Architecture, Art & Design
The CBK's new and spectacular headquarters building is of a unique design, which will include all the very latest high-tech gadgetry and building techniques.
HOK (London) won the design and construction supervision contract in June 2003 .
When finished, it is expected to dominate the city's skyline; a city already renowned for its sophisticated architectural designs.
The building's design is based around a triangular, truncated pyramid tower, composed of geometric shapes which echo the geometry and order of traditional Kuwaiti architecture and which sit in harmony with the nearby Ben Khamis Mosque on the north-west side of the site.
The two walls of the south, city-facing, tower will be predominantly of imported stone; the stone will be used as a heat-sink to absorb the blistering Kuwaiti sun during the day while harnessing that stored heat to ward off the cold of the desert nights.
The transparent north-facing elevation is being constructed using fairly standard double-glazed, solar-controlled glass thus offering the building's occupants breathtaking and panoramic views across the Gulf while at the same time revealing the interior and conserving energy. Topping the building will be an all-glass viewing platform (unlikely to be open to the public) lit internally and externally to form a distinctive beacon at night, thus reflecting Kuwait's seafaring and trading history. The tower is intersected by a podium that contains reception and banking halls, conference facilities, dining and banquet rooms, museum and specialist financial functions. The adjoining car park will be able to accommodate 1,500 cars.
HOK (London) won the design and construction supervision contract in June 2003 .
When finished, it is expected to dominate the city's skyline; a city already renowned for its sophisticated architectural designs.
The building's design is based around a triangular, truncated pyramid tower, composed of geometric shapes which echo the geometry and order of traditional Kuwaiti architecture and which sit in harmony with the nearby Ben Khamis Mosque on the north-west side of the site.
The two walls of the south, city-facing, tower will be predominantly of imported stone; the stone will be used as a heat-sink to absorb the blistering Kuwaiti sun during the day while harnessing that stored heat to ward off the cold of the desert nights.
The transparent north-facing elevation is being constructed using fairly standard double-glazed, solar-controlled glass thus offering the building's occupants breathtaking and panoramic views across the Gulf while at the same time revealing the interior and conserving energy. Topping the building will be an all-glass viewing platform (unlikely to be open to the public) lit internally and externally to form a distinctive beacon at night, thus reflecting Kuwait's seafaring and trading history. The tower is intersected by a podium that contains reception and banking halls, conference facilities, dining and banquet rooms, museum and specialist financial functions. The adjoining car park will be able to accommodate 1,500 cars.
