AMARA ARCHITECTS in
cooperation with CDG won an architectural competition for the design of a
commercial complex. The development will be located in vicinity of the old city
of Ramallah, interestingly enough, on the very site of AA offices, which occupy
the second floor of a historic building which will be preserved. Winning the
first prize among 19 participants will qualify the joint venture of AA and CDG
to prepare all design and construction documents.
The project came in an effort
by Ramallah Municipality - who is the owner of the project - to revitalize the
old city of downtown Ramallah, and in conjunction with an undergoing project
for the restoration and redevelopment of the old city. It also goes in parallel
with the Piazza Milano project - also designed by AA - which will develop the
municipality area and central Ramallah park (Muntaza).
The new 9000 Msq development
will comprise two underground parking floors, street level commercial floors,
rental office space, entertainment halls and terraces, and roof top restaurant.
It is intended that the new project will surpass the mere purpose of providing
good investment, to being a model of proper integration between the project and
its surroundings.
The architecture of the new
project has evolved through careful understanding of the underlying
methodologies and processes which were current and which were responsible for
the historic development of the old city. In this direction, there was a
conscious effort to duplicate such methodologies, eliminating in the process
any intention to arrive at a high architectural statement or dominating
structure. Instead, the new structure
reflects the spontaneous development, and gradual growth, and human scale which
are typical of the development of any old city. The complex has three accesses
, which lead through alleys to a semi covered courtyard in the middle. Terraced
masses with varied elevations, the near coincidental, even random treatment of
the various elements, with the conglomeration of scattered red-tile roofs at
various heights, all reflect the effort towards blending the new project in the
traditional environment of the Ramallah old city. Curtain-glass facades have
also been utilized at various occasions with the intention of keeping different
"masses" apart, reducing the actual height of the building, thus
serving that original purpose, but at the same time characterizing the
structure with a touch of technology and modernity.
