In the course of becoming one of the world's most important sources of energy and a prominent key to the stability of the global economy, the Gulf countries have developed into a prime example of the tension between globalisation and localisation. So has their architectural identity. Even by conservative estimates, there seems to be a new state-of-the-art glass box sprouting in the urban fabric of these nations every month. Though arguable, skyscrapers have now become a staple feature in the urbanised development of most countries across the world. At the apex of this transformation is a country which once used to be a small village that, in a short span of time, rapidly grew into an urbanised regional metropolis. Since the discovery of oil reserves in the 1940s, Kuwait has been on a path of fast-paced development, and the latest addition to the country’s noteworthy assemblage of skyscrapers comes in the form of the new headquarters for the National Bank of Kuwait in Kuwait City, designed by Foster + Partners.

Marking a distinctive presence in Sharq - the city’s growing financial district - the 300 m sculptural volume contrasts the many modern iterations of skyscraper architecture in its context. With an intent to promote synergy and enhance wellbeing, the new building unifies all of the bank’s corporate employees under one roof. "The new headquarters for the National Bank of Kuwait represents the coming together of an innovative environmental strategy and a diverse programme as a distinctive landmark that stands out on the Kuwaiti skyline. The building incorporates a sustainable, functional, and iconic design that signifies NBK's unique presence and identity in the city,” states Stefan Behling, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners.

Designed to address the extremities of Kuwait's climate, the structure incorporates multiple measures for efficient shading. While providing structural support, the concrete fins that extend throughout the height of the tower also act as a protective outer skin that minimises solar gain. With tapered floors at lower levels and outwardly extended floors at higher levels, the form of the structure enables overhanging floor plates to shade the floors below and maximises floor space at the upper levels. In the process of bridging sustainable features, structural innovation, and an energy-efficient passive form in a single building, the British architects seemed to have narrated an effective environmental strategy.

With its curved northern façade and extended floor plates, the tower's unique form offers panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf to a greater number of its occupants. The 63-storey building accommodates sky lobbies, a double-height restaurant, a gym, ballroom, auditorium, triple-height boardroom, and an 18 m high entrance lobby. Along with providing a better working environment, the building's communal spaces aim to enrich its employees' social focus. At the peak of the tower is the chairman's club with a distinctive skylight that traces an arc through the space, offering panoramic views of the city and coastline. In order to increase the net usable floor plate area, an innovative twin-lift strategy minimises the sizes of the cores used for vertical circulation. “The form we have developed for the tower is driven by the needs of the bank and the internal spatial arrangement is tailored to its organisational requirements, whilst providing flexibility for future change and growth. We have created a customised working environment where everybody has their own unique space," states Nikolai Malsch, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners.

To complement the pioneering architecture of the skyscraper, Foster + Partners further raised the standard of the interior design by incorporating bespoke furniture and lighting in prominent spaces. Designed by the practice's industrial design team, the boardroom features distinctive lighting comprising several elegant blown-glass pendant lights which form a cloud-like cluster above the grand board table.

With new technologies, construction techniques, and the adept use of materiality and scale, the National Bank of Kuwait’s new headquarters seem to create a unique identity for the organisation in a very conventional urban setting. While the completed structure reflects concepts of sustainability and innovation, the influence and impact it could hold against the ever-changing fabric of Kuwait City is still yet to be ascertained. In a desert replete with tall structures that dialogue between globalist outlooks and contextual relevance, will skyscraper architecture continue to stack layers of imported culture or are we finally past this archaic trajectory?

(Text by Sunena V Maju, intern at STIRworld)