Snøhetta AS, Oslo/Norway

Authors:
Robert Greenwood, Oslo
Employees and Student Trainees:
Kjerstin Bjerka, Peter Dang, Peter Girgis, Tine Hegli, Andreas Nypan, Julian Preiss, Erik Vitanza
Experts:
Civil, structural, services and specialist engineers: Büro Happold Ltd, Glasgow/UK
Acoustical consultant: Arup Acoustics, Winchester, Hampshire/UK

Explanatory report (abstract)
Our intention with this design is to create a prestigious, contemporary and stimulating complex for the performing arts, truly integrated into the landscape and urban context.
Connectivity and density are the key strategies for the project. The roof and the arch connect the building with the landscape; the green backdrop of pine trees, the steep hillside and the park in the GAM strip. Horizontal soft lines form a great tent covering the diverse cultural content.
The building is a dense body on the northwestern part of the competition site. The two southern expansion sites can be used for expansion, may be a car park or additional cultural and educational purposes, or even housing.
The indoor and outdoor pedestrian spaces become much more than a foyer but an urban feature woven into the context of the city, with its surrounding streets, bazaars and alleys that make up the urban fabric of Amman. This conceived covered street, the foyer, invites the citizens of Amman into the heart of the Cultural Complex. Here one will find all the elements that contribute to a lively, bustling urban experience: cafes, ticket office, bookstore, retail, education facilities and rehearsal rooms, a cultural bazaar.
The school is grouped on the eastern end of the foyer in close proximity to the staff entrance and primary rehearsal facilities.
The administration forms a compact and effective unit at the western end of the foyer. The staff canteen is located at the top of the administration under the great roof canopy providing daylight and a relaxed atmosphere.
The catering is divided into bars and cafes at foyer level and a quality restaurant at the top of the great arched wall with direct access to the park. Below the restaurant are the VIP lounges, which to enter from a bridge to the balcony level.
The two main auditoriums and rehearsal room are aligned in a linear front row with public access from the foyer and good access to all building facilities in the back row.

Remarks by the jury
The jury appreciated the clarity of the project and its effective functional organization. The overall structure that celebrates the topography was considered a strong and poetic statement for such an important building that will be mostly visible from above.
The public circulation that runs through the performing arts center in order to link the main entrance plaza to the GAM Strip Park was viewed as a strong and relevant urban experience creating various functional benefits, e.g. noise protection, security, and spatial organization of backstage. The dramatic programmatic wall that borders this spine was appraised as a highlight of the project. The longitudinal section that shows that feature was admired.
The jury expressed doubts about the relation between the roof structure and the inner constructions as well as its feasibility within the budget. At this the presentation is missing the proof of fire and smoke protection. The promises of the enigmatic veil seemed lost at some important places when it comes in relation with the masses of the theaters.
The entrances to the building – front and back – were also criticized lacking generosity and attraction. The jury expressed concern about the amount of natural light that would reach the impressive public passageway in the lower foyer.
In general the project was highly appreciated as a valuable contribution to the competition that could be developed into a feasible and successful project.