SSH, a leading masterplanning, infrastructure and project management company in the Middle East, said work on its new iconic National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) headquarters building in the heart of Kuwait City is nearing completion and occupation.

 

Standing a colossal 300 m tall and covering a total floor area of 127,000 sq m, the tower boasts a distinctive presence among other high-rise buildings in Sharq, adding significantly to the city’s skyline, stated SSH which acted as lead consultant for construction supervision, in association with leading UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners and leading integrated engineering consultancy services group BuroHappold. 

 

According to SSH, the tower design concept originated from a pearl shell, an object highly symbolic in Kuwait’s history and heritage, culture and economy. 

 

The main construction comprises composite concrete and steel, while the cladding on the fins and glass façades is predominantly glass reinforced concrete. 

 

The tower has been built with an intentional lean to compensate for its designed offset centre of gravity, it added.  

 

Mohammad Iqbal, the senior resident engineer at SSH, Kuwait, said: "We are extremely proud to have completed and delivered this project to our established client – not only because the end result is of such high quality, but also because it reflects SSH’s professionalism, expertise and commitment toward client gratification."

 

Based on its energy-saving and environment preservation designs, NBK Tower is a new landmark green building built in line with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold requirements, making it one of the first with such high certification in Kuwait and the region.

 

Founded in 1961, SSH is one of the leading master planning, infrastructure, building design and construction supervision firms in the Middle East, with a reputation for design integrity and a portfolio that includes landmark projects throughout the region. 

 

It has offices in Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, London, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.-TradeArabia News Service