The architects, who were also responsible for development of the design vocabulary for the vast 35-hectare Downtown Doha project, undertook these five greatly-different demonstration projects in the Diwan Amiri quarter: government offices arranged around courtyards and an internal street; a dormitory, offices, and training grounds for the Amiri Guards; the national archives; an enclosed but open public square for Eid prayers; and exhaust towers for the district-wide air-conditioning plant underneath the prayer ground. The unifying element of the diverse projects is an emphasis on the materials and forms of Qatari vernacular architecture as a sustainable alternative to the urban sprawl of other cities in the region.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
