Project Description

State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent state in the Middle East, occupying a peninsula that just into the Arabian Gulf. The Country has the highest per capital income in the world. Qatar is classified by the UN as a Country of very high human development and widely regarded as the most advanced Arab state for human development.

State of Qatar wants to build a new Qatari Embassy & Ambassador’s residence building in Dhaka Bangladesh. The official meaning of Embassy includes the group of people who represents their country in foreign country. New Qatari Embassy in Dhaka Bangladesh would reflect the state of Qatar Image and vision, inherent tradition, the true values of, generosity, and magnanimity though the harmonious juxtaposition of different functional aspects to provide high performance diplomatic facilities. The overall design of the building   should provoke an inspirational theme like the transparency, the faith, the welcoming and the fidelity that distinguish the Qatari people.

The proposed design attempts to achieve the symbolic and functional goals of the building through well thought-out and specific ways. Both the first impression, as well as the step-by-step image formation are important: it is a process of seeing, knowing, experiencing repeatedly. In the proposed design, we have tried to keep the meaning of the architectural features easily understandable and clear.

In this process, the first goal is to engage the city dwellers, the citizens of Bangladesh, with a pleasant and harmonious first-impression. The building, with its calculated height, overall profile with rounded soft edges, architectural features which blend effortlessly with each other, is designed to be gracefully different but not alien. With its scale it is not meant to be overwhelming, neither it is to be overlooked. The prominent architectural elements, such as the canopy-like roof, which covers the structure, like a big leaf, will trigger innocent curiosity in minds of the visitor: and it will inaugurate a step by step interaction. The shades provided by the canopy, the gardens and waters, the openness, the flowing interior volume with generous ambient light and other characteristics are designed to convey the specific central messages, that is, this building is designed with nature: that is, it is sustainable and it is inclusive, safe and above all welcoming.

Obviously, the friendly, harmonious, welcoming atmosphere is the main symbol of Qatari culture. Subsequently, there are some architectural “quotations” also: such as the Mashrabiya Window, the delicate separation of private and public zones, the geometric matrix openings in the walls and roofs and so on. These ‘gifts’ from the land of desert, oasis and sea, are, however blended perfectly with the local context, through design. The glass covered inside, sheltered inside the outer shell, is like a pearl, a precious offering from the country which has rich history of pearl trade. These quotations are as easily understandable to the host country, as like various Arabic words which were absorbed in the local culture.

The proposed building will gradually reveal to its user, that it is sympathetic to the host context also. The monsoon climate, rain, sun, water and vegetation, all are blended with the architectural scheme. The overarching shade that gently protects the inner “pearl” from direct sunlight and driving rains while allowing for the cooling effect of the monsoon breeze and the view of the rain, is a perfect unifier. The micro environment of the site, the existing local trees, the dynamics of the two existing roads: all factors are systematically taken into account to achieve a unified harmony.

Although the result might seem stylishly simple, this is not an easy design. Actually, to achieve the simplicity and the harmony, complex design calculations had to be done to find the exact right solutions. Apart from the overarching canopy, the central inside atrium is the major unifying element. With its flowing ambient light with constantly changing views and vistas and experiences, the hidden gem of the design. The canopy and the atrium meets at the center point of the design, culminating in the center piece skylight. The approximately circular plan of the atrium is another example symbolism that has universal acceptance. Rotunda, the architectural element, has architectural precedence the Stonehenge, in roman pantheon, the Al Aqsa mosque, as well as the 20th century masterpiece of the Guggenheim museum of New York.

Along with the canopy and the atrium, the matching use of materials, the landscape, as well the scale, result in the achievement of perfect harmony. Which in turn symbolizes an architecture which is inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable and above all, welcoming.

Project Data