Jeddah Architectural Guide|CP/13
بنك التنمية الاسلامي |
|
Islamic Development Bank Headquarters |
|
| CORPORATE BUILDINGS/13 | |
| 1993 | Nikken Sekkei |
| 106.40 m | 24 Floors |
| 72,160 m2 | 45,500 m2 (Site) |
The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is an international Islamic financial institution that was established in 1974, with the aim of fostering the economic development and social progress of member countries and Muslim communities around the world.
Between 1983 and 1987, an international competition was held to design the new headquarter complex for the IDB in Jeddah. After much deliberation, the first prize was awarded to the Jeddah based architecture and engineering consultancy Archi-Plan, led by the Saudi Architect Dr. Abdullah Bokhari. However, due to difficulty in reaching a final agreement, the competition committee, later on, withdrew the prize and awarded the project to second prize winner; the Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei.
Established in 1900, Nikken Sekkei has been one of the cornerstones of Japanese Corporate Architecture and has been a major player in the modernisation and development of Japan in the post-war era. The firm has expanded tremendously in the past 30 years, completing more than 20,000 projects all over the world¹. It has recently replaced AECOM in 2nd place in the list of Top 100 architectural firms of the world according to the Journal BDOnline².
The IDB Head Quarters complex in Jeddah was the firm’s first building in the Middle East. During the construction period between 1990 and 1993, the firm established a site office to oversee the construction of the project. However, not until 2006 did they return back to the Middle East, this time establishing a regional office in Dubai, and managing to work on an interesting portfolio of projects in the region. They have recently won the commission to design and engineer the new headquarters of the Saudi Stock Exchange, or Tadawul in Riyadh’s King Abdallah Financial District³.
The complex is comprised of three main elements: a high-rise Bank/Institute Tower; a domed Conference Center; and a low-rise Residential and Social Center. All three elements rise from a landscaped podium that contains and conceals parking for almost 1,000 cars.
The heart of the complex is an innovative double tower that houses offices for both the bank (IDB) and the training institute, known as the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI). The IDB and IRTI blocks are linked at the top by a roof structure that not only houses an additional MEP plant but also provides a helipad required by safety and aviation authorities in Saudi Arabia.
The Residential and Social Center is located across a landscaped plaza to one side of the Conference Center. It provides short-term accommodation for visiting students, specialist and scholars. The Residential Center includes 50 units on 4 floors arranged around a private, internal garden.
The Nikken Sekkei team have conducted comprehensive studies to adapt the building to the local climate while still honouring design aspects from Islamic architecture. Many elements inspired by the local vernacular have been reinterpreted using modern architectural techniques. To block direct sunlight, minimal width, slit-like fenestrations were designed for the exterior facade, while in the shaded central patios ceiling height glass covers the internal facades of the tower to obtain indirect natural light and a view of the nearby Red Sea.
#nikkensekkei #IDB #JAG #madeinjeddah
Rendered imagess courtesy of Nikken Sekkei.
References:
http://www.nikken.jp/en/projects/global/saudi-arabia/islamic-development-bank-headquarters.html
Nikken Sekkei: Planners, Architects, Engineers. Tokyo: Nikken Sekkei, 1998. Print.
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