Al Bahar Towers

DOCUMENTED FACADE RECORD The towers use a kinetic external mashrabiya on the east, south and west facades to reduce solar gain while retaining floor-to-ceiling clear glazing. Arup’s project documentation describes Abu Dhabi’s climate as subtropical desert with maximum temperatures around 46°C and high year-round solar radiation. Each tower has 1,049 movable mashrabiya devices, each weighing about 1.5 tonnes. The tower geometry generated 22 mashrabiya variants. The shading fabric was selected after testing options; Arup identifies PTFE-coated glass-fibre mesh as the durable, high-performing solution. The mashrabiya is a secondary kinetic shading layer positioned outside the glazed weather enclosure. Its architectural reference is the traditional Islamic mashrabiya, but its operation is contemporary: the units respond to solar exposure rather than remaining fixed ornamental screens. STRUCTURE / ASSEMBLY Arup’s documentation records a perimeter steel frame with geometrically complex nodes. The kinetic shading system is coordinated with this perimeter geometry but should be treated as a distinct secondary facade system rather than as the primary tower structure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE The primary facade objective is interception of direct solar radiation before it reaches the clear glazed enclosure. The design team undertook extensive solar and thermal analysis at different times of year. This strategy enabled much clearer glazing than the dark reflective glazing common in older Gulf towers while limiting heat gain and glare. FABRICATION / TECHNICAL SIGNIFICANCE The 22 geometry variants and large number of moving units made manufacture, assembly, controls and maintenance central to the facade design. This is a strong benchmark for a high-actuator-count adaptive facade and should be tracked for long-term reliability, actuator replacement, control-system obsolescence and membrane ageing. INTERPRETIVE READING The facade is significant because cultural reference and environmental performance are inseparable: the traditional mashrabiya is not copied literally; its shading principle is converted into a building-scale automated system. It is therefore best classified as: kinetic solar-control facade / double-layer envelope / culturally derived adaptive screen.

From a distance, the towers resemble organic textures, such as honeycombs or pinecones. The dynamic movement creates a shifting geometric expression, where portions of the facade appear closed, flat, and crystalline while others are open, light, and airy.