Al Sharq Wins Again   
 
12th August 2007

Atkins Middle East’s Al Sharq office complex has added another notch to its awards belt, recently receiving the honour of CNBC Arabian Property Award High Rise Architecture Award. A clear indication the international architecture community is acknowledging this revolutionary concept, this is the second major award for Al Sharq - the first being the prestigious MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Award (Offices category), received in march this year. Nicholas Bailey, Head of Concept Architecture in Bahrain, says “Al Sharq is the way forward in terms of defining a new architecture for Kuwait and we are delighted to be recognised in this way for such an exciting and prestigious award. “Atkins design work is largely about adding maximum value to clients’ projects through the collective cerebral processes of our multi-discipline design team and it’s fantastic to be involved with the project and also with the strong client-consultant partnership that drives innovation.”

The Al Sharq office building quietly pursues a rigorous sustainability agenda. A shallow plan office floor plate with heavily shaded facades reduces the tower's environmental footprint and provides an internal environment with extremely high levels of occupant comfort, flooded with diffuse natural light. The 180m tower will cover an area of 56,400sq.m and combines work and leisure, internal and outside spaces, and offers a variety of scenarios for business within a sustainable and environmentally responsible design. The stunning design is conceived as a pairing of parallel blades from which office spaces are hung. At ground floor level, the glass-fronted entrance and shop fronts are set back in a shaded arcade. The podium hovers above and, on its roof, restaurants and shops are set amid a sky garden. Even the Al Sharq's lowest level of office space is high enough for panoramic views. At the top of the tower a variety of uses include an executive gym, health club, spa and swimming pool.