Asia

[Visited: March 2009 and before]

The first time I saw the World Trade Center in Manama, it was all shiny and looked very new in the late December sun. The adjacent mall had a glass window providing for a great view of the towers. Three huge turbine blades were turning between the two towers, attached to three enormous bridges connecting the two identical buildings. What at first seemed to be a decoration on the building, or an interesting addition to a twin tower structure, the wind turbine blades turned out to provide energy for the building. Probably using the wind coming from the Persian Gulf, the turbines provide part of the energy consumed inside the buildings.
In fact, closer study shows that the sail-shaped buildings of the World Trade Center were constructed in such a way that the wind is funneled through them giving them maximal impact on the wind turbines. The turbines apparently are unique in the world, in combination with the twin towers. And who knows, they might be trendsetting, considering the increasing concern over energy consumption. It is telling that the turbines should be built on the Persian Gulf, the main oil-producing region in the world. But then again, this is also one of the major playgrounds for experimental architects.
The second time I saw the World Trade Center in Manama, it was on a hazy day with sand in the air. As I walked past, I noticed a big difference with my visit just several months earlier. Obviously, there was no blue sky to make the towers stand out, but the turbines were not working. I learned that they are designed to be operating only half of the time. As I approached the towers, I noticed that where they looked shiny and new before, they now were covered in a layer of sand - giving the blue glass a brownish look. It gave the buildings a completely different look, suddenly made them look old. But when the sun finally managed to shine its light on the glass of the building, the towers got a new character. As I was seeing the sun set on the buildings, I realized that that was probably the reality: the World Trade Center twin towers have a different look depending on the circumstances.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Bahrain World Trade Center (Bahrain). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Bahrain World Trade Center.
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Bahrain World Trade Center > Bahrain > Asia

[Visited: March 2009 and before]

Around the World in 80 Clicks