BIG's proposal for middle east media HQ features giant tensile canopy

BIG’s proposal for middle east media HQ features giant tensile canopy
all images courtesy of bjarke ingels group

bjarke ingels’ architecture office BIG has revealed its competition proposal for a vast media headquarters building in the middle east. the scheme will provide a framework for international broadcasting that simultaneously seeks to remain grounded within the region’s specific culture.

the scheme will provide a coherent framework for international broadcasting

formed of two cuboid towers, the 650,000 square meter project has been designed to encourage communication among the building’s various occupants. in order to maximize this interaction, a vertical village of newsrooms and broadcast studios is united beneath a tensile canopy that brings together both staff and visitors.

the scheme seeks to identify with the region’s specific culture

within the ‘valley’ of the design, the podium – and the floors immediately above – form a shared space for informal relaxation, while private roof terraces can be used by staff working higher up the building. the scheme also contains a number of shared amenities, such as a dining facilities, a gym, a bank and an auditorium.

the design is formed of two towers connected with a giant tensile canopy

despite sharing a common base, internal programs are allocated a specific location to ensure a necessary level of privacy. functions with less demand for unusual spatial requirements are located in the higher part of the towers. here, the repetitive floor plates allow for a greater degree of flexibility.

newsrooms and broadcast studios are contained within a vertical village at the heart of the design

despite sharing a common base, internal programs are allocated a specific location within the plan

functions with less demand for unusual spatial requirements are located in the higher part of the towers

private roof terraces can be used by staff working in the site’s various studios

large studios are positioned in close proximity to the vehicle access lane

projections on the building’s façade can be viewed from the passing street

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project info:

project: middle east media headquarters
year: 2015
type: competition
client: confidential
collaborators: arup, msp, macmedia, pentagram
size: 653,700 sqm
location: middle east

partners in charge: bjarke ingels, andreas klok pedersen
associate in charge: andré schmidt
project leader: christin svensson
team: lorenzo boddi, song he, jan magasanik, joao albuquerque, liao hung kai, anu leinonen, enea michelesio, camila luise de andrade stadler
design assistants: dimitrie grigorescu, jakub mateusz wlodarczyk, jan pietrzak, jesefa templo, jonathan qaad