>C012 A World Within

Our shortlisted proposal for this invitation-only international competition considered the peri-urban nature of the competition site — where urban periphery blends with verdant oasis and rich heritage.

This unique place, whose history is inscribed across the local landscape, immediately suggested the use of locally sourced stone as our principal construction material and also provided us with a culturally relevant prototype; the mustatil.

Similarly, our decision to inscribe the walls of our contemporary mustatil reflects the long history of rock-carving in the area and also enables dew harvesting, echoing the ancient role of the oasis as a technology for managing water, its most precious resource.

The result is a timeless architecture of appropriate monumentality, mystery, and ambiguity – a world within a wall – that is not simply for its place but of its place, where the past, present, and future combine.