CLIENT /

LOT AREA /

BUILT-UP AREA /

 

CHALLENGE /

A conference and ceremonial hall for Jeddah University that has to stand out in its context and reflect aspects of traditional heritage, while being a progressive forum for intellectual and cultural exchange.

 

CONCEPT /

The project is designed along a grid which draws influence from Najdi patterns and governs the reasoning in the planning and skin treatment of the building and its surrounding landscape. The main entrance leads into a large 1,000 m² multipurpose exhibition hall from which the user has access to the lower part of the conference hall with a capacity of 840 persons. The upper part holds a capacity of 360 persons and is accessible via the female entrance off the side of the building. A VIP entrance hall on the opposite side gives direct access to the front rows near the stage while four workshop spaces on the first floor level are accessible via the exhibition hall.

The Najdi pattern influenced side façades are treated as double-skin elements with spaces in between varying from stepped gardens to entrance halls and lobbies.

 

SHARE /