the leaning towers

OK, I admit it…the twin towers are growing on me. I thought they were graceless and clunky at first, but now I’ve driven between them, walked under them, seen them from miles away in several directions, and done some research. They are pretty cool, after all. They are the Kio towers, which stands for Kuwait Investment Office, and they lean toward each other at a 15-degree angle. Considering that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is only at 5.6 degrees (though I think that is changing yearly), this is dramatic. A vertical silver band on each tower shows that almost the entire rooftop surface of the building is not over its base…amazing.

Even my initial impression that the towers look like an open drawbridge has turned into a positive attribute…they are supposed to form a modern gate into the city, corresponding to ancient gates like Puerta de Toledo or Puerta de Alcala, and they are called Puerta de Europa. They are the worlds’ first inclined skyscrapers.

Someday maybe I’ll be able to go inside one or the other.