The Department of Architecture at the University of Khartoum, founded in 1957 one year after independence, marked the architecture landscape in Sudan. The first generation of architects graduated in 1961, coinciding with the return of those who went for education abroad such as Abdel Moneim Mustafa. This favorable situation, along with a period of stability, gave birth to a local architectural style that came to be known as the “Khartoum school”. The headquarters of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa is a powerful representative of this school, committed to modern principles of technical performance and adaptation to the climatic conditions of the region.
The building offers constructional clarity. A structural grid of columns and slabs hosts a cladding of concrete panels suspended at a distance to allow side lighting and ventilation to the offices. At the core of the building, a void runs at full height providing natural light and inviting passive ventilation. (George Arbid)

General view

Source: Abdelmoneim Mustafa

© Photo Ibrahim Z. Bahreldin

Section

Source: Abdelmoneim Mustafa

© Courtesy Abdelmoneim Mustafa