The Oasis Cultural Center - An energy-efficient cultural hub
Results for sustainable cultural center announced
Overview
An oasis is a lush green area in the middle of a desert, centred around a natural spring or a well. It is almost a reverse island, in a sense, because it is a tiny area of water surrounded by a sea of sand or rock.
Oases can be fairly easy to spot—at least in deserts that do not have towering sand dunes. The sight of an oasis on the horizon has been a very welcome one for desert travellers. They vary in size from a cluster of date palms around a well or a spring to a city and its irrigated cropland. Dates, cotton, olives, figs, citrus fruits, wheat, and corn (maize) are common oasis crops.
Rivers that flow through some deserts provide permanent sources of water for large, elongated oases. The fertile Nile River valley and delta in Egypt, supplied with water from the Nile River, is an example of this type of large oasis. At 22,000 square kilometres, it might be the largest oasis in the world.
Issue
The culture in Marrakech, just like any culture worldwide, plays an important part in shaping a city and its people. Marrakech is rich in culture and so diverse with its historical influences reflected through the beautiful architecture, delicious cuisine, and welcoming people. The culture in the ‘red city’ is unique and has been strongly influenced by Arab and Islamic civilizations because of the vast Berber population. The culture in Marrakech is portrayed through language, religion, music, crafts, and tradition. Bathed in the pink glow of its adobe walls, the lovely Marrakesh throws open its doors to all culture lovers. Marrakesh is composed of an array of influences that defy eras, a mosaic of colours where the wonders of the past and the present come into focus.
How can a concept of Oasis and the culture of Marrakech come together in an architectural project that is much more than a culture box? How can it symbolize the Marrakesh of the future?
The culture in Marrakech is strongly influenced by Arab, Berber and Islamic civilizations. The city was founded in c.1070, nearly a thousand years ago, by the Almoravid dynasty (an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty). This unique project will give the city the possibility to be flowering again and offer unique opportunities for investors in the BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) projects for shopping malls and offices.
Brief of the competition
The cultural centre had to set an example of a green cultural and exhibition city – where usage of energy, alternative energy, and recycling, and sustainable development is implemented as an example for the rest of the world.
The oasis should have taken care of environmental issues and reduce waste. The design, construction and operation should have sustainable development in mind. The oasis could be the first cultural centre in the world created on a sustainable basis – and without compromising creativity, practicality, costs and uniqueness. This will also made it attractive for organizers and visitors to come.
The jury for the competition consisted of esteemed designers, professionals, and academicians from around the world. The Lead Jurors for the competitions were as follows:
Mohamed Bennani, Principal Architect, Mohamed Bennani Architects, Morocco
Ignacio Peydro, Partner / Principal, DOSIS, Spain
Isabel Collado, Partner / Principal, DOSIS, Spain
Tarik Oualalou, Founding Partner, OUALALOU+CHOI, France
Meritxell Inaraja, Architect, Meritxell Inaraja ARQUITECTA SLP, Spain
Some of the Best of competition projects are:
Winning Project: ECHO
By: Carla Wijaya
Fig: 1 Cover image
Description: This project reflects and advocates the potential future of Marrakesh while celebrating Moroccan culture. Through the use of materials, technology, and landscaping, the project primarily explores and attempts to address; breaking the depletion of the oasis and its habitat, combating desertification, evolving labor skills, and improving livelihood opportunities.
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Runner Up: Wa.he Sanctuary
By: Fady Francis, Ali Sabri, Mariam Omara & Ali Sabry
Fig: 2 Cover image
Description: The aim is to achieve camouflage, while maintaining a dynamic presence of the architecture being merged with the landforms around it, the building urges the habitant to live with absolute connection with the scenery. A notion for all individuals to reconnect with the scenery. A notion for all individuals to reconnect with nature in its purest form, thus establishing a transcendent connection with oneself once again.
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Honorable Mention: The spirit of culture
By: Sara Jahed
Fig: 3 Floor Plans and 3D view
Description: The immortal element of a culture that has been able to survive in the face of different events throughout history is called the spirit of that culture. This insight is my most important tool to show the essence of Moroccan culture in this project.
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Honorable Mention: The Elysium
By: Erol Uresin & Berfin Kangal
Fig: 4 Social sustainable areas view
Description: An Elysium Cultural Center inspired by the gardens of Morocco, experiencing the oasis within an oasis.
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Honorable Mention: LIVING LAYERS
By: Elif Seda Koz, Fatma Gundogan & Emre Koç
Fig: 5 Site view of water harvesting, their process, and material used
Description: This project, in which layers are kept alive; It reinvigorates the architecture and culture of Marrakech with a contemporary touch, with the positioning of the elements and the materials used. The water elements accompanying the user's movement, the green texture, the structures and the wooden cover create an oasis and offer a pleasant experience to the user
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Honorable Mention: MILIEU
By: Daria Uss & Weronika Gielo
Fig: 6 Site plan
Description: The concept of the project was to design a building that would make full use of local culture and local ecological raw materials. The main idea was to create a visually and materially fascinating building that would fit into the surrounding landscape, stand out, but would not overshadow it.
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Honorable Mention: ec OASIS tem
By: Hossein Nazari, Neda Karimzade, Vedi Megerdichi & Shadi Ezzati
Fig: 7 Floor plan, section plan and interior space view
Description: In this project, we have tried to create a peaceful gathering place, a place where people can visit their hopes and their challenges, their future and their past, their roots and their branches. We have also promoted a green and sustainable future for the Moroccans by defining new methods.
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Honorable Mention: The Sprout
By: Paweera Panprommin, Ayaka Sato, Kian Jansuwan & Nattapong Prasitphol
Fig: 8 Section plan
Description: " A Miracle in the Moroccan Desert " This is a phrase used to refer to a type of tree that originated in Morocco, the only place in the world and Moroccans value this tree as the national tree or the tree of life.
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People's Choice: DAM.MEDINA
By: Lina Sefrioui
Fig: 9 Site view
Description: The cultural center medina
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Institutional Excellence Award: M'awee
By: Hamid kaboli, Ali Moradi, Mahsa Yazdani & Siamak Zandi
Fig: 10 3D render image
Description: | A Place To Return | Concept Design Of Cultural Center, Morocco
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Editor’s Choice: Al Souq Cultural Center
By: Klaudia
Fig: 11 Section from east and west facade and site images
Description: The project of Al Souq Cultural Center is inspired by the traditional form of market in Islamic countries. Markets are places for integration, gathering and movement. They are perfect spots to immerse in a tradition as well as get to know the culture and people. This project answers the question of "how can we experience the culture more than just by observation".
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Editor’s Choice: Gurfa Social Production Center
By: Yusuf Alperen Bayır & Zeynep Demirci
Fig: 12 Section plan
Description: Gurfa is designed to be a breathing architectural complex by proposing flexible spaces and open to alternative configurations so that both today's traditions and the probable future of the cultural activities are welcomed.
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Editor’s Choice: The Slit
By: Hilal Yılmaztürk, Buket Demir & MERVE AKÇA
Fig: 13 Section plan, site plan and interior view
Description: While making the design suggestions, the narrow and curvy streets of Marrakech, which have a historical texture, were examined. Looking at the city, this narrowness in its streets was perceived as a slit between the buildings and gave rise to the idea of 'slit' for the project.
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Editor’s Choice: THE YAZ
By: Antonio Volino
Fig: 14 Section plan
Description: Cultural center
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Editor’s Choice: Desert Rose
By: Sueda Gulen
Fig: 15 Cover image
Description: Desert Rose Cultural Centre is designed to be a specific and sustainable response to the building’s unique context. Deriving out of the idea of Marrakech culture, tradition, and art, and craft, the design and expanded program exemplify the concept of nature and technology made visible and working in harmony.
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Editor’s Choice: The Wahah Cultural Center
By: Parham Salahi, Mehdi Khakzand & Mohammadhosein Eghlidos
Fig: 16 Isometric section plan
Description: The Oasis Cultural Center
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Editor’s Choice: The Hidden Paradise
By: Samuel Saad
Fig: 17 Cover image
Description: The key concept of the project is an interpretation of the feeling someone has when he or she discovers an Oasis in the desert – discovering a new and totally unexpected environment,- reassured by the contrast that surrounds the place and a place where life and activities are growing.
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Editor’s Choice: Mystery box of Culture
By: Cheung Chiho
Fig: 18 Section plan and view
Description: The Morocco culture oasis is a mystery box of Morocco's art, music and culture. The project celebrates the precious rainfall often seen in the desert and makes it part of the project, part of the life and culture happening in Morocco. It celebrates peoples' life and passion for cultural activities with nature.
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Editor’s Choice: Riad of Oasis
Fig: 19 Cafe and Restaurant view
Description: Creating cultural values by weaving the sense of place of the site and the urban landscape
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Editor’s Choice: I N T E R L U D E
Fig: 20 Cover image
Description: Interlude is a cultural centre that aims to collect, maintain and promote local traditions and in turn making a sustainable architecture that has almost no environmental impact, thus generating a unique cultural icon in Morocco and North Africa. Just like an interlude in music, this project aims to become a place to have a break from the routine.
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Editor’s Choice: "Wonderoof" in Oasis
By: Said Daudov, Adeliya Galieva, Анастасия & Rashid Gilfanov
Fig: 21 Site view
Description: "God loved birds and created trees. The man fell in love with birds and created cages - Jacques Deval. The goal of our project is to break down the barrier between wildlife and humans. In our project, we have created an oasis in which people and nature achieve the highest harmony.
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