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World Trade Center (Manama)
Encyclopedia
The Bahrain World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240 m (787 ft) high twin tower complex located in Manama
, Bahrain
. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper
in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design.
This 50-floor structure is constructed
in close proximity to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of BFH
, NBB
, Abraj Al Lulu
and the scenic Pearl Roundabout
. It currently ranks as the second tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour
. The project has received several awards for sustainability, including;
The two towers are linked via three skybridge
s, each holding a 225kW
wind turbine
, totalling to 675kW of wind power production. Each of these turbines measure 29 m (95 ft) in diameter, and is aligned 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 accelerated 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. The three turbines were turned on for the first time on the 8th of April, 2008. They are expected to operate 50% of the time on an average day.
. In the movie, an incident involving a subatomic collider in the year 2020 creates cataclysmic effects on planet Earth. CGI
is used in the movie to show the WTC collapsing as a result of an earthquake
, though the reason for the earthquake is not fully explained in the movie.
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design.
This 50-floor structure is constructed
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
in close proximity to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of BFH
Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour is a large-scale commercial development project in Manama, the capital of Bahrain....
, NBB
National Bank of Bahrain
National Bank of Bahrain was established in 1957 as the first indigenous bank in Bahrain. A nation-wide network of 25 branches, 46 ATMs and over 4,000 Point of Sale terminals in addition to their branches in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh makes NBB the leading provider of commercial and retail banking...
, Abraj Al Lulu
Abraj Al Lulu
The Abraj Al Lulu is a large residential project located in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain. The entire project consists of three large towers, two of which have 50 floors and one with 40...
and the scenic Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
. It currently ranks as the second tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour is a large-scale commercial development project in Manama, the capital of Bahrain....
. The project has received several awards for sustainability, including;
- The 2006 LEAF Award for Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme.
- The Arab Construction World for Sustainable Design Award.
Structural details
Skybridge
Skybridge may refer to:* an alternate term for skyway.* The bridge named Skybridge in Vancouver, Canada.* The bridge named Skye Bridge in Britain.* The bridge named Langkawi Sky Bridge in Malaysia.* The Skybridge Building in Chicago, United States....
s, each holding a 225kW
Kw
kw or KW may refer to:* Kuwait, ISO 3166-1 country code** .kw, the country code top level domain for Kuwait* Kilowatt* Self-ionization of water Kw* Cornish language's ISO 639 code* Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada...
wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, totalling to 675kW of wind power production. Each of these turbines measure 29 m (95 ft) in diameter, and is aligned north, which is the direction from which air from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
blows in. The sail
Sail
A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
-shaped buildings on either side are designed to funnel
Funnel
A funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
wind through the gap to provide accelerated wind passing through the turbines. This was confirmed by wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
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. The three turbines were turned on for the first time on the 8th of April, 2008. They are expected to operate 50% of the time on an average day.
Popular fiction
The Bahrain WTC was featured prominently in the 2009 science fiction SyFy channel made-for-television movie Annihilation EarthAnnihilation Earth
Annihilation Earth is a 2009 made-for-television science fiction film for Syfy Channel, directed by Nick Lyon, written by Rafael Jordan, and starring Luke Goss, Marina Sirtis, and Colin Salmon. It follows the attempts by an energy scientist to determine the causes of a deadly explosion at a...
. In the movie, an incident involving a subatomic collider in the year 2020 creates cataclysmic effects on planet Earth. CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
is used in the movie to show the WTC collapsing as a result of an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, though the reason for the earthquake is not fully explained in the movie.
See also
- List of tallest structures in Bahrain
- List of twin buildings and structures
- List of world trade centers
- Unconventional wind turbinesUnconventional wind turbinesAs of 2010, the most common type of wind turbine is the three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine .This article deals with various types of wind turbine that differ from the standard type...