0796 QATAR - Skyscrapers of Doha

In 1939 were first discovered the oil reserves in Qatar Peninsula, located on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. In 1971, Qatar officially gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and three years later the Qatar General Petroleum Corporation took control of all oil operations in the country, and Qatar rapidly became a rich country. In 2012, it has the highest GDP per capita in the world, and approximately 14% of households are dollar millionaires. Probably the most visible and simultaneously the most impressive evidence of the country's economic success are the buildings erected in recent decades especially in its capital, Doha, a relatively young city, founded in 1825.

In this postcard are some of the most inspiring skyscrapers in West Bay, a newly developed neighborhood of Doha, considered one of the most prominent districts of this city. The first building from the left is Al Bidda Tower (215m tall, completed in 2009), with an unconventional diagonal curtain wall, derived from the concept of a tornado. The tower includes commercial spaces, business centres, showrooms, restaurants, an art gallery, outdoor café, a health club and a 1,000 cars parking with direct underground access to the tower.
 
The next one is Doha Tower (232m tall, completed in 2010), also known as Burj Doha, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat named it the best tall building in the Middle East and North Africa in 2012, citing the way the cylindrical building uses "ancient Islamic patterns" in its cylindrical design, which is an innovation reminiscent of the Torre Agbar office building in Barcelona by the same architect. The scratch-proof flooring, provided in several of its floors, is fixed with 500x500mm sheets of galvanised aluminum, which is an exclusive design patent of NORTEC Builders, who built the floor system for the Burj.

The third skyscraper is one of the Palm Towers (245m tall, completed in 2010), a business complex, considered a fine example of innovative architecture and engineering. It is a palm shaped building, the palm being the symbol of survival in the dead-heat of the desert. It consists of two identical towers, with a 9 floors building between they, that include 8 floors for parking and one comercial floor.

The last skyscraper is Tornado Tower (200m tall, completed in 2008), which was recognized as the "Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa" in the 2009 CTBUH Awards Program. Apart from the distinctive shape created by Munich based architects SIAT Robinson Pourroy, the outer steel structure of the tower will be accentuated by a special lighting system designed especially for the tower by renowned light artist Thomas Emde. With its simple form and gentle curves, the tower offers a memorable, elegant silhouette that is recognizable from all vanishing points. Sitting strongly on a pristine plaza, Tornado Tower tapers gently inwards towards its slender mid-height point, then outwards again towards its summit.

About the stamps
The first stamp is part of a definitive series depicting Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who was the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar from 1995 to 2013. The second stamp is part of a series dedicated to Souq Waqif (the standing market), an important souq (an open-air marketplace) in Doha. Issued on December 18, 2008, the series comprises four stamps with the same face value, 1.50 QAR.

References
Qatar - Wikipedia
Al Bidda Tower - The Skyscraper Center
Burj Qatar - Wikipedia
Palm Towers - Property Finder
Tornado Tower - CTBUH official website

sender: Ivy Manalansan (direct swap)
sent from Doha (Qatar), on 26.06.2013
photo: Nicole Luttecke