Mirjan Building

Notes

This building plays an important role in defining the spatial composition and appearance of the urban square it borders. Its simple and memorable form allowed its transformation into an Iraqi landmark that still appears today on postcards. The simple openings spread on its curved surface are laid out in a chess-like distribution. The dimensions and proportions of these openings are conceptually extracted from the geometrical shapes present in the context; simultaneously, the openings’ design provide proper light and ventilation into the building. The ground floor features a curtain glass façade and houses stores and commercial spaces, while the upper four floors contain office spaces, occupied for a certain time by the architect’s firm. A fifth recessed floor houses a restaurant and benefits from a garden terrace sheltered by a nude-concrete pergola. In terms of materiality, the facades are cladded in sand bricks.

Sources

Khaled al-Sultany, Study on Representations of Architectural modernity in Iraq, Amman: Adib Books, 2021, p. 160-165.

Caecilia Pieri

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