Yarmouk University

Notes

Located in the northern part of the country, the Yarmouk University campus is the fruit of the collaboration between the Japanese firm Kenzo Tange & Urtec – founded and led by Kenzo Tange – Jordanian architect Jafar Tukan, and Jordanian engineer Raif Nijem. Tange worked on the master plan between 1977-1979 and designed the buildings in 1980.

Spreading across a site of 12,000,000 sqm, the national university was commissioned in order to meet the growing academic needs of the country, complementing the existing University of Jordan in Amman. The project was developed in three major stages, starting with a capacity of 420 students in the initial stage and reaching a total of 20,000 students.

The design combines elements from the local past with international modernist standards, using Islamic patterns and forms in a new architectural ensemble and environment. Tange and Tukan used Islamic principles as a leitmotiv for designing the large campus, seeking to integrate the university and community. Koranic concepts of simplicity, moderation, equity, privacy and humility translate in a harmony with the local culture, environment and needs. Surprisingly, it is the mosque built in 1981 by the project engineer Raif Nijem which constitutes the exception: contrary to Islamic tradition, it no longer occupies the central position in the campus.

Tange introduces a system of square courtyards connecting the different parts of the campus along two axes or “spines”. The social or civic spine is a public space running from east to west, linking the campus with the city and connecting theater, conference hall, art museum, student center, mosque, hotel and other public facilities. The academic spine runs from north to south through the center of the site, providing access to all the departments and linking the schools of science, arts, engineering, medicine and the hospital. At the intersection of the two axes are located the main administration center, the central library and other centralized campus facilities. Departments are based on a modular blocks arranged around the courtyards, and are tilted 45 degreed from the major axis, forming a diagonal grid. The construction is also modular, consisting of standardized pre-cast slipform and cast-in-situ reinforced concrete for the structure and foundations, and prefabricated concrete textured panels for the facades. 

The early collaborative approach on this large-scale project significantly determined the local integration of the master plan into the landscape and regional cultural traditions.

see photos on architects' website

Sources

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