Kuwait Water Towers

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

Kuwait Water Towers
General information
TypeWater tower
LocationKuwait City, Kuwait
Coordinates29°19′46″N 47°59′04″E
Construction startedFebruary 1970
CompletedDecember 1976
Cost2,800,000 KWD (US$ 9,800,000)
Height35–40 m
Dimensions
Diameter40 m
Technical details
Structural systemstandard reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete
Design and construction
Architect Sune Lindström

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]

Notes
  1. Water Towers
  2. Water Tower Project Brief (pdf) pp 3-6. In: Aga Khan Award
  3. Kultermann 1981
  4. Aga Khan Award

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
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