The concept of cool towers, which is a modem version of the historical wind catchers was re-visited. In contrast with the expression of cooling towers, which usually refers to equipment used to cool the water in power stations, air conditioning plants etc., cool towers are used to cool the air to provide comfort conditions for occupants. The main driving force for air in cool towers is the difference in density of air between the inside and outside of the tower. Since the inside air is cooler than the outside, its density is higher and the resulting density difference creates a reversed chimney effect. This effect translates into the flow of cold air down the tower to the conditioned space. A new set of criteria for Amman, Jordan was used in this work, which resulted in a realistic performance of the tower. In addition, the performance of the tower was studied for other climatic regions of Jordan, such as the desert areas, Jordan valley (Ghor) and Aqaba, where air conditioning is needed most. It was found that under those climates, the height of the tower necessary to create proper air flow is less than 9 m. This is in contrast to the traditional design which may reach up to 15 m in height. A tower of 4 m height can produce the equivalent of 1 t of refrigeration. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.