KUWAIT CITY, June 24: Heralded for being the most influential tower built in Kuwait in the last decade, Al Hamra Business Tower was the proud winner of the ‘Audience Award’ for the 10 year category of 2011 projects completion by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Delegates from around the world ranging from the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban habitat projects and design such as architects, building owners, and engineers unanimously voted for Al Hamra Business Tower as their favorite project due to its original design, cultural symbolism, sustainability and state-of-the-art technology. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Al Hamra Business Tower stands at 413 meters high across 80 levels, integrated with intelligent design, functionality a striking mix of iconic sculptural form and breathtaking office views overlooking the Gulf. The Tower has inspired a new wave of development, and cultivated a profound legacy as an economic driver for the city in only a decade.

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It is credited for creating a modern office space environment and revolutionizing the way the local business community works and operates. Situated at the heart of Kuwait City’s commercial district, the Tower has evolved into a vertical city with a thriving community that is home to over 120 tenants, who are some of Kuwait’s leading political, telecom, banking, government, business and diplomatic figures since its inception. Mr. Ali Khajah, Chief Operating Officer of Al Hamra Real Estate Development said: “This is truly an honor and an enriching experience as Al Hamra Business Tower receives a new category award resulting from the global respect and appreciation for our brand and its progress from a vast and diverse list of industry peers.

This achievement projects the economic prosperity of modern day Kuwait to the world at large and more particularly, the confidence and pride the people of Kuwait have in their future development.” Gary Haney,Design Partner at SOM, said:“We are honored to participate in a program that celebrates not just design or commercial success, but the sustained infl uence a visionary project can exert over a decade after completion. This award represents the importance of the long term value of design within the urban environment.They are expressions of how a community sees itself, not only now, but in the future. SOM is proud that Al Hamra, after ten years, still represents the aspiration, ambition and energy of Kuwait City.”

CTBUH explore projects, technologies, and approaches currently reshaping skylines and urban spaces worldwide. Previously, Al Hamra Business Tower was recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) as the tallest building in Kuwait, 2nd tallest building, and tallest office building and tallest concrete structure in the Middle East. Internationally, the Tower was acclaimed for being 2nd tallest concrete structure in the world, 5th tallest office building in the world and 12th tallest building in the world in the year 2012. Al Hamra Business Tower is the recipient of several local, regional and global recognitions including ‘Best international commercial high rise development’ award, ‘Best Commercial High-Rise Architecture’ and ‘Best Commercial High-Rise Development’ awards for both Kuwait as well as the Region by the International Property Awards, Dubai, African and Arabian Property Awards and Arabian Property Awards.

Smart Building Award-Middle East Organization from Honeywell, Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards First Place/High-Rise Buildings Organization from American Concrete Institute (ACI), Design Award: Architecture Merit Award Organization from American Institute of Architecture (AIA) – New York Chapter, American Architecture Awards Organization from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Designs to name a few. The CTBUH Annual Awards program recognizes projects and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level. The objective is to deliver a comprehensive and sophisticated view of these important buildings, spaces, and technologies, while advocating for improvements in every aspect of their performance, especially those that have the greatest impact on the people who use them each day. Celebration of the award winning projects is recognized through the annual Tall + Urban Innovation Conference, where Award of Excellence Winners in each award category present their projects to an international audience and live juries.