Smart and stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept wins OIC headquarters competition

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Atelier Thomas Pucher's stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept makes a dramatic statement, but also takes a smart approach to managing heat in warmer climes

A cutaway of the tower reveals the office layout, and the central atrium

A visualization of the main hall at the foot of the tower, and the atrium which rises the full height of the building

The gardens are envisaged as an oasis

One of the garden's covered conference spaces

A visualization of the garden areas

A visualization of the tower by day

A close-up visualization of the tower's facade by night

Article Summary

"Garden and the Tower" is Atelier Thomas Pucher's winning design for the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to be built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The design is envisaged as "a global sign, made of light." The tower, very much the centerpiece of the design, will have a textile skin which, if we understand the design intent, will not only let sunlight and daylight in by day (an environmentally friendly way of illuminating the interior) but intentionally let artificial light out by night, to dramatic effect should the visualizations prove remotely accurate. The designers' approach to managing heat gain suggests that there's beauty in the function too.

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