flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

Office Buildings

Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.


By BD+C Staff | February 3, 2015
BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company

Two towers are connected by a giant tensile canopy that slopes down, mimicking the tents traditionally used by cultures of the region. Renderings courtesy BIG.

A Middle Eastern media company—whose identity remains unreleased—held a competition for its new headquarters. Bjarke Ingels’ firm BIG has released designs of their submission, which designboom describes as a building that “will provide a framework for international broadcasting that simultaneously seeks to remain grounded within the region’s culture.”

The 650,000-sm complex is formed by two rectangular towers with cubes protruding from the structures on various levels, making up a “vertical village” of newsrooms, broadcast studios, and amenities for the company’s employees such as dining facilities, a gym, bank, and auditorium. 

The two towers are connected by a giant tensile canopy that slopes down, mimicking the tents traditionally used by cultures of the region, such as the Berbers or the Bedouins. Underneath this canopy is a shared plaza for informal interactions. For workers higher up in the building, the main towers’ protruding cubes create rooftop terraces for relaxation.

Designboom has more on the story.

 

Related Stories

Office Buildings | May 22, 2018

Where fun follows function: New study reemphasizes the value of play in the workplace

Perkins Eastman recommends personalization, access and “linkages,” and variety as design criteria.

Office Buildings | Apr 25, 2018

Cardiff is home to the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters

Foster + Partners designed the building.

Office Buildings | Apr 23, 2018

Activity-based design takes precedence in new office projects

The latest report by Ted Moudis Associates also finds more space being allocated for amenities and wellness.

Office Buildings | Apr 19, 2018

From fitness to bowling alleys: How commercial office buildings are differentiating themselves through amenities

Here are five ways that amenities can help developers and building owners attract and secure tenants by appealing to their inhabitants.

Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2018

Yeti’s new global headquarters evokes the outdoors

Gensler designed the new HQ.

Office Buildings | Mar 19, 2018

A cost guide to office fit-outs provides comparisons for 59 markets

The new JLL report also finds landlords offering more generous tenant improvement allowances.

Movers+Shapers | Mar 19, 2018

Movers + Shapers: Tech takeover

From Chicago to Charlotte, the tech boom is transforming urban real estate markets and redefining workplace design.

Office Buildings | Mar 19, 2018

The new office has roots in retail

How retail’s focus on brand authenticity, heritage and education are transforming workplace design.

Office Buildings | Mar 13, 2018

Using workplace data to create connected communities

Workplace data is being put to use by corporate service groups to provide a better employee experience and empower the businesses that are their customers.

Office Buildings | Mar 12, 2018

Sound advice on workplace design

Thoughtful design, paired with a change management program to educate staff, can both enhance connectivity and minimize distractions.  

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.


MFPRO+ News

San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021