STATUS: INVITED COMPETITION(IN ASSOC.WITH JA ARCHITECTS BD)2019
Light & form is the inspiration behind designing the new embassy building of Qatar. Careful derivation of form has been crucial to the arrangement of functional spaces in the embassy, so that the building is inviting, internally accommodates more openness and gives a sense of grandeur. An attempt has been made to interpret space to be both experiential & functional.
An embassy is a kind of remote state, reflecting quintessential attributes of the nation. Strong potentiality of geometric interpretations can be seen through ages & different civilizations that culminate to architecture, indicating aspirations of both people & state.
The design of the new Qatar embassy in Dhaka starts with a square ,symmetrically positioned to the site & by rotating it, growth and opportunities are found in a subtler proportion .in fact by rotating a single square changes dimensional boundaries(though the area remains the same).This process is basically endless & non exhausting , giving a strong hint that symbolizes intricate order. This evokes growth, spirituality & universality. incidentally this rotation also creates an oblique condition that neither is frontal nor is lateral in expression. AS a result, opportunity to create spaces that are introvert & overt at the same time is possible. Thus, providing a strategic advantage of privacy & containment.it Is worth mentioning, that in this process an intricate order can be established by means of the guidelines provided, to attain a harmonious entity. the entry volume gradually accentuates towards the main majlis volume- which is the central highest volume of the complex.it is anticipated to be a lofty quadruple height space adorned by light & shadow, a dynamic diurnal pattern that emanates a kind of metaphysical rhythm.
A similitude can be drawn between archeological structures of fortification in Qatar & the, the cardinal points of the square that are translated to service cores – that hold the main rotated volume in a way faith & progressiveness upholds Qatari society. screens are used in the interior & the exterior resembling mashrabia, an important feature of middle eastern architecture. the exterior screen takes the inspiration from sections of palm leaves that form a kind of natural folded plate with enhanced rigidity. this screen not only protects against direct solar heat gain but also provides crucial privacy necessary to the building to maintain over all discreteness. thus, the screen works as a threshold making the building both open & closed at the same instance. The interior screens would provide further visual isolation & would also add to the subtleness of the interior volume. Courts, punctuations & semi-open spaces are composed in a way that allows southern breeze to be gently flown through the building blocks.
landscaping would be mainly water borne & carefully selected flora & fauna would give shade & privacy. Also, selection of trees of both local & Qatari origins would be provided by specialists in landscaping design as needed. Security will be maintained by means of state-of-the-art electronic surveillance & access control system. HVAC system can be VRF with both ducted & individual fan coil units as needed. Functionality & circulations are very straight forward & carefully composed to ensure maximum usability. Mainly as cast concrete with special pigments & custom made form work with lining & templates would provide an effect of calligraphed façade having the hue of natural stone .also needs to be mentioned all glazing works are to be toughened laminated safety glass .glazing also needs to be of low-e type to reduce direct solar heat gain in skylights.