Ebril Ministry of Defence

Competition for the new Defence Ministry building in Ebril 2012 Iraq – Second Prize

The site is on the outskirts of Erbil, in Kurdistan. It is a land surrounded by natural landscape without built neighborhoods. The relief is flat and arid, with a predominantly horizontal figure. The new headquarters for the Ministry of Defense is organized compactly around the inner courtyard reminding of the old city fortresses. The gesture of power is assumed by the robust and compact silhouette. By contrast, the fully open ground floor is an invitation to enter this protective enclosure. The volume is enclosed outwards with a corten layer with small glazed surfaces, assambled within a repetitive and abstractive layout. The inner court façades are conceived in opposition,entirely glazed.