Gulf Construction Online - Four firms vie for monument deal

Regional News

Four firms vie for monument deal

01 July 2003

Four leading Bahraini contractors have submitted bids for the construction of a national commemoration monument in Sakhir.

The lowest bidder was G P Zachariades whose tender value was BD5.78 million ($15.3 million). The three other contractors which submitted bids were: Projects A BD6,398,580, Ahmed Mansoor Al A'ali BD6,248,906 and A A Nass Contracting BD6,355,686.
The monument will be built on a 75,000 sq m site near Sakhir Palace, as a gift from the King, HM Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to the people of Bahrain.
The preliminary design for the monument was selected following a Millennium Commemoration Monument Design Competition in December 2000. The winning entries were selected from a total of 33 different designs. The monument will contain the names of all the individuals, companies and societies which have pledged their support to Bahrain and their readiness to protect their country.
The Crystal City design presented by Wael Salah won the first prize. It depicts 18 Arabian horses cast from the finest bronze running through a sea that flows across a lush green roundabout. The land portion of the roundabout is shaped like the Hawar Islands, and it houses a huge Bahrain flag, spanning 230 ft by 330 ft.
Other features of The Crystal City are three interlinked glass domes (the Tri-Dome), a heritage museum, gift shop, virtual reality centre, visitors information bureau, coffee shop, lounge, restaurant and shopping facilities, kids kingdom, a 3-D adventure theatre, a waterside dhow restaurant, an aquarium and a Great Hall.
Sources said the designs have since been modified and the monument would include a museum building and a landmark tower, water features, galleries, horizontal and shopping floors, service blocks, covered walkway and a paved area, featuring an "eternal flame."
Work on the project is expected to start later in the year.