Al Hamra Tower

Al Hamra Tower is the tallest building in Kuwait, standing about 413 metres on Al Shuhada Street in the Sharq district of Kuwait City. Designed by the architects SOM, the tower is clad in limestone and has a sculpted form, with a twisting, asymmetrical profile that opens the southern side to views and shields the other sides from the sun. The surface of the facade shows deep carved folds and a pale stone finish that changes colour through the day, and it is regarded as one of the most distinctive pieces of contemporary architecture in the Gulf. The office tower itself is not open to visitors, so there is no observation deck, but the Al Hamra Luxury Centre mall at the base is open to the public and entry is free. The mall offers upmarket shops, cafes and restaurants, and its hours are roughly 10:00 to 22:00 daily. Visitors who come for the architecture can walk around the base, look up along the facade and take photographs from Al Shuhada Street and from nearby vantage points a short distance away, where the full height fits in a single frame. Evening is the favourite time because the lit facade stands out against the dark sky, while weekday mornings are the quietest for the mall. A visit usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes, longer when combined with a meal. The tower is a short drive from Kuwait Towers and Souq Al-Mubarakiya, and ride-hailing cars drop visitors at the mall entrance. Summer heat makes walking around the exterior unpleasant at midday. Visitors should avoid photographing security staff, and dress codes in the mall follow Kuwaiti norms, so shoulders and knees should be covered.