Department store concept by OMA's Koolhaas, Alsaka draws inspiration from open-air Arab marketplaces

The Exhibition Hall, a retail concept planned in the 360° Mall in Kuwait City, will meld cultural and commerce spaces in a series of galleries reminiscent of the long passages of the souq—traditional, open-air marketplaces found in Arab cities.

OMA partners Iyad Alsaka and Rem Koolhaas teamed with Tamdeen Real Estate Co. to develop the design scheme for the department store project, which will span some 101,000 sf over three floors and feature a  translucent façade to showcase the activities inside and present a glowing aspect to the street at night.

The gallery design will provide highly flexible spaces—with multifunctional partition walls with circular cut outs will accommodate transversal access—that will allow retailers easily customize their experience. Within the retail environment will be curated galleries devoted to cultural events.

The project is developed with Kuwait’s 360° Mall management, Majed Al-Sabah and Giacomo Santucci, and overseen by OMA project architect Alessandro De Santis. Construction is scheduled for the beginning of 2014 and will be completed within the same year.

For more on the project, visit: http://www.oma.com/news/2013/the-exhibition-hall,-a-new-retail-concept-in-kuwait,-by-oma.