Al Hilal Bank, Al Bahr Towers — Local services in Abu Dhabi

Al Bahr Towers

The 25-floor towers of Al Bahar have an amazing facade that was intended to refer to traditional Arabic architecture and design. Elevation in geometric patterns, consists of over 1000 moving elements that shrink and expand during the day, depending on the position of the sun, providing a more dynamic solution to climatic conditions. The panel lattice almost completely surrounds the two towers, except for the part of the buildings that faces north.

The shading system developed by a team of computer designers, architects and engineers is based on a parametric description of the geometry of the moving facades and simulation of its functions in response to sun exposure and the resulting change in incidence angles to different points throughout the year. Since in Abu Dhabi the temperature rarely drops below 35 * C and for much of the year it exceeds 50 * C, it was considered that in addition to investing in the building's air conditioning, it is also necessary to limit the heating of its interior.

The dynamic response of the panels to the movement of the sun, solar radiation inside the building, filters the light and reduces glare. At night, all the screens are curled up, allowing the glass of the facade to be seen. The system was named "mashrabiya" from traditional openwork architectural elements characteristic of Arab buildings since the Middle Ages.

The mechanism of opening and closing panels is activated by energy from photovoltaic panels. The overall shape of the towers has been designed to optimize the operation of the shading system and to achieve the optimal surface ratio between the façade and the usable surface, creating the largest possible volume of space on the...

The 25-floor towers of Al Bahar have an amazing facade that was intended to refer to traditional Arabic architecture and design. Elevation in geometric patterns, consists of over 1000 moving elements that shrink and expand during the day, depending on the position of the sun, providing a more dynamic solution to climatic conditions. The panel lattice almost completely surrounds the two towers, except for the part of the buildings that faces north.

The shading system developed by a team of computer designers, architects and engineers is based on a parametric description of the geometry of the moving facades and simulation of its functions in response to sun exposure and the resulting change in incidence angles to different points throughout the year. Since in Abu Dhabi the temperature rarely drops below 35 * C and for much of the year it exceeds 50 * C, it was considered that in addition to investing in the building's air conditioning, it is also necessary to limit the heating of its interior.

The dynamic response of the panels to the movement of the sun, solar radiation inside the building, filters the light and reduces glare. At night, all the screens are curled up, allowing the glass of the facade to be seen. The system was named "mashrabiya" from traditional openwork architectural elements characteristic of Arab buildings since the...

Al Hilal Bank (Arabic: مصرف الهلال), Established in 2007, Al Hilal Bank was a Islamic bannk headquartered in Abu Dhabi (UAE) offering Shari’ah compliant Retail Banking, Treasury and Wealth Management.

Al Hilal Bank was acquired by ADCB Group. Al Hilal Bank retains its existing name and brand and operate as a separate Islamic banking entity within the group.

With issued capital of AED 4 billion and paid up capital of AED 3.5 billion, the Bank had credit ratings of A+ and A2 by Fitch and Moody’s respectively. The Bank has 14 retail branches across the UAE and 3 branches in Kazakhstan through which they offer digital-based services, enhancing the Bank’s...