-14052009

Aerodynamic souk

Located to the west of the city one of the primary aspirations of the proposal was to promote and secure a high standard of design. The linear buildings would shield an inner street sheltered from direct sunlight, which forms the 'heart' of the building, similar to the traditional Arabian 'souk'. As a concept, one block is 'static' and the other 'dynamic'. To the north, the static linear block anchors the building on the site and provides a solid face to any future development to the north. The southern block becomes expressive and is the signature of the building. Resembling the smooth aerodynamics of a plane, the block grows out from the elevated south-west corner of the site growing to a pinnacle as it reaches Mohamed Ali Janah main road creating a landmark feature that will be seen from all approaches to the site. A greeting point of the main reception is located to the left (south side) with the additional front of house accommodation set behind. This provides a clear welcoming point where visitors sign in before being allowed access further into the building.

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