An artist's impression of the tower.
Zamil tower to be the 'gateway' to Manama
01 August 2002
A two-tower office complex is set to break ground shortly in the heart of Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
The Al Zamil Tower will feature a unique design, straddling Khalifa Avenue over a gateway above which the two towers are linked. The taller of the two towers facing the busy Government Avenue will reach a height of 95.5 m with 22 storeys. The second tower, overlooking Khalifa Avenue, will include a ground, mezzanine and 10 storeys.
The BD8 million ($21.2 million) building is being developed by the Al Zamil Group to house some of its offices while also being leased out to prospective tenants. For the project, Al Zamil Group has appointed Gulf House Engineering as the architectural and civil consultant, Hisham Abdul Rahman Jaffer as project manager and quantity surveyor, Chapo as the main contractor and Gemac as consultant for electromechanical services.
The building was designed by Ahmed Bucheery.
The complex sits on a footprint of 722 sq m (615 + 105 sq m).
Foundation work is expected to start next month (September) and demolition is under way of the old Al Zamil building which currently occupies the site.
"The architectural concept dwells on the theme of the new emerging from the old," says Yasser Yacoub, manager of the engineering department at Gulf House Engineering. "To convey this theme, the towers feature granite skirting at the base which blends into natural stone cladding at the lower levels incorporating elements of Islamic architecture, and then into modern precast and aluminium and curtain-walling featuring high-performance tinted glass. The taller tower flares outwards towards the top of the concave-shaped building. The other tower tapers in a stepped fashion from the 9th floor."
The two buildings will be connected across Al Khalifa Avenue by a 30-m-long 'gateway' offering a clearance in excess of 10 m for traffic, twice the height requirements set for highways, according to Yacoub.
The smaller tower at the rear will feature seven levels of parking - one underground and six above ground - offering a total of 155 parking spaces over a total built-up area in excess of 5,000 sq m within the complex dedicated for the use for the occupants. Above these will be office areas extending over the bridge to link with the main tower.
Internally, a very high standard of finishes will be used with a combination of cherrywood cladding and glazing in the entrance areas and the lobbies and a combination of marble and natural stone used for the flooring.
The office areas will be open plan, allowing tenants total flexibility in terms of locating the ductwork and toilets etc. They will feature full-height glazing offering occupants unhindered view of the cityscape.
The mechanical services will be located on the 'bridging' areas between the two blocks.
The building will be served by six lifts - four for the main tower and two for the other - each with a capacity for 13 persons.
The Al Zamil Tower is expected to be complete in early 2004.
Gulf House Engineering is currently involved in a number of other projects including the Al Jazira Tower in the Sanabis area, which includes a ground, mezzanine and 10 storeys.
It was responsible for the architectural and structural design work for the Dana Resort off the Shaikh Hamad Causeway, which is nearing completion and also carried out the urban planning and architectural work on the Amwaj Islands which are taking shape to the northwest of Muharraq.
