Blending traditional Arab house design with modern technologies, its imposing yet box-like exterior reveals little of the splendors inside the Arab Organizations Headquarters Building. A massive, inhuman gray cube of granite covering 54,000 square meters, dotted with deep-set, slanted windows on each face, confronts the visitor from several kilometers away. This silent, austere facade is intentional.
In a climate where daytime temperatures can reach 50° C, heat and light posed critical design challenges. The virtually maintenance-free rough stone and granite exterior creates a natural sand trap. Windows on each face of the building are deeply recessed and angled to offer indirect sunlight. In addition to extensive underground parking, parking pavilions are erected by the front fountain for VIP visitors.
In keeping with Arab architectural custom, the orientation of the building is entirely inward. In a generally hot and hostile environment, high exterior walls surrounding an inner courtyard, or hoche, offer privacy and protection from the sun’s intense rays without forfeiting a feeling of airy openness.
