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130:, he was particularly impressed by the structure of the town. His plans for the Assembly with its central axis in the form of a covered main street are reminiscent of Isfahan's enormous dome-covered bazaar. Like traditional Islamic architecture, Utzon's interior, including the debating chamber, has no windows while the offices are illuminated only from the courtyards. Indirect light is provided to corridors, the library and the cafeteria by means of skylights in the form of half-barrel vaults which can be seen jutting up from the flat roof. The complex is also inspired by the expansive structure of a tree: the central walkway, 130 m long and 10 m wide, serves as the trunk with corridors and stairs — the branches — supporting ministerial rooms and offices as their foliage.
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102:, he was able to standardize the design approach as the drawings could be based on repetitive grids. However, further modifications to the overall design were still to come. It was decreed that the conference hall should now be eliminated and the mosque should be brought inside the complex. It was even suggested that the covered square should be removed but Utzon was successful in keeping it, explaining that it was "an architectonically necessary link between the great open natural space over the sea and the enclosed building."
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upwardly tapering concrete columns. A third continuously undulating canopy covers the east–west central hall leading from the main entrance to the open square facing the ocean. Here, politicians could address their people like tribal leaders standing in a tent. Utzon explained the positioning had even stronger natural connotations, commenting: "...The hall seems to be born by the meeting between the ocean and the building in the same natural way as the surf is born by the meeting of the ocean and the beach..."
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50 seats for the members and the possibility of expansion to 150 seats. The upper tiers offer 1,000 places for observers and spectators. The public square, similar in structure to the assembly hall, has a huge roof covering the entrance to the complex. Apart from these two halls, all the structures in the complex are in reinforced concrete consisting of 12,800 specially shaped precast elements made up of 150 basic types. All the elements are of white cement concrete with a smooth exposed concrete finish.
82:..." The hall led through to a ceremonial entrance beside a covered square facing the sea. The complex consisted of a parliamentary chamber, a large conference hall, each with sag roofs, and a free-standing, flat-roofed mosque. Together with the covered square, they formed the corners of an incomplete rectangle. After discussions with the Kuwait authorities, costs had to be lowered to a point at which Utzon realized it would no longer be possible to use a Danish engineer. He fell back on Max Walt from
176:, Iraqi troops set fire to the building when retreating in the face of the international alliance attacking Saddam Hussein. The building was rapidly restored at a cost of some $ 70 million. A number of changes to Utzon's design were imposed including an interruption in the central hall in order to provide for exhibition space, grey stone cladding was added to the columns and the covered square was compromised by curbs, guard houses and plants.
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141:. It is supported by two rows of columns with semi-cylindrical shells. Unlike traditional constructions, it consists of 11 inclined semi-cylinders, 7.5 metres wide, post-tensioned with steel cables. The columns display an innovative approach to the economical use of concrete, gaining strength, and visual attraction, from their creative shaping.
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The overall area of the complex is 18,000 square metres (150 m by 120 m). The main structure consists of a basement housing the services and two upper levels with offices, reception, meeting rooms, the library and the cafeteria. In the centre is the vast assembly chamber, 82 m by 34 m, with
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Utzon worked on the project for almost three years before deciding, at a late stage in the planning, that the structural elements should be round rather than rectilinear. He immediately demonstrated his new approach by lining up beer bottles. The new columns were tapered cylinders creating colonnades
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The huge shell-concrete canopies are in striking contrast with the modular courtyard structures covered by flat roofs. The first canopy inside the enclosure faces northeast while the second, rather more elongated, lies just outside it, facing northwest towards the sea. Both are supported by precast
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Construction work finally began in July 1978. It had been decided to make maximum use of precast concrete components, facilitating the best use of local resources. Apart from the elements for the two wide-span roofs, which were cast on site and moved into position on so-called "railway tracks", all
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In his book on Utzon, Richard Weston considers that, despite the design and post-completion problems it has faced, "the Kuwait
National Assembly Building remains one of the few architecturally compelling achievements by a Western architect in the Middle East... It remains a striking achievement,
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With few exceptions, the building consists of prefabricated concrete elements. The semi-cylindrical column elements along the central hall were prefabricated in two halves, obliquely cut at the top. The reception hall and office block are also supported by a series of semi-cylindrical columns.
74:. In his own words, "We had the idea of constructing the building around a central hall, a bazaar street, in such a way that all departments met in side roads off the bazaar road, just as we know from the bazaars in the
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finally gave the go ahead for construction to begin. Utzon moved to Zurich together with Oktay Nayman, Børge
Nielsen and his son Jan and set up office next door to Max Walt, facilitating communications. Adopting an
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Familiar with
Islamic architecture, Utzon based his competition design on a walled miniature city consisting of departments arranged around courtyards and accessed through a central hall, rather like a
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reminiscent of ancient Greece or Egypt. Cylindrical vaulting was also to be used for the ceiling of the central hall, giving the building the appearance of flowing fabric.
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at the time, prepared preliminary sketches which he sent to Oktay Nayman in London, who made construction drawings, and to his son Jan in
Denmark who produced models.
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In late 1969, as part of a plan to construct new institutions following independence, the Kuwait authorities invited Jørn Utzon to participate in a competition for a
50:. The structural design was by Max Walt. The building was seriously damaged in February 1991 when retreating Iraqi troops set it on fire but has since been restored.
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who agreed to accept a more modest fee, for his services both as structural engineer for the project and draftsman for the construction drawings.
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Roberto Fabbri, Sara Saragoça, Ricardo
Camacho, "Modern Architecture Kuwait, 1949-1989, Zurich, Niggli Verlag, 2016, 427 pages.
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Altogether there were some 70 types of element, including those for the mosque which was finally eliminated from the project.
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Covering an area of some 40 by 80 metres, the public square has an inclined roof which rises up towards the
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The
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building to be located on
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the components were indeed prefabricated in standard sizes. The building was completed in 1982.
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Richard Weston: Utzon — Inspiration, Vision, Architecture. Denmark: Edition Bløndal, 2002.
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361:, The Pritzker Architecture Prize, Jørn Utzon, 2003 laureate. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
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became the governor and took over what was left of the original government.
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In August 1990, neighboring Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraqi president,
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in 1972, it was completed in 1982 under the direction of his son
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inviting comparison with the similarly fraught adventures of
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Pritzker Prize
Committee, "Kuwait National Assembly"
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Public
Authority for Applied Education and Training
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ArchNet Digital Library. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
352:Kenneth Frampton, "The Architecture of Jørn Utzon"
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400:, Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2009, 312 pages.
386:, Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2008, 312 pages.
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1299:Bayān Palace
1238:Universities
1169:Ṣafāt Square
1143:Sharg Market
1087:Bait Dickson
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860:
845:
554:Utzon Center
534:Kingo Houses
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38:Designed by
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1426: /
1294:Seif Palace
932:Other areas
916:South Surra
783:Kuwait City
712:Kuwait City
676:Kuwait City
153:Fire damage
76:Middle East
1441:Categories
1414:47°57′51″E
1411:29°22′13″N
1121:Recreation
1102:Sadu House
1030:Historical
503:Melli Bank
479:Jørn Utzon
377:Literature
209:References
191:Louis Kahn
180:Assessment
54:Background
44:Jørn Utzon
42:architect
1217:Libraries
970:buildings
961:Landmarks
866:Farwānīya
753:Districts
575:Can Feliz
232:About.com
922:ʿĀrḏ̣īya
876:100,000+
861:200,000+
846:300,000+
798:Quarters
796:Shuwaikh
693:Timeline
589:Concepts
355:Archived
315:Archived
224:Archived
197:See also
174:Gulf War
1253:(PAAET)
1247:(Kuniv)
1026:Museums
911:Jabrīya
906:75,000+
886:Khaiṭān
881:Mahbūla
871:Ḥawally
851:Sālmīya
760:Ṣawābir
688:History
610:Related
580:Can Lis
128:Isfahan
1344:Events
1314:Others
1274:(GUST)
1199:(TSCK)
1193:(KISR)
1187:(KFAS)
1028:&
896:Fḥēḥīl
891:Mangaf
786:Metro
744:Dasmān
739:Mirgāb
715:proper
424:
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120:bazaar
84:Zurich
64:Hawaii
40:Danish
1359:Nuqat
924:(65K)
918:(65K)
765:Waṣaṭ
734:Jibla
729:Sharg
722:Areas
703:Areas
568:Spain
938:See
788:Area
422:ISBN
412:ISBN
402:ISBN
388:ISBN
189:and
118:The
78:and
72:souk
27:The
48:Jan
35:.
1443::
321:,
239:^
230:,
661:e
654:t
647:v
471:e
464:t
457:v
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