Responding to the building’s diplomatic role, SOM created a secure space that is both welcoming and respectful of local traditions. To mitigate its scale, and create a light aesthetic, the complex was broken up into “neighborhoods” based on security and functional requirements. Simple architectural geometries, coupled with gardens and courtyards, symbolically fuse eastern and western traditions.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 2008
Site Area: 10 acres
Project Area: 500,000 ft²
Building Height: 45 m
Number of Stories: 8