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Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

Office Buildings

Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.


By BD+C Staff | February 3, 2015
BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

Two towers are connected by a giant tensile canopy that slopes down, mimicking the tents traditionally used by cultures of the region. Renderings courtesy BIG.

A Middle Eastern media companyā€”whose identity remains unreleasedā€”held a competition for its new headquarters. Bjarke Ingelsā€™ firm BIG has released designs of their submission, which designboom describes as a building that ā€œwill provide a framework for international broadcasting that simultaneously seeks to remain grounded within the regionā€™s culture.ā€

The 650,000-sm complex is formed by two rectangular towers with cubes protruding from the structuresĀ on various levels, making up a ā€œvertical villageā€ of newsrooms, broadcast studios, and amenities for the companyā€™s employees such as dining facilities, a gym,Ā bank, and auditorium.Ā 

The two towers are connected by a giant tensile canopy that slopes down, mimicking the tents traditionally used by cultures of the region, such as the Berbers or the Bedouins. Underneath this canopy is a shared plaza for informal interactions. For workers higher up in the building, the main towersā€™ protruding cubes create rooftop terraces for relaxation.

Designboom has more on the story.

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