Image 9. Kinetic façade that regulates sunlight and illumination in the building. (“Arab World Institute by Jean Nouvel « KineticArchitecture.Net.” KineticArchitectureNet RSS. Accessed October 8, 2017. http://blog.kineticarchitecture.net/2011/01/arab-world-institute/.)
Image 24. Side elevations. (Clark, Roger H., and Michael Pause. Precedents in architecture: analytic diagrams, formative ideas, and partis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. <Website: https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=6vcLZcSIE_kC&dq=jean nouvel arab world institute elevation&hl=zh-TW&source=gbs_navlinks_s>)Image 25. Front and back elevations. (Clark, Roger H., and Michael Pause. Precedents in architecture: analytic diagrams, formative ideas, and partis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. <Website: https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=6vcLZcSIE_kC&dq=jean nouvel arab world institute elevation&hl=zh-TW&source=gbs_navlinks_s>)
Image 27. Sketch of the façade. (“아랍세계연구소 Arab World Institute.” 네이버 블로그 | [디자.인보.따리] Design, Sketch, Travel in POCKET. Accessed October 8, 2017. https://m.blog.naver.com/oholiab7/220754507315.)Image 28. Axonometric drawing of the Arab World Institute. (“Institut du Monde Arabe.” Archnet. Accessed October 8, 2017. https://archnet.org/sites/637.) Image 29. Diagram explaining the kinetic mechanism that opens and closes the façade diagrams or holes to let in sunlight. (“Arab World Institute by Jean Nouvel « KineticArchitecture.Net.” KineticArchitectureNet RSS. Accessed October 8, 2017. http://blog.kineticarchitecture.net/2011/01/arab-world-institute/.)Image 30. Façade components. (“Arab World Institute by Jean Nouvel « KineticArchitecture.Net.” KineticArchitectureNet RSS. Accessed October 8, 2017. http://blog.kineticarchitecture.net/2011/01/arab-world-institute/.) Image 31. How sunlight interacts with the building. (Clark, Roger H., and Michael Pause. Precedents in architecture: analytic diagrams, formative ideas, and partis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. <Website: https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=6vcLZcSIE_kC&dq=jean nouvel arab world institute elevation&hl=zh-TW&source=gbs_navlinks_s>) Image 32. How the façade mimics the form of the traditional mushrabiya of Arab.(Su, Yiming. “Arab World Institute Jean Nouvel.” Arab World Institute Jean Nouvel. Accessed October 7, 2017. https://yimingsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/arab-institute-jean-nouvel.pdf.)Image 33. How the opening of the diaphragms creates different spacial experiences and evoke human emotions. (Su, Yiming. “Arab World Institute Jean Nouvel.” Arab World Institute Jean Nouvel. Accessed October 7, 2017. https://yimingsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/arab-institute-jean-nouvel.pdf.)
Description
Jean Nouvel challenges the idea of creating a unique space in Arab World Institute, it does not use the typical methodologies to enhance user’s experience in the space. Nouvel proposes that light is an important factor that influences user’s mood, so he covers the whole façade with kinetic lenses to control how much sunlight could be let in. The diaphragms/lenses (windows) takes inspiration from mashrabiya, which is a wooden latticed windows located at the façades of the buildings, and remains a traditional arab architecture element. The materials are used (mainly steel and glass for façade, concrete for interior) are monotone and simplistic, and gives it a calm and clean outlook, the grey tone of the materials create contrasts with the light, the shadows casted are mesmerizing and healing, overall, it gives a sense of ambience towards the users.
The Arab World Institute is not only a true celebration to its Arab roots through its façades, it also proposes that no longer that the static structure and form (and appearance) define spatial experience, and challenges how we can construct spaces that can change and allow user’s to experience contrasting light conditions through time and kinetic transformations, and how it adapts to the natural sunlight and environment.
Modern Architecture: A Visual Lexicon 