Iraqi Engineers Union Headquarters

Notes

A national architecture competition was organized by the Iraqi government for the design of the Engineers Syndicate Building. Several pioneer Iraqi architects participated, and architect Hisham Munir won the competition. 

The program includes an administration, a library, lounging spaces, offices, an auditorium, a restaurant, and a bar. The landscape design accommodates several activities and contains a swimming pool.

According to Sultany, the concept of the building revolved around semiology; accordingly, the architect attempts to generate the architecture based on interpretations of certain signs and symbols. For instance, he architecturally translates the word “engineering” into simple geometric shapes in the building’s plan and the landscape design.

The building adopts a compact design program in a spacious plot which allows it to benefit from clear and free views. The building's structure is honestly and legibly expressed. For instance, on the ground floor level, the curtain walls are recessed so that the structural columns are clearly showcased on the façade. The beam connecting the columns together is also expressed and acts like a podium for the structural concrete space frame, which allows the upper floor to extend as a cantilever. Between the structural elements on the ground floor, aluminum louver sheets are arrayed in a manner adding verticality to the facade composition.

Sources

Khaled al-Sultany, Qira`a fi Tamathulat 'Imarat Al-Hadatha Bil 'Iraq [Study on Representations of Architectural modernity in Iraq], Amman: Adib Books, 2021, p. 356-363.

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