Arabic Architecture

The project's intention was to combine Arabic and Mediterranean inspirations in a tiny courtyard. Marta Malheiro Preserving the white walls as the Arabic influence, was the objective to bring indoors the characteristic Mediterranean vegetation. Marta Malheiro Some of the features in the garden can combine both styles. Marta Malheiro Marta Malheiro Marta Malheiro More

Oscar & Wild Camberwell is a woman’s fashion boutique owned by the effervescent Iranian born, Melbournian Paloma Hatami. This is the second of her stores following the opening of her original Kew store in 2009.   Oscar & Wild stock garments and accessories sourced from locations such as Iran, Dubai and Morocco as well as containing celebrated Australian Designers and International brands catering to fashion savvy clientele. The selection and combination of pieces are rigorously and passionately sourced by Paloma herself, of which the composition is a very real representation of her rich history & style.   The inspiration for Camberwell follows on from that of the original Oscar &Wild which was self design... More

Concept. There are three main drivers in the development of the design. The first and foremost is the art collection of the Barjeel Foundation, so the question we posed ourselves was, how to best present the artworks and to provide an atmosphere which is suitable for their display and conservation in the long term? The second driver which informs the museum is the climate and atmospheric conditions of Sharjah. Knowing how big a challenge this poses on the visitor experience, so from very early on we focused on strategies to activate the exterior spaces through elements that could contribute to a larger argument for sustainability. We achieved this by imagining a beautiful lattice-frame wooden roof draping over the museum providing shade an... More

Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel sought inspiration for the concept of Louvre Abu Dhabi in traditional Arabic architectural culture, and designed Louvre Abu Dhabi as a ‘museum city’ in the sea. Its contrasting series of white buildings take inspiration from the medina and low-lying Arab settlements. In total, 55 individual but connected buildings, including 26 galleries, make up this museum city. The façades of the buildings are made up of 3,900 panels of ultra-high performance fibre concrete (UHPC). The museum design is a collaboration between traditional design and modern construction techniques. The tranquil environment encourages visitors to enjoy the ever-changing relationship between the sun and the dome and betwee... More

Architect: Shape Architects – Beirut / Jad GhostineClient: Base LCCWorks: Main wall, front desk and counterCategory: Mesh SheetsMaterials:- Plywood: Birch for wall and black MDF for desk- Finish: Laminated Black MDF and Walnut Finished BirchA new fusion restaurant in the financial center of Dubai, with a blend between European and Arabic architecture, featuring a gigantic double curved WOOD-SKIN wall. The multi-toned wood finish pops off the all white furniture and exposed concrete. Opposite the restaurant, a 50 m long counter is clad in shiny black laminate to reflect lights from outside, enhancing its clean and organic movement. More

The project includes the People’s National Assembly, the National Council (Senate), the Chamber (Congress), and a residence for legislators. Algeria’s new parliament is a project that must meet the highest standards. The building needs to embody the idea of democracy in action, the Algeria of the future, freedom, peace, strong but deliberative power. The architecture must communicate a distinct national identity founded on universal values. How can a 220,000 m2 complex convey openness, dialogue, debate – an essentially dialectical spirit – without defaulting to an architecture whose monumental scale creates a totalizing effect? It is necessary to look to democracy’s architectural roots, which originate in the Mediterranean ba... More

The northern coast of the Kingdom of Oman will soon be graced by twenty five new Mosques. They will be the community places and spiritual homes for the citizens of the likewise newly founded townships. Such large scale construction project is extending previous standards of today’s urbanism. It reaches out to new dimensions of format and quality as well as to new strategies of urban planning. Most notably, on this occasion the Kingdom of Oman may render unique profile and visibility to its particular social and cultural identity. Its “traditional modernity” is essentially marked by cosmopolitan and tolerant social attitudes and distinguished equally by plurality and homogeneity. Driving change from tradition to modernity at deliberately... More

The smallest of the United Arab Emirates, Ajman boasts a picturesque location along 1km of the Persian Gulf. Meaning ‘small city’ in Arabic, when we were engaged with AECOM to complete the masterplan for the Ajman waterfront, this was no city as we knew it. Made up of towers, highway and suburbs, we wanted to inject some fine grain and give Ajman a proper city, with a new type of Arabic architecture. The masterplan needed to allow for a marina, tourism complex and seven residential towers and given the location, there was one major imperative with any plan we developed – the layout and architecture needed to address the harsh Middle Eastern climate. Naturally we turned to the people who know the area best and extensively studied indigenous... More

A) Overview The design captured the art of geometry in the Arabic architecture. To rectify the relatively simple pitched architectural roof, a composition of domes in various sizes was introduced to the space hence revealing an eye catching feature where all the main sales activities are processing. B) Brief & Concept B1.1) Mediterranean style property developments are spreading over China like chain stores of a brand, an outstanding interior in exchange of ‘just another Mediterranean’ among thousands has to be done to draw special attentions. B1.2) The designer convinced the client with simplified yet powerful Arabic design languages for the sales office of an exotic property development to replace a normal Mediterranean prototyp... More