This seafront complex, was once the American Mission Hospital (1912) and is a landmark located in proximity to the commercial district and Kuwait National Museum, is now the headquarters of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. Conversion of the two-storey buildings into a cultural hub started with a detail study of their architecture and it was agreed that before new proposals were considered that restoration work would be respectful of the original design. Reversible finishes have been used. New volumes like the auditorium, which act as ‘piazza’ for public events and exhibitions, are clearly inserted into existing building fabric. Concrete walls and angled metal trusses contrast with the existing buildings.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
