Two media companies needed conjoined headquarters in
two elegant structures that reference traditional Arab
architecture. They provided a 380-meter, slender precedent
structure for consideration—our starting point. For
maximum efficiency, offices are stacked over the small
broadcast / news studios, and larger studios that require
permanent blackout are below grade. The common facilities
occupy the lower body of the towers, exposing the activity
inside this maze-like zone.
The facades incorporate retractable sunshades that
reference mashrabiya patterns. As the sun rotates, the
western facades ‘blossom’ while their eastern sunshades
retract, all within a minute. With sunshades retracted, the
stone-clad towers reveal floor-to-ceiling, clear glass
windows. At night, LEDs integrated into the sunshades’ caps
transform the facades into media walls. Sited according to
the Summer Solstice’s sun path, the towers cast large
shadows on the courtyards below, which are covered by
retractable umbrellas the rest of the year.