El Jadida, Morocco
2015
Mohammed VI
Exhibition Centre
The project consists of a coherent linear collection of Exhibition Pavilions, with a central promenade linking the various modules. This layout facilitates the efficient hosting of shows and exhibitions and is part of a scalable and adaptable approach.
Client
Program
Area
Planning
Client
SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval)
Program
Exhibition and convention centre, reception rooms, restaurant, VIP lounges, services
Area
146 000 m²
Planning
Delivery
2015
Each Exhibition Pavilion is thus intended as a self-contained module. The ensemble will be covered by a roof which, like a tablecloth, will protect the Pavilions and provide unity for the ensemble. The pedestrian forecourt serving the Pavilions is protected from the sun by a pergola evoking the ambiance of the Moroccan souks.
The entrance to the site is marked by a long wall, the design of which has several sources of inspiration: firstly, the familiar architecture of the walls of the Moroccan casbahs; secondly, the graphic design of mashrabiyas; and thirdly, the geometric patterns formed by zellig tilework (“testirs”). Composed of two metal nets spaced one metre apart and superimposed at a 45° angle, this artwork wall produces a unique cinematic effect that varies according to the position from which the wall is viewed. The resulting geometric forms are a contemporary transposition of traditional Moroccan motifs.
The graphics of the entrance wall net also appear carved on the posts supporting the pergola: an allusion to the technique of tagguebast and to the decorative mouldings of the north façade of the exhibition pavilions. This original and readily identifiable motif will be visible both from the exterior and, in reverse image, from inside the pavilions.
In keeping with Moroccan public spaces and parks, the Exhibition Centre’s outdoor spaces are home to various types of vegetation suited to the climate and terrain: palm trees, orange trees, cypresses, olive trees and bougainvillea.
The entrance to the site is marked by a long wall, the design of which has several sources of inspiration: firstly, the familiar architecture of the walls of the Moroccan casbahs; secondly, the graphic design of mashrabiyas; and thirdly, the geometric patterns formed by zellig tilework (“testirs”). Composed of two metal nets spaced one metre apart and superimposed at a 45° angle, this artwork wall produces a unique cinematic effect that varies according to the position from which the wall is viewed. The resulting geometric forms are a contemporary transposition of traditional Moroccan motifs.
The graphics of the entrance wall net also appear carved on the posts supporting the pergola: an allusion to the technique of tagguebast and to the decorative mouldings of the north façade of the exhibition pavilions. This original and readily identifiable motif will be visible both from the exterior and, in reverse image, from inside the pavilions.
In keeping with Moroccan public spaces and parks, the Exhibition Centre’s outdoor spaces are home to various types of vegetation suited to the climate and terrain: palm trees, orange trees, cypresses, olive trees and bougainvillea.
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