Bahrain World Trade Center | |
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The Bahrain World Trade Center from the rear of the wind turbines
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Location in Manama
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General information | |
Status | Complete |
Type | Commercial |
Location | Manama, Bahrain |
Coordinates | 26°14′21″N 50°34′53″E / 26.23917°N 50.58139°ECoordinates: 26°14′21″N 50°34′53″E / 26.23917°N 50.58139°E |
Construction started | 2004 |
Opening | 2008 |
Cost | US $ 150 million |
Management | Atkins |
Height | |
Antenna spire | 240 m (787 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 50 |
Lifts/elevators | 4 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Atkins |
Main contractor |
Murray and Roberts, Ramboll, Norwin A/S, Elsam Engineering |
The Bahrain World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240-metre-high (787 ft), 50-floor, twin tower complex located in Manama, Bahrain. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The wind turbines were developed, built and installed by Danish company Norwin A/S.
The structure is constructed close to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), NBB and Abraj Al Lulu. It currently ranks as the second-tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour. The project has received several awards for sustainability, including:
The two towers are linked via three skybridges, each holding a 225 kW wind turbine, totalling to 675 kW of wind power capacity. Each of these turbines measure 29 m (95 ft) in diameter, and is aligned 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 accelerated wind passing through the turbines. This was confirmed by wind tunnel tests, which showed that the buildings 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.