La nueva sede de la Fundación A.M. Qattan en Ramallah

El nuevo edificio de la Fundación A.M. Qattan, situado en el barrio de al-Tira en Ramallah, a unos cien metros de la plaza Nelson Mandela, es un ejemplo del compromiso de la Fundación con la innovación y la excelencia en contenido y forma. Diseñado por estudio sevillano Donaire Arquitectos, el edificio se caracteriza por la presencia de un cubo de elegantes celosías que emiten luz por la noche y que actúan como metáfora de un faro, reforzando así las aspiraciones de la Fundación de que su nueva sede se convierta en un faro de conocimiento y ciencia, un remanso para el intercambio cultural y una fuente de creatividad.

Además de las oficinas administrativas, el edificio de la Fundación albergará espacios e instalaciones públicas de última generación para la realización de sus eventos y actividades y para uso de las organizaciones, grupos o particulares que los necesiten. Es el primer edificio de Palestina registrado en el Consejo Palestino Superior de Edificios Ecológicos.

Esutdio de arquitectura: Donaire Arquitectos – Sevilla, España
Afiliados: Obras civiles y estructurales: Sakakini & Partners. Trabajos eléctricos: Shahd Engineering. Obras mecánicas: Elite Engineering
Gestor: Projacs International
Contratista: Ab’aad Contracting Company
Superficie total construida: 7,730 m2

Biblioteca Leila Mikdadi Al-Qattan
Our library, which occupies two floors, offers a significant collection of books, periodicals, film and databases specialising in the Foundation’s areas of work. The Library is the perfect place for individual reading and work as well as group work. There are two group workrooms available for reservation and one room for children’s activities, along with work desks and a lounge-like seating area.

Sala principal
This 270m2 hall can seat 200 guests and can also be divided into three equal spaces. The hall is fitted with soundproof partitions, blinds and audio-visual equipment to suit workshops, lectures, conferences, seminars and meetings. It also has direct access to an outdoor terrace, garden and lobby that can all be used during functions.

Galería
A 410m2 exhibition space designed with the highest technical standards and programmed to host different types of art exhibitions. The exhibition space is flexible and can accommodate several smaller exhibitions. It is equipped to cater to different exhibition needs in terms of environment, lighting, partitioning, etc.

Teatro
An intimate, well-designed space with retractable seating, a drop-down screen and control room. This space caters to around 120 people and can be used to host talks, music, theatre, and cinema shows or as a training and rehearsal studio for dance and theatre companies.

Talleres
There are three well-equipped studios in the building, geared towards a practice in culture and education, such as performing and visual arts as well as educational resources development. These are to be used by the Foundation’s programmes as well as by other individuals, collectives and organisations. These are:
Studio 1 –73m2 in F (-2)
Studio 2 – 73m2 in F (-2)
Studio 3 - 45m2 in F (1)

Aulas experimentales
A classroom that is open for experimentation, exploration and innovation in modern educational practices. Equipped with the needed tools and equipment, this space offers researchers, artists, and educators the place to work with teachers and schoolchildren to create and test their own experiences.

Residencias
The Foundation has incorporated a two-room residence space in its new building. Each room has its own bathroom and can host one or two individuals; the two rooms share a common living space and kitchen. With an independent entrance, the residence opens to a garden. The space is scheduled to host local and international guests through seasonal residency calls.

Restaurante
Situated on the main terrace of the building with a wonderful view of the surrounding hills, the Restaurant is a mash-up of social, cultural and gastronomic experiences for our audiences and visitors to enjoy.

The premises offer several gardens and terraces that intertwine with the main structure, providing harmony with the surrounding landscape and offering additional activity spaces. There are three terraces all facing south and overlooking a lush valley of olive tree orchards, that can host outdoors activities and shows. These start with the main terrace in the Ground Floor downwards as follows:
Terrace 1: Ground Floor 450 m2
Terrace 2: 240 m2 in F (-1)
Terrace 3: 540 m2 in F (-2)

The gardens are divided into two zones: the courtyards and the external landscape terraces.

Patios
The sources of inspiration in the design of the courtyard spaces are the Palestinian urban gardens of the early 20th century. Palestine has a rich urban history to draw upon in domestic architecture, urban gardens and urban dwellings. The courtyard gardens celebrate the tradition of garden building for leisure and enjoyment and reference a specific aesthetic sensibility developed in Palestinian dwellings, particularly in the early 20th century.

The gardens are characterised by the use of productive and ornamental plants in addition to aromatic varieties of vegetation, that resonate with the cultural and artistic psyche of the people of Palestine and the region such as jasmine (yasmin), Arabian jasmine (fil) and roses (ward). Furthermore, the much-loved vine trellis in our old building in Ramallah, was replicated in our entrance courtyard to continue the tradition of conversation and ideation under the vines.

Paisajismo
The landscape recalls the traditional agricultural terraces and olive orchards of Palestine. A collection of olives, native trees and aromatic plants populate the terraces and slopes; some of trees that were removed from the site during construction have been replanted around the building.