Bahrain World Trade Center, Manama, Bahrain

The Bahrain World Trade Center (also known as Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240 m (787 ft) high twin tower complex located in Manama, Bahrain. The building is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The project of the building has received several awards for sustainability, including;

1. The 2006 LEAF Awards for Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme.
2. The Arab Construction World for Sustainable Design Award.

The complex was completed in 2008. 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. 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.

Architect : Shaun Killa