The Impressive Al Bahar Towers

There are two very impressive skyscrapers, but not only for their height or design. The twin towers have 145 meters height and 29 floors in Abu Dhabi. They are known as the Al Bahr Towers and they do something really weird, because ... they can avoid the sun!!

There are two very impressive skyscrapers, but not only for their height or design. The twin towers have 145 meters height and 29 floors in Abu Dhabi. They are known as the Al Bahr Towers and they do something really weird, because ... they can avoid the sun!!
For Abu Dhabi's newest pair of towers, Aedas Architects have designed a responsive facade which takes cultural cues from the "mashrabiya", a traditional Islamic lattice shading device.

The two skyscrapers are covered by 2.000 "umbrellas" with a mechanism which responds to the movement of the sun as a way to reduce solar gain and glare. The actuated facade panels sits two meters outside the buildings' exterior on an independent frame.

Peter Oborn, the deputy chairman of Aedas explained the purpose of this construction. "At night they will all fold, so they will all close, so you'll see more of the facade. As the sun rises in the morning in the east, the mashrabiya along the east of the building will all begin to close and as the sun moves round the building, then that whole vertical strip of mashrabiya will move with the sun".

The "smart" facade of Al Bahr Towers is dynamically controlled by a building management system. This screen which was completed in 2012 is able to reduce the building's need for energy-draining air conditioning by 50%.

The environmentally friendly towers have even been awarded the 2012 Tall Building Innovation Award by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

"The façade on Al Bahar, computer-controlled to respond to optimal solar and light conditions, has never been achieved on this scale before. In addition, the expression of this outer skin seems to firmly root the building in its cultural context," explained Awards Juror Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre Architects.

The buildings house the Headquarters of the Council of Abu Dhabi Investment (ADIC) and offices of the bank Al Hilal.

Watch the video provided under media below.