The Center establishes a fluid relationship between interior and exterior. The plaza, accessible to all, rises to envelop an equally public interior space and defines a sequence of event spaces. Elaborate formations, such as undulations, bifurcations and folds, modify this plaza surface into an architectural landscape. Fluidity in architecture is not new to this region; in historical Islamic architecture, rows or sequences of columns flow to infinity, establishing non-hierarchical space. A contemporary interpretation of this was developed: responding to the topographic drop that formerly split the site in two, a precisely terraced landscape establishes alternative connections between spaces. This solution avoids additional excavation, and converts a site disadvantage into a key design feature.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
