The Kuwait Towers are on UNESCO’s tentative list to become a World Heritage site. It’s only the first step but if it does get approved, then the Kuwait Towers will become the first modernist building in the entire Gulf region to be designated a World Heritage Site. I’ve written in more depth about this [Here]
One of the requirements for a building to become a World Heritage Site is for the building to be restored to it’s original state. This is where the issue is with the Kuwait Towers right now, there are currently plans to refurbish the building which would mean it would no longer be able to become a World Heritage Site.
I’m not sure why they’re still going ahead with a refurbishment plan with an opportunity like this at the door, in any case if you would like to voice your opinion on this there is currently a petition calling to stop the refurbishing and to restore the Kuwait Towers to it’s former glory. You can view and sign the petition [Here]
28 replies on “Petition to stop the Kuwait Towers refurbishment”
What use is a world heritage designation? I would prefer to have modern renovated towers than some bullshit designation by UNESCO (the most of all un organizations ever since the US and UK boycotted them).
Have you seen how the Kuwait Airport was refurbished? Now picture the same being done to the Kuwait Towers and you’ll understand why it’s important to designate it as a world heritage site.
“What use is a world heritage designation?”
In case your country decides to drop bombs on us, they’d usually avoid hitting UNESCO buildings.
Bombs drop anyway, heritage site or not. Even if you declare a place as “open city”.
#RealityOfWar
I don’t understand this. Why would re-furbishing the building disqualify it from being a world heritage site? Obviously, the needed refurbishment will happen inside the towers.
The statue of liberty is a UNESCO world heritage site, does that mean its insides were never modernized?
I’m sure someone with more knowledge than me on this can give you a better answer but from what I understood the building has to be as close as possible to the original state. I am sure some modifications were made to the interior of the Statue of Liberty but I am sure nothing dramatic and everything has to be studied. The UN guidelines are so strict that even the area around the site is taken into consideration which is why the House of Parliament building was rejected (due to the new ugly extension)
best example I can give is the kuwait airport, if you compare it to how it was and how it is today they are completely different and not in a good way.
I understand your example regarding the airport, the whole building is unrecognizable. I am not sure if you can do the same with the Kuwait Towers.
Nevertheless, even centuries old buildings need to be refurbished every few decades. Think about the roofing, the walls, the heating, electric cabling, floors, carpet, furniture, bathrooms etc… otherwise, they will become unusable. Besides, the inside of the Kuwait Towers is just a decor style from the 70s that badly needed an update. I hope the update turns out to be good.
” I am not sure if you can do the same with the Kuwait Towers. ”
In the civilised world, they’d would carefully remove windows and glasses before doing any renovation work. They’d protect the fittings (even door knobs) and they’d be very delicate with the old marble floors and whatever that resembles the period of which the building was built during.
On the surface it would appear as if they have contracted top european consultants to do the renovation work… reality… BS
Here is how renovation of Kuwait tower would go…
They’d remove that beautiful handrail they have on the stairs downstairs. They’d remove all beautiful old tile floors rather than just polishing them… they’d use some cheap chinese made tiles, they’d get rid of all what resembles the period of which the towers were built in and replace them with poor quality products fitted by unskilled underpaid workers… All of that just to profit their contractor friends… who will be subcontracting some unlicensed illegal Arab expat working in the morning as a dentists and in the evening as civil engineer!
well put
u are hilarious dude! well said
You’re probably right. Keep in mind that that when tendering, the government is obliged by law to select the cheapest financial proposal from all bidders that comply with the specifications, otherwise, there will be investigations by various government entities (Parliament, Audit Bureau, etc…)
Today, they will open the financial proposals for the new Kuwait Airport. There are 4 bidders, and unfortunately, they will select the cheapest one.
I think this is the main reason that Kuwait looks so cheap compared to other gulf states.
Kuwait looks more expensive than Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
But yeah I agree, the Parliament is a major impediment to Kuwait’s development
(Critical but honest comment ahead. Do not read if allergic to other’s opinions)
I say knock them down. They’re an iconic symbol of Kuwait that any kuwaiti would instantly recognize. They’re also a swore reminder of how pathetically incompetent we are.
Before destroying your keyboards, continue reading. I promise I have a valid point I want to make.
Towers, especially towers like Kuwait, are monuments that represent society’s technological achievements. They tell the observer that those whom built the tower have achieved such a degree of proficiency in knowledge that they could erect* such a huge structure and have it standing throughout the ages without falling down on itself.
Now, let’s take a look at our beloved towers; they were designed by a dane, the project handled by a Swedish company, and a construction by a Yugoslavian company. While I’m sure that those people were competent in there jobs, but not a single Kuwaiti was involved in a meaningful way. No, paying money we got from oil and not hard work does not count.
So to me, at least, Kuwait towers is a mark of shame. It’s a reminder of the fact that we can’t even make what we are proud of. They’re mere sight is depressing.
* probably by an irection engineer, mark 😉
They are not a monuments that represent any sort of achievements. They are functional towers… two are water tanks, with one of the water tanks utilized as a restaurant and cafe… and the third tower powers the other two and lights them up.
Today, people view these towers as an achievement of people from certain past era… indeed for that reason many people right now are afraid from the planned renovation works. I say this because people have witnessed how decision makers are working hard to erase everything good about our past. They do that thinking we’ll stop complaining how downhill we’re going.
Oh well…
YES!
I say we demolish the Kuwait Towers, it’s truly a mark of shame
Looking at Kuwait Towers, I feel nothing but shame. The Kuwaiti government DEMOLISHED everything from Kuwait’s pre-oil era
ALL of pre-oil Kuwait City was demolished including the beautiful Wind-Towers (badgeer/badgir). Our entire heritage was demolished so that some foreigners can build tacky buildings
Kuwait’s pre-oil architecture was beautiful. It was too beautiful. Kuwait’s pre-oil architecture was derived from Ottoman and Persian architecture. That’s probably why they demolished everything
Look at pictures of Kuwait’s pre-oil merchant houses, government buildings and palaces. Or just a typical pre-oil neighbourhood.
Our entire heritage was wiped out in the name of modernity
But by this logic, Burj Khalifa should also be torn down.
Then tear down 90% of anything anywhere, this is the dumbest thing.
A country with a population, now, of about 1.4 million citizens that only recently became educated is not going to have the best architects, designers, etc.
When the towers were first built a huge portion of the population was still not educated, Kuwait had JUST achieved nationhood, there were only about 300k citizens and they were still modernizing. It would have been impossible for Kuwaitis to build it themselves.
Kuwaitis are too concerned about bashing their own country to realize that they came pretty far in a short amount of time. Our grandparent’s generation grew up with no electricity or running water (depending on how old you are I guess)
There are 1.2 million Kuwaiti citizens, not even close to 1.4 million.
The Kuwaiti government has been educating Kuwaitis since the 1940s.
Kuwait started sending its citizens on university scholarships to the world’s best universities since the 1940s and 1950s
We have generations of Kuwaitis with Western university education. This isn’t 1990 anymore. There are no excuses.
UNESCO in that case should clarify what RESTORE is and what RENOVATE is.
they already do
If you have a 1970 car, you can restore it, buy rebuilding the engine with factory original parts just the way it came out of the factory in 1970.
If you renovated that same car, you can put a brand new corvette engine in there with supercharers, bose stereo, navigation and tv systems, backup sensors, led lights.
One is restored, looks just the way it was intended to look like, the other has modern inovations in it, you can say they Re-inovated or renovated it.
The question is why start this petition only now? Where were you over a year ago when the issue of Kuwait Towers was brought to the surface? Where were you long before that when Kuwait Towers were forgotten and the engineers have not brought their state to the surface?
I wonder if this whole “propaganda” got do to with Dasman Palace. The owners of Dasman Palace are trying to sell it for about 1.5 billion dinar to the government https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2405320&language=en
The justification of that price is that the area is going to be a historic and protected area. So basically… the Kuwait towers propaganda in my view is nothing but an attempt to drive the price of Dasman Palace up.
This is Kuwait, the only thing people value is the dinar. to hell with our history, heritage, morals and whatever.
And thanks to the British Ambassador… this blog is now probably monitored, and such rants may lend me in jail
sigh.
so which of these UNESCO criterion does Abraj meet? I think possibly the second one, possibly.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/
as Barney always said, “Newer is better.”
and…. i misquoted him, “Newer is always better.”
No one destroys the balls of Kuwait. Secondly UN protected site are as big a farce as not having it. Firstly development cannot occur if the building is determined a Un heritage site. That means the view will have to be maintained forever and the surrounding context will never change. Meaning if tomorrow someone gets the humane idea of connecting to the waterfront via pedestrian bridge. Guess what you cannot.
Regarding the accomplishment on the backs of foreign workers. The Giza was built on the backs of non Egyptian slave. Guggenheim in Bilbao was built by a non Spanish architect. But it’s not about foreign skill. It’s about the building in its context and the period it was built on. It’s a testament of Kuwait embracing modernism with open arms and proclaiming they are ready to be ushered into the modern era.
Finally rather then looking at it as a foriegn object. It should be remembered as an edifice of cooperation.
The statue of liberty, probably the most iconic US monument, was a gift from France. It really isn’t about “Who made it” but rather what it stands for.