Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Wind Towers of the old Bastakiya District







As one walks along the Dubai creek, one cannot help but notice the numerous rows of neatly spread wind towers. Dubai was famous for its wind towers that lined the creekside. While a lot of conservation work has been done to retain the old magic, I dread the day when these beautiful structures will give way to ugly new develpoments.
Wind towers were engineering feats of their time. The wind tower is a four sided structure with vertical opening on all sides and a small roof on top. They were designed to trap air moving in any direction and funnel it down to the room underneath. The tower's inside tunnel is partitioned in a way that allows air to move around in different directions. A very simple concept that kept the houses cool in the hot scorching desert.
Probably still relevant amidst today's modern day energy and environmental woes.




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have a very impressive blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

This is a wonderful initiative. Looking forward to new posts soon.

Uma por Dia said...

I nevver heard about these before, but sure it is wise and shouldnt be lost!

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