Welcome / OIC-Competition

Phase One
JURY REPORT

The Design competition for the construction of the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was announced on December 2, 2005. Through electronic media the announcement reached state institutes and chambers of architects, respective embassies, consulate and professional organizations all over the world.

The deadline for registration was extended to January 30, 2006. Ninety eight architects registered and a total of 80 entries were submitted. One entry was rejected for non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the competition.

From a total of 79 eligible submissions received for the first stage ten projects have been selected by the jury because of their conceptual merits and the potentials for further development.

The international jury of professional practitioners and academics engaged in detailed discussions over the submitted work and converged to the decision about the ten Winners and four Honorable Mentions. Each Winner is awarded $9.000US.

Following four entries 2809NN, 1169HM, NH4214, 2303HH have been awarded Honorary Mentions because of their artistic qualities, but were considered in-appropriate for this particular project to be included with the ten already selected. Each Honorary Mention Winner is awarded $2.500US.

The following are brief comments by the Jury addressed to the respective winners of the Phase One with an intention to help them towards further development and refinement.

General note: PLEASE READ AGAIN THE DESIGN RECOMMENDATION IN THE ORIGINAL COMPETITION DOCUMENT CAREFULLY.

Code: 4831OY (Registration Number 005)

Dome-like structure that has been familiar icon in the Middle East and now been recreated into a new dynamic form.
Easily identifiable as one single object even though it has multiple functions,
Grand entrance and plaza are easily accessible;
Amoebic plan sits comfortably in the irregular-shape of site.
Massing fits into the existing and future urban landscape.
Harmony between overall form and large public space is successful
Openings in overall form carved by environmental and contextual consideration are recommendable
The Parallaxes among curve edges of the opening are reminiscent of experience of buildings of the Muslim world
Planning needs further resolution and refinement especially in the relationship with other spaces and the control for mass movement of people.

Code: 5151AE (Registration Number 017)

The complementary relationship between “prayer rug earth-garden” and “tower to heaven”--concept is to be commended.
Environmentally sensitive.
Absence of clear plans and sections makes the proposal difficult to understand.. Functionally and technically proposal remains unsolved.
Small plan of the tower floors is not feasible.
Entrances are not identifiable.

Code: 2144JM (Registration Number 024)

The vertical façade in contrast with the draped facade has strong conceptual possibility in locating and orienting this building in its natural and urban context.
The functional sub-division above conference hall needs further studies
The structural clarity and its possibility of double skin facade is commendable and has environmental advantages for interior spaces.
Architectural planning for a multistory building needs to be resolved, for both terms of the core and usable areas.
The structural implication for clear span of plenary and conference hall should be studied.
The cost must be also justified.

Code: 1342CP (Registration Number 025)

Shape and form of the tower is reminiscent of early minaret and many people from Islamic world can associate with it.
As a structure it is feasible, but should be developed.
The use of light both during the day and night is very impressive.
As the interplay of external lighting will be the main feature of the scheme it must be clearly stated in the proposal of the mechanics.
The geometric pattern normally use on walls of Islamic buildings is indiscriminately used on the garden floor. The calligraphic layout on the garden floor, for example the Arabic text should be avoided.
No clear circulation.
There is no clear public place at the foot of the tower and it need to be developed together with the landscape.

Code: 0122MM (Registration Number 044)
Spatial complexity of the building within functional and structural organization is strong point in the scheme.
The day and night transformation of the solid and void is commendable
Site planning isn’t clear in its traffic floor and it is excessively formal.

Code: 0511MM (Registration Number 050)

The formal inspiration from cosmos, landscape, nature and tradition are impressive, and poetic.
Planning is not shown at all and serious attention needs to be paid to it.
The fenestration on the curved high rise needs more study.
Challenges of construction must be studied. At the same time it appears artificially de-constructivist.

Code: 4597MB (Registration Number 051)

The attempt to relate the formal organization of proposal to geographic diversity of Muslim nations is a strong point.
The excessive complexity can be reconsidered.
The institution should have a sense of stability and continuity.
The plan exudes dramatic sense of movement for a large crowd.
The scheme excludes movement and dynamism but also appears artificially de- constructivist.

Code: 13981 (Registration Number 053)

The urban vision is commendable.
Formality and symmetry system of the cube should be handled with ingenuity and clarity in order to achieve culturally, symbolically, architecturally richer and deeper scheme.

Code: MY2006 (Registration Number 060)

Very sophisticated design.
Inspiration from the wind and sand has been handled with sensitivity and awareness of contemporary technology.
Structural feasibility should be carefully examined.
Use of traditional pattern on the surfaces should be critically reviewed.
Project needs careful gardening and landscape design.

10.

Code: J01A04 (Registration Number 064)

Serious analyses of the Islamic city is commendable.
Attempt at three dimensional transformations in the vertical direction creates potential for some very special experiences which, however, was not clearly drawn.
The use of geometric pattern on the surface should be revisited.

JURY

1. Ekmeleddin Ýhsanođlu, Secretary General of the OIC, President
2. Aadill Mohammed Abdul Qadir Faqih, Mayor of Jeddah
3. Turgut Cansever, Turkey
4. Bodo Rasch, Germany
5. Saleh Al-Hathloul, Saudi Arabia
6. Gulzar Haider, Pakistan
7. Hijjas bin Kasturi,Malasya

Competition Coordinator: Amir Pašić
Istanbul, March 6, 2006

Aiming to protect anonymity till the end of the competition, we kindly ask all ten winners of Phase One to contact us by phone to agree on the mode of future communication.

Since its establishment, the OIC has achieved steady progress, as is observable in the increase of its membership which has reached 57 and the constant diversification of its field activities on the strength of its fully-fledged institutional structure.

There have been some moments of decisive changes in its activities as well as in its organizational structure. One such decisive moment was the Third Islamic Summit Conference held in Makkah/Taif in 1981, which set new guidelines for the OIC action and reinforced its institutional base. Since then, its structures and activities have been through periods of different degrees of change. Meanwhile global scene as well as the issues and challenges to be dealt with have also changed.

There is a common understanding that now the OIC stands at another decisive moment and that the time has come for it to play a proactive and visible role in the international arena, commensurate with the expectations and challenges.

With a full awareness of and in response to this understanding, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, called on the leaders of the Islamic Ummah to unify the ranks and strengthen the bonds by exploring the most effective solutions and means, and invited them to the Extraordinary Summit in Makkah on 7-8 December 2005. At the same time, He so graciously and with an exemplary endeavor, reinforcing the enthusiastic spirit of the Summit, has made it possible that the foundations of the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat be laid during the Summit.

Now, it is an honour for me to simultaneously announce the launching of the international competition for the design of the new OIC headquarters. This gesture of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques will always be remembered with deep appreciation by all.

Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanođlu
Secretary General
Organisation of the Islamic Conference

ANNOUNCEMENT