ARPT Headquarters | Mario Cucinella

Conceived as an icon representing both tradition and modernity, the new ARPT Headquarters by Mario Cucinella is a symbol of the development of Algeria. The location of the building is off of an important thoroughfare in Algeri, allowing the architect to create a building that is highly visible and representative of the place in which it is set. The project proposal draws a highly iconic building far with predominant aesthetics of the area and which exploits the direct contact with the new park. The design itself is inspired by the Algerian desert landscape where the dunes of the building seem natural and have a harmonious flow to it as though manufactured by wind and sand over time. Tradition and modernity arise from the pointed arch that is typical of Mediterranean architecture and the inclination of the solar diagram. These influences can be seen in the treatment of the surface of the body so as to create a merger between new technology and cultural symbolism. Using principles of bioclimatic architecture, the building utilizes natural cooling techniques that have often been used in the past for this area. The iconic shape, through distinctive and highly recognizable, is also aerodynamic. By making the building convex on the North hot winds are diverted while on the concave side cool breezes are captured at night, thus promoting the natural ventilation of the building. This project is a dedication to the study of form, energy, and tradition in order to design a building that is simple and elegant yet full of nuances and reasoning where all the decisions have a purpose and meaning.