;o Instead of importing architectural ideas, next-generation
Kuwaiti designers are constructing their own localized vision of the future.
By Matthew Teller
KUWAIT CITY BY DESIGN
;;; ;;;;; ;;; the Kuwaiti New Wave. Long respected as
the Gulf region’s prime mover in fashion, Kuwait is now
seeing the emergence of fresh young talent in architecture.
“Where we lead, everyone else follows,” says Kuwaiti
architect Jassim Al-Saddah.
While neighbouring states, which include Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman,
compete to build the biggest, highest and most expensive,
Kuwait often adopts a less showy persona, evoking its own
distinctive voice and sensibility. The most visible example
is Kuwait City’s Al Hamra Tower, opened in 2011.
Kuwait’s tallest, at a relatively modest 414 metres ( 1,358
feet), the tower defies expectations, its sculpted, twisted
form designed to suit the culture and prevailing climate.
A sweeping curve of glass faces the sea to north, east and
west. Yet looking south to the desert sun is a tall, flat façade
of blank stone, limiting heat gain while acknowledging the
cultural origins of Kuwait’s architectural language.
right: The
award-winning
Ali Mohammed T.
Al-Ghanim Clinic,
designed by AGi
Architects, helped
lay the foundation
for the Kuwaiti
New Wave.
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