With a height of 1,354 feet, the Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City, Kuwait, holds the title as the tallest sculpted building in the world, and its sleek exterior is lavishly dressed in Jura limestone from Germany
Hailed as the tallest sculpted building in the world, the Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City, Kuwait, stands at 1,354 feet and features a continuous stone facade. The 80-story office building is clad in Jura limestone, which was quarried in Germany and supplied by Jura Marble Suppliers (JMS) of Eichstätt, Germany. Because of the size of the structure — along with the extreme heat conditions — the design team at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in New York, NY, had many factors to consider when developing its aesthetic and selecting building materials.
“The design goal was to create an efficient super-tall office tower that was both culturally and environmentally responsive,” said Aybars Asci, Director, AIA, LEED AP of SOM. “We also aspired to create a timeless architectural icon. We did not have a preconceived idea to create a sculpted tower. The form of the tower emerged from a design process that responded to the environmental, structural and spatial parameters of the project.”