

Structural Details

Three bridges connect the towers, each hold one large convert|29|m|yd|0|abbr=on turbine. These turbines face north, which is the direction from which air from the Persian Gulf blows in. The sail-shaped buildings on either side are designed to funnel wind through the gap to provide the maximum amount of wind passing through the turbines. This was confirmed by wind tunnel tests, which showed the the building create an ‘S’-shaped flow, ensuring that any wind coming within a 45° angle to either side of the central axis will create a wind stream that remains perpendicular to the turbines. This significantly increases their potential to generate electricity [citation| title=Bahrain World Trade Center, Bahrain| url=http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/bahrain/| newspaper=designbuild-network| year=2007] . The wind turbines are expected to provide 11% to 15% of the towers' total power consumption, or approximately 1.1 to 1.3 MWh a year. This is equivalent to providing the lighting for about 300 homes annually [citation| url=http://www.reuters.com/article/gc07/idUSL1928644820070319| newspaper=Reuters| title="Bahrain builds first wind powered towers: architect| date=2007-03-19] . The three turbines were turned on for the first time on 8 April 2008. They are expected to operate 50% of the time in a daycitation| title=BWTC turbines spin for first time| url=http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=2133| newspaper=World Architecture News| date=2008-04-08] .

Photo gallery

See also

* Architecture
* Bahrain
* List of tallest buildings and structures in Bahrain
* List of twin structures in the world
* List of WTCs across the globe
* Manama
* Wind Turbine

References

External links

* [http://www.bahrainwtc.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5489 Worldwatch, "Bahrain Propels Wind Energy to Urban Future"]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7340528.stm BBC, "Skyscraper powered by wind"]
* [http://www.archinomy.com/blog/the-world-trade-center-with-giant-wind-turbines.html "Giant Wind Turbines of Bahrain WTC"]