The AM Qattan Foundation fosters critical thinking, research, and creativity, particularly among children, teachers, and young artists. The plinth of its new building, mostly Jerusalem stone, contains a subdividable multipurpose hall, theatre, workshops, conference room, art gallery, restaurant, and accommodation for residency guests. A more abstract, transparent block rising above houses a library, classrooms, and the Foundation’s offices. In the atrium, an aluminium lattice by a local design studio is based on traditional Palestinian embroidery. Strategies including solar-control louvres to glass facades, open joints to stone facades, energy-saving smart technology, and water reuse, have allowed this to be the first building registered with the Palestine Higher Green Building Council. Boosting cross ventilation and natural light, a series of gardens and terraces intertwine with the main structure. Planted with olive and other native trees and aromatic plants, they blend with the landscape and compensate for Ramallah’s lack of outdoor public spaces.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
