Stockholm: Kuwait Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden Mohammad Hayati spoke highly of the efforts of ArkDes - the Swedish national museum of architecture and design, in preserving historical documents. During his visit to the museum, located on Skeppsholmen Island - the cultural hub of Stockholm, the Kuwaiti diplomat lauded the deep-rooted relations between his country and Sweden notably in the cultural and architectural areas.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Ambassador Hayati was accompanied by Secretary-General of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) Ingvar Mattson. They were welcomed by ArkDes Director Karin Nilsson and other officials of the museum as well as Joe Lindstrom, son of Sune Lindstrom - the chief architect of the Swedish engineering company VBB which erected Kuwait Towers.
The Kuwaiti diplomat visited the archive of ArkDes, which includes the designs of the landmark Kuwait Towers designed by the Danish architect Malene Bjorn and her Swedish husband Sune Lindstrom. He was briefed on the stages of development of the Towers, which were inaugurated in March 1979 and became a symbol of modern Kuwait.
The Swedish VBB company, renamed as Sweco in 1997, had also built the mushroom-like Kuwait Water Towers. Hayati and Mattson explored ways to strengthen the relations as their two countries prepare for celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
On his part, Joe Lindstrom noted that Kuwait Towers hold a special status in the hearts of his family since they were designed and developed by his late parents. He mentioned that he, in his capacity as an architect too, supervised several stages of the development of the project.