Bahrain World Trade Center

Bahrain World Trade Center
Bahrain World Trade Center
	Scenic view of the three wind turbines at the center of the two skyscrapers.
Information
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
Status	Complete
Groundbreaking	2004
Opening	2008
Use	Commercial
Height
Antenna/Spire	240 m (787 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	50
Elevator count	4
Cost	US$ 150,000,000
Companies
Architect	Shaun Killa
Contractor	Ramboll Danmark,; Norwin A/S,; Elsam Engineering
Management	Atkins

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The Bahrain World Trade Center (also known as Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240 m (787 ft) high twin tower complex by South African architect Shaun Killa, located in Manama, Bahrain. The building is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design.

The 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 project of the building 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.^[1]

[edit] Structural details

Three skybridges connect the towers; each holding one large wind turbine with a nameplate capacity of 225kW each, totalling to 675kW of wind power production. These turbines, each measuring 29 m (32 yd) in diameter, 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 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.^[2] The wind turbines are expected to provide 11% to 15% of the towers' total power consumption, or approximately 1.1 to 1.3 GWh a year. This is equivalent to providing the lighting for about 300 homes annually.^[3] 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 day.^[1]